The second USS Amphitrite—the lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

 in her class

Amphitrite class monitor

The Amphitrite class monitors were a class of four U.S. Navy monitors ordered in the aftermath of the Virginius affair with Spain in 1873...

 of iron-hulled, twin-screw monitors

Monitor (warship)

A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...

—was laid down in 1874 at Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...

, by the Harlan and Hollingsworth

Harlan and Hollingsworth

Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century.-Founding:...

 yard; launched on 7 June 1883; sponsored by Miss Nellie Benson, the daughter of a Harlan and Hollingsworth official; and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...

, Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...

, on 23 April 1895, Captain William C. Wise in command.
Rapid changes in naval technology and doctrine during the two decades she was under construction had repeatedly delayed her progress, and she was redesigned twice while still under construction.

Early service

During the course of the late spring and summer, the monitor, assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron

North Atlantic Squadron

The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic Squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet. On Jan...

, visited eastern seaboard

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

 port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

s: Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

 (17 to 23 May), Port Royal, South Carolina

Port Royal, South Carolina

Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...

 (23 May to 8 June), Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...

 (23 to 28 July), Southport, North Carolina

Southport, North Carolina

Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, (2 to 10 August) and a return visit to Port Royal (12 to 20 August), interspersing these port visits with operations out of Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

 and Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

. Early in the course of this period of operations, the combination of defects in the design of monitors in general (inadequate ventilation for engine room forces, particularly) and the summer heat produced hellish conditions on board Amphitrite, in some cases actually felling members of the "black gang

Black gang

The black gang is the part of a ship's crew that works in the engine room. They were called 'black' because of the soot and coal dust that was thick in the air in the fire room/engine room. The term began usage in the days of the coal fired steam-ships. The term is commonly used in the United...

" who had to carry out their tasks in the ship's engine and fire rooms.

Following post-shakedown repairs and alterations at Norfolk, Amphitrite sailed on 20 November 1895 for Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

, arriving there on the following day. Dropping down to the York River

York River (Virginia)

The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...

 and Lynnhaven Bay soon thereafter, the monitor conducted target practice at Hampton Roads before returning to Norfolk. She then proceeded south from Norfolk on 13 December 1895 for the lower eastern seaboard. She visited Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

 en route, and reached Key West

Key West, Florida

Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...

 on 9 January 1896. She remained at Key West, drilling naval militia

Naval militia

A naval militia in the United States is a reserve military organization administered under the authority of a state government. It is often composed of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard reservists, retirees and volunteers. They are distinguishable from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, which is a...

, for six months, departing the Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 port on 10 June for a succession of ports, Brunswick, Savannah, and Southport, ultimately arriving back at Norfolk on 29 June. She served on naval militia instruction at Norfolk until 9 July, when she accompanied the Atlantic Squadron on drills off Tolchester Beach, Maryland

Tolchester Beach, Maryland

Tolchester Beach was a popular resort established in 1877,located on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Kent County, Maryland.It was located just north of Rock Hall, Maryland, and closed in 1962.-External links:***...

. She spent the next several months operating between Norfolk, Charleston, and Tompkinsville, Staten Island

Tompkinsville, Staten Island

Tompkinsville is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island in New York City in the United States. Though the neighborhood sits on the island's eastern shore, along the waterfront facing Upper New York Bay — between St...

, into early May 1897. While operating out of Charleston between February and April 1897, she conducted underway training on the average of three days per month.

Detached from the Atlantic Squadron on 7 May 1897, Amphitrite served as a training ship for the instruction of gun captains. As such, she was apparently placed in ordinary at Norfolk, since she was not recommissioned until 2 October 1897, with Capt. Charles J. Barclay in command. The men she placed in service soon proved to be invaluable in the war with Spain. Some 45 trained gun captains "who had received exact training fit to match the modern gun", gave a "good account of themselves" in action against Spanish ships. Clearing Hampton Roads on 5 October, the monitor visited New Bedford, Massachusetts

New Bedford, Massachusetts

New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...

, from 7 to 23 October, and Tompkinsville from 24 October to 12 November, before she returned south, to Lambert's Point, Virginia

Lambert's Point

Lamberts Point is a point of land on the south shore of the Elizabeth River near the downtown area of the independent city of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, United States...

, arriving on 14 November.

Clearing Hampton Roads on 16 November, Amphitrite reached Port Royal on 19 November, and remained there for over a month. After visiting Charleston from 23 December 1897 to 1 January 1898, she then returned to Port Royal, remaining there for over three months.

