USS Philadelphia (C-4)

USS Philadelphia (C-4) was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy and the fourth vessel to bear the name. Commissioned in 1890, she was a member of the ''Philadelphia''-class, designed for long-range scouting and commerce protection. Her career spanned the Spanish–American War and included significant service in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Design and description

The design for the Philadelphia-class was developed by the Bureau of Construction and Repair and represented an evolution from earlier cruisers like the USS ''Atlanta''. She displaced 4,324 tons and was 327 feet 6 inches long, with a beam of 48 feet 9 inches. Propulsion was provided by two horizontal triple-expansion steam engines driving twin screw propellers, fed by four double-ended boilers, which could propel the ship at a top speed of 19 knots. Her main armament consisted of twelve 6-inch/30 caliber breech-loading guns, supplemented by four 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two 3-pounder guns for defense against torpedo boats. As a protected cruiser, her defense relied on an armored deck up to 4 inches thick, sloping at the sides, and a conning tower protected by 2 inches of steel, rather than a full belt armor.

Service history

Following her keel laying at the William Cramp & Sons shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was launched on 7 September 1889, sponsored by Miss Minnie Wanamaker, daughter of merchant John Wanamaker. Commissioned on 28 July 1890 under the command of Captain George C. Remey, her initial service was with the North Atlantic Squadron, conducting training cruises and port visits along the East Coast of the United States. In 1892, she was transferred to the Pacific Squadron, operating out of San Francisco and cruising extensively to ports in Central America and Hawaii during a period of political tension. At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, Philadelphia was assigned to the Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey, but she missed the pivotal Battle of Manila Bay due to being stationed at Honolulu as a communications relay ship. Following the war, she returned to the Pacific, serving as the flagship for the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station and participating in diplomatic shows of force, including a visit to Apia during the Second Samoan Civil War. In 1902, she was briefly deployed to the Caribbean Sea for patrol duties during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903.

Fate

In 1904, after fourteen years of active service, Philadelphia was decommissioned at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. She remained in reserve until 12 July 1912, when she was renamed USS York to free her original name for the new armored cruiser USS ''Philadelphia''. Her final renaming occurred on 1 December 1916, when she became USS Charleston. She did not return to active service under these new names. On 20 April 1920, she was sold for scrap to the Western Steel Corporation of San Francisco, and subsequently broken up.

Category:Protected cruisers of the United States Navy Category:Philadelphia-class cruisers Category:Ships built in Philadelphia Category:1890 ships