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USS Olympia (C-6)
Encyclopedia
USS Olympia (C-6/CA-15/CL-15/IX-40) is a protected cruiser
which saw service in the United States Navy
from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. This vessel became famous as the flagship
of Commodore George Dewey
at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War
in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after returning to the U.S. in 1899, but was returned to active service in 1902.
She served until World War I
as a training ship for naval cadets and as a floating barracks in Charleston, South Carolina
. In 1917, she was mobilized again for war service, patrolling the American coast and escorting transport ships.
Following the end of World War I, Olympia participated in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
in 1919, and conducted cruises in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas to promote peace in the unstable Balkan countries. In 1921, the ship carried the remains of World War I's Unknown Soldier from France to Washington, DC, where his body was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
. Olympia was decommissioned for the last time in December 1922 and placed in reserve.
In 1957, the U.S. Navy ceded title to the Cruiser Olympia Association, which restored the ship to its 1898 configuration. Since then, Olympia has been a museum ship
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, which is now part of the Independence Seaport Museum
. It is the oldest steel warship still afloat. However, the Museum has been unable to fund essential maintenance for the old ship, and attempts to secure outside funding have failed.
Olympia was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1966.
, Olympia′s future was uncertain; the museum may have to sell the ship for scrap or sink her as an artificial reef.
William Collins Whitney continued the naval modernization program started during the previous Arthur Administration
. U.S. naval policy at this time was focused on commerce raiding
, which implied a defensive posture on the part of the United States.
In 1887, Whitney authorized the construction of two coastal defense
battleship
s, which were to become and . The emphasis was still on large and fast commerce-raiding cruisers, capable of destroying an attacking fleet
's supply line. President Grover Cleveland
was defeated in the election of 1888
, but before he left office, Whitney managed to have Congress
authorize two additional cruisers, one of which was a large, 5300 LT (5,385.1 t) protected cruiser that was to become Olympia.
Starting in 1887, the new Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Tracy, began to rethink naval policy. Although Tracy allowed the design
and construction
of Olympia to continue, he was a follower of Alfred Thayer Mahan
. As such, Tracy advocated a battle fleet capable of engaging enemy fleets in their home waters. This meant a shift away from large, fast, commerce-raiding cruisers. As a result, Olympia, which would probably have been the first in a class
of ships, was the only one of her type built.
in San Francisco, California
. The contract specified a cost of $1,796,000, completion by 1 April 1893, and offered a bonus for early completion .
During the contract negotiations Union Iron Works was granted permission to lengthen the vessel by 10 ft (3 m), at no extra cost, to accommodate the propulsion system. The contract was signed on 10 July 1890, the keel was laid down
on 17 June 1891, and ship was launched
on 5 November 1892, However, delays in the delivery of components including the new Harvey steel armor, slowed completion. The last 1-pounder gun wasn't delivered until December 1894.
Union Iron Works conducted the first round of trials on 3 November 1893; on a 68 nmi (78.3 mi; 125.9 km) run, the ship achieved a speed of 21.26 kn (25.9 mph; 41.7 km/h). Upon return to harbor, however, it was discovered that the keel
had been fouled by sea grass, which required dry-docking to fix.
By 11 December, the work had been completed and she was dispatched from San Francisco to Santa Barbara
for an official speed trial. Once in the harbor, heavy fog delayed the ship for four days. On the 15th, Olympia sailed into the Santa Barbara Channel
, the "chosen race-track for California-built cruisers," and began a four-hour time trial. According to the navy, she had sustained an average speed of 21.67 kn (26.4 mph; 42.5 km/h), though she reached up to 22.2 kn (27 mph; 43.5 km/h)—both well above the contract requirement for 20 kn (24.4 mph; 39.2 km/h). While returning to San Francisco, Olympia participated in eight experiments which tested various combinations of steering a ship by rudder and propellers. The new cruiser was ultimately commissioned on 5 February 1895. For several months afterwards, she was the largest ship ever built on the western coast of the U.S., until surpassed by the battleship .
Scientific American compared Olympia to the similar British s and the Chilean Blanco Encalada and found that the American ship held a "great superiority" over the British ships. While the Eclipses had 550 ST (499 t) of coal, compared to Olympia′s 400 ST (362.9 t), the latter had nearly double the horsepower (making the ship faster), more armor, and a heavier armament on a displacement that was only 200 ST (181.4 t) greater than the other.
of 53 ft (16.2 m) and a draft
of 21 in 6 in (6.55 m). Her design displacement was 5865 LT (5,959.1 t), with a full combat load of up to 6558 LT (6,663.3 t) displacement. The ship is powered by a pair of vertical triple expansion engines, supplied with steam from three coal-fired cylindrical boilers each. Her engines were rated at 13500 ihp with a top speed of 20 knots, though on trials she achieved 17313 ihp and a top speed of 21.67 knots.
Olympia is armed with a variety of weapons. The primary armament is four 8 in (203.2 mm)/35 caliber guns in two twin Mark 6 gun turret
s, one forward and one aft of the superstructure
. These guns could fire 260 lb (117.9 kg) projectiles, either armor-piercing or high explosive, at a muzzle velocity
of 2100 ft (640.1 m) per second. The Mark 6 turret was designed for depression of the guns to −4° and elevation to 13°.