Spanish-American War

In February 1898, tensions between the United States and Spain served as the backdrop for the explosion, in Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

 Harbor, of the armored cruiser

Armored cruiser

The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...

 . As the United States and Spain moved toward war, a flurry of orders began deploying the Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 to be ready for hostilities. Amphitrite sailed from Port Royal on 5 April, and arrived at Key West on the 8th. She remained there until the 22nd, before she operated from that place from 22 to 27 April. She was at sea when the United States declared war

Declaration of war

A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...

 on Spain, beginning the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

.

On 1 May, Amphitrite and her sister ship departed Key West, and shortly thereafter joined Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

 William T. Sampson

William T. Sampson

William Thomas Sampson was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.-Biography:...

's fleet on the way east from its cruise off the coast of Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

 in search of Admiral

Admiral

Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

 Pascual Cervera's

Pascual Cervera y Topete

Pascual Cervera y Topete served as an admiral of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron during the Spanish-American War, and prior to this served his country in a variety of military and political roles....

 squadron. Because the monitors could not carry large amounts of coal, Sampson directed that the monitors be towed by the heavier ships. drew Amphitrite, a task recalled with little affection by the former's commanding officer, Capt. Robley D. Evans

Robley Dunglison Evans

Robley Dunglison Evans was born in Floyd County, Virginia served in the United States Navy from the American Civil War to the Spanish-American War, attaining the rank of rear admiral...

, in his autobiography:

"When we reached the rendezvous, late in the evening, we found there, among other ships, two monitors—the Terror and the Amphitrite ... I was directed to tow the Amphitrite with the Iowa. The sea was very smooth, and we were soon pulling her along at nine knots, but before the job was finished I wished I had never seen a monitor. When once out from the protection of the shoals the sea began to rise, and soon everything in the way of towlines had been parted, and it was only when we slowed down to seven knots or less that we could make anything hold. We found ourselves in the open sea looking for an enemy who could steam at the speed of sixteen to eighteen knots while we could barely maintain seven. The prospect of catching him was not very bright. However, we were doing our best with the tools the Government

Federal government of the United States

The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

 had given us to work with ..."

After "many vexatious delays", Evans writes, the American ships arrived off their destination, San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

, on the afternoon of the 11th.

On the morning of 12 May, Amphitrite was assigned to the 1st division, and steamed sixth in column as Sampson's ships stood toward San Juan. The admiral had seen that there were no Spanish ships in harbor—the object of his cruise—but decided to attack the defenses of the port, to "develop their defenses and strength" and then turn to the westward to continue the hunt. Beneath fair skies, the American ships stood through the long swells toward their objective.

Calling "all hands" at 0400 hours to complete preparations for action, the ships went to general quarters an hour later. Iowa began the action at 0516 hours with her forward 6-pounders. For two and a half hours, the ships bombarded the Spanish positions at San Juan. Amphitrite hurled 17 10-inch shells shoreward, as well as 30 4-inch shells, 30 3-pounders and 22 6-pounders in the course of the action. The blast from the ship's 10-inch guns destroyed the gig and railings on the superstructure, and other items of minor damage which did not "destroy in any degree the efficiency of the vessel." The chronic irritation of the ship- poor ventilation -afflicted the ship in the course of the action, when a gunner's mate on duty in the after turret died from the heat. Amphitrite's Capt. Barclay commented on the lamentable conditions in his after-action report, pointing out that when the ship was closed up at action stations, the "utter lack of ventilation below ..." produced "heat so intense as to render it almost impossible for men stationed there to remain at their posts."

Toward the end of the action, Amphitrite lost the services of half of her main battery, when an armored hose on the exhaust pipe of the after turret burst, disabling it "at a moment when it could have rendered very efficient service." The monitor had sent the signal to the flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 that her after turret had been disabled, at 1912 hours; at 1945 hours, Iowa sounded "secure."

Sampson's fleet then formed column to the northwest and retired. Amphitrite returned to Key West, her base of operations, on 19 May, and remained there until the 24th. Over the next two and a half months, Amphitrite operated put of Key West on blockade duty, expanding her area of operations to include waters off Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haïtien

Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...

, Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, in late July, shortly before she shifted to Cape San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 2 August for a stay of over two weeks' duration.

At 1900 hours on 6 August 1898, a party of officers and men under Ensign

Ensign

An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...

 K. M. Bennett left the ship to occupy the lighthouse at Cape San Juan. About an hour before midnight on the 8th, a large Spanish force attacked the lighthouse, but the Americans drove them off in the Battle of Fajardo.

A relief party from Amphitrite landed on the morning of the 9th; 60 women and children were then sent out to the tug . They closed the lighthouse and left the flag flying, and returned to the ship.

Amphitrite departed Cape San Juan on 18 August for Guánica, Puerto Rico

Guánica, Puerto Rico

Guánica is a municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located on southern coast, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Sabana Grande, east of Lajas, and west of Yauco. It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, arriving the following day, and lingered there until 31 August, on which day she sailed for St. Nicholas Mole, Haiti. Proceeding then to Hampton Roads, she arrived there on 20 September. Departing that port six days later on 26 September, Amphitrite moved up to Boston, Massachusetts, where she remained from 29 September 1898 to 25 February 1899.

Training ship

For the next few months, Amphitrite operated off the eastern seaboard of the United States, off Sandy Hook, out of Hampton Roads, and out of Port Royal before she returned to Hampton Roads from 21 to 30 May 1899 for gunnery instruction. She subsequently visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, and New Bedford.

Owing to her light draft and steady platform, Amphitrite was deemed well adapted for gunnery work, and received on board two classes a year consisting of 60 men. From 1 July to 4 October 1899, the monitor carried out gunnery instruction out of New Bedford, and on 12 October sailed for the New York Navy Yard for necessary repairs. Upon completion of this yard period, Amphitrite sailed for Port Royal on 3 December, stopping en route at Norfolk for coal and ammunition. Arriving at her destination on 9 December, she commenced her gunnery training course nine days later. On 17 January 1900, the tug was turned over to Amphitrite and fitted with a battery of one 6-pounder and one one-pounder; for the remainder of the course, the tug proved a valuable adjunct to the monitor, serving as an "economical, handy, and effective moving platform" for moving subcaliber practice. Amphitrite completed her work at Port Royal on 19 April and proceeded north, accompanied by Chickasaw, stopping at Norfolk en route, and reached Tompkinsville on 9 May, proceeding thence to New Bedford, arriving there on 14 June. The tug subsequently replaced Chickasaw as Amphitrite's tender, joining the monitor off New Bedford on 25 June 1900.

Amphitrite carried out her gunnery training until departing New Bedford on 5 October for the Boston Navy Yard

Boston Navy Yard

The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...

, where she underwent repairs from 7 October to 14 November. Receiving drafts of men for gunnery class at Tompkinsville and Norfolk, the monitor proceeded back to Port Royal, arriving there on 29 November. Outside of a brief port visit to Brunswick, Ga., between 28 January and 6 February 1901, Amphitrite remained at Port Royal until 10 May, when she sailed for Norfolk and Tompkinsville, arriving at the latter on 3 June, en route back to her ultimate destination of New Bedford. Amphitrite continued the important work of training gun captains through the summer and into the fall. Deemed in need of a general overhaul, Amphitrite was placed out of commission at the Boston Navy Yard

Boston Navy Yard

The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...

 on 30 November 1901.

Recommissioned at Boston on 1 December 1902, Lt. Comdr.

Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...

 Edwin H. Tellman in command, Amphitrite was ordered to the Naval Training Station at Newport, for duty, on 10 January 1903. She served there until early in 1904, when she was sent to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, for duty as station ship. She performed this duty until detached on 19 June 1907, and was placed out of commission at League Island

League Island

League Island was an island in the Delaware River, part of the city of Philadelphia, just upstream from the mouth of the Schuylkill River, which was the site of the Philadelphia shipyard, which eventually became the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, now known as the Philadelphia Naval Business...

 on 3 August 1907.

Placed in commission, in reserve, on 14 June 1910, Amphitrite was assigned to duty, training reservists, at St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, under the command of Chief Boatswain Patrick Shanahan, a duty she performed until assigned to training reservists at New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, on 12 May 1912. Detached from this duty four years later, on 12 May 1916, the ship then proceeded to New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

, for assignment with the naval militia of the state of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

.

World War I

Amphitrite cleared Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...

, on 2 February 1917 for repairs and alterations at the New York Navy Yard, arriving the following day, 2 February. On 17 February, the ship departed the yard and stood down river to the Narrows

The Narrows

The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean...

, near Rosebank

Rosebank, Staten Island

Rosebank is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.Originally called Peterstown, the name "Rosebank" appears to have been first used to denote the neighborhood around 1880...

, Staten Island, NY

Rosebank, Staten Island

Rosebank is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.Originally called Peterstown, the name "Rosebank" appears to have been first used to denote the neighborhood around 1880...

, for work on the submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

 net in company with three tugs, Hudson, W. J. Conway, and Lizzie D., and Navy lighters

Lighter (barge)

A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...

 , Transport, and the tug S. W. Holbrook. Later, in company with M. M. Millard, George T. Kirkham, and John Nichols, she continued her work laying the net off Rosebank.

After further repairs at the Navy Yard from 2 to 17 March Amphitrite resumed duty with the Naval Militia of Connecticut, arriving at New Haven on 18 March. She carried out this training duty, with drafts of men from Yale

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

 and Harvard

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 for instruction in ordnance, signalling, and seamanship, into early April. With the entry of the United States into World War I at that time, Amphitrite departed New Haven on 7 April for the New York Navy Yard and repairs and alterations. She returned to Rosebank to guard the nets on 15 April. She was assigned to the 3d Naval District on 27 April 1917.

Assigned the duty of examining all ships entering or leaving New York harbor

New York Harbor

New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...

 (except Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 or Navy ships which identified themselves by exchange of signals), Amphitrite also received all reports of submarine activity with the waters off the district. At night, she trained her searchlights on the nets at regular intervals or to allow passage of authorized vessels. Such duty was not without hazard.

At 1916 hours on 13 June 1917, the steamship Manchuria was standing out of New York Harbor in a thick fog and collided with Amphitrite, suffering damage below the waterline. Attempting to clear, Manchuria scraped the guardship's bow, and her propeller strut fouled her cable, holding her fast for 20 minutes. Manchuria lowered her boats and abandoned ship; two section patrol boats and a motor sailer stood by and took life boats in tow. Ultimately, Manchuria was towed and beached off Tompkinsville, while Amphitrite continued her net-tending duties.

On 26 October, the guardship proceeded to the New York Navy Yard for repairs, remaining there until 20 November, when she returned to her station at Rosebank. She was carrying out her duties there when, on 14 December 1917, the British steamship British Isles collided with her during a heavy snow squall

Squall

A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...

, doing not only considerable damage to Amphitrite but to the torpedo

Torpedo

The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

 nets at the Narrows as well.

Following repairs, Amphitrite remained on duty at Rosebank, interspersing guardship duties with upkeep and repairs at the New York Navy Yard, into October 1918. Leaving New York on 24 October for Hampton Roads, Amphitrite carried out standardization runs and target practice at Tangier Sound in late October and the first week of November; on 8 November, she left Tangier Sound, via Hampton Roads, for Rosebank. She arrived back at Staten Island on 11 November 1918, the day the war ended in Europe with the armistice

Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)

The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...

. Ultimately, Amphitrite left New York for Philadelphia on 30 April 1919, arriving on 1 May.

Amphitrite was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 31 May 1919 and stricken from the Navy List on 24 July 1919. On 3 January 1920, she was sold to A. L. D. Bucksten of Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....

.

Commercial service

Stripped of her turrets and superstructure, the ship was towed to Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...

, where she was used as a floating hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

. She was subsequently towed to Florida for the same purpose, and it was rumored that "a certain amount of fashionable gambling

Gambling

Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...

 was carried out on board." Notorious gangster

Gangster

A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....

 Al Capone

Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...

 was rumored to have been interested in the erstwhile warship.

Chartered by the government in 1943, the ship was towed via inland waters to Elizabeth City, where she provided housing facilities for the workers building a new naval air station there. Following World War II, she lay alongside a wharf at Georgetown, South Carolina

Georgetown, South Carolina

Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...

, whence she was towed to Baltimore, Maryland, in the spring of 1950. She was placed into a slip dredged into the bank at Sandy Point, near where the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...

 was to be built, but business for a floating restaurant

Floating restaurant

A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...

 and hotel proved slow and she was sold again in the spring of 1951, and was taken to Baltimore. Plans to refit the ship for work supporting oil exploration in the Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

n oil field

Oil field

An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...

s came to naught, and the ship was sold to the Patapsco Steel Corp., Fairfield, Maryland. By the spring of 1952, the scrapping had been completed.