The secondary battery is ten 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber guns mounted in casemates, five on each side of the ship; each is placed to avoid the flash from the main battery. These guns fired 50 lb (22.7 kg) armor-piercing shells at a muzzle velocity of 2300 ft (701 m) per second. Fourteen 6-pounder (57 mm (2.24 in)) anti-torpedo boat guns are mounted in casemates. Six 1-pounder guns are mounted on deck, along with six 18 in (45.7 cm) above-water torpedo tubes.
Olympia′s conning tower
is armored with 5 in (12.7 cm) thick steel plates. The ship has a 2 in (5.1 cm) thick armored deck that slopes on the sides; the slopes increase in thickness to 4.75 in (12.1 cm) amidships and 3 in (7.6 cm) at the ends. A 4 inches (101.6 mm) thick glacis
protects the engine rooms. Her main battery turrets are protected by 3.5 in (8.9 cm) of Harvey armor
, while the barbette
s upon which they rest have 4.5 in (11.4 cm) thick nickel-steel armor. The 5-inch guns are protected by 4-inch thick gun shield
s.
Olympia′s crew numbered between 411 and 447 officers and enlisted men.
at Vallejo, where outfitting was completed and Captain John J. Read was placed in command. In April, the ship steamed south to Santa Barbara
to participate in a festival. The ship's crew also conducted landing drills in Sausalito and Santa Cruz
that month. On 20 April, the ship conducted its first gunnery practice, during which one of the ship's gunners, Coxswain John Johnson, was killed in an accident with one of the 5-inch guns. The ship's last shakedown cruise took place on 27 July. After returning to Mare Island, the ship was assigned to replace as the flagship
of the Asiatic Squadron
.
On 25 August, the ship departed the United States for Chinese waters. A week later, the ship arrived in Hawaii, where she remained until 23 October due to an outbreak of cholera
. The ship then sailed for Yokohama
, Japan, where she arrived on 9 November. On 15 November, Baltimore arrived in Yokohama from Shanghai
, China, to transfer command of the Asiatic Squadron to Olympia. Baltimore departed on 3 December; Rear Admiral F.V. McNair arrived fifteen days later to take command of the squadron. The following two years were filled with training exercises with the other members of the Asiatic Squadron, and goodwill visits to various ports in Asia. On 3 January 1898, Commodore George Dewey
raised his flag on Olympia and assumed command of the squadron.
in the Philippines, where a significant Spanish naval force protected the harbor. Dewey was ordered to sink or capture the Spanish warships, opening the way for a subsequent conquest by US forces.
Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. The Spanish ships were anchored close to shore, under the protection of coastal artillery, but both the ships and shore batteries were outdated. At approximately 05:40, Dewey instructed Olympia′s captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley". Gridley ordered the forward 8-inch gun turret, commanded by Gunners Mate Adolph Nilsson, to open fire, which opened the battle and prompted the other American warships to begin firing.
Though shooting was poor from both sides, the Spanish gunners were even less prepared than the Americans. As a result, the battle quickly became one-sided. After initial success, Dewey briefly broke off the engagement at around 07:30 when his flagship ran low on 5-inch ammunition. This turned out to be an erroneous report — the 5-inch magazines were still mostly full. He ordered the battle resumed shortly after 11:15. By early afternoon, Dewey had completed the destruction of Montojo's squadron and the shore batteries, while his own ships were largely undamaged. Dewey anchored his ships off Manila and accepted the surrender of the city.
Word of Dewey's victory quickly reached the U.S.; both he and Olympia became famous as the first victors of the war. An expeditionary force was assembled and sent to complete the conquest of the Philippines. Olympia remained in the area and supported the Army by shelling Spanish forces on land. She returned to the Chinese coast on 20 May 1899. She remained there until the following month, when she departed for the U.S., via the Suez Canal
and the Mediterranean Sea. The ship arrived in Boston on 10 October. Following Olympia′s return to the U.S., her officers and crews were feted and she was herself repainted and adorned with a gilded bow ornament. On 9 November, Olympia was decommissioned and placed in reserve.
. In this role, she conducted three summer training cruises: 15 May–26 August 1907, 1 June–1 September 1908, and 14 May–28 August 1909. Between the cruises, the ship was placed in reserve, first in Norfolk
, Virginia and later at Annapolis, Maryland. On 6 March 1912, Olympia arrived in Charleston, South Carolina
. Here she served as a barracks ship until 1916. In late 1916, the ship was recommissioned into the fleet, when it became increasingly clear that the U.S. would eventually join the fighting in World War I
.
, and was put in for repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which, along with the replacement of her four inch guns with 5-inch guns, took eight months. Olympia departed Charleston on 28 April 1918 carrying an expeditionary force bound for Russia. Russia, which had previously been a member of the Allied Powers, was in the midst of civil war
and had signed a separate peace with Germany. On 9 June 1918, the ship arrived in Murmansk
, Russia, and deployed the peace-keeping force. She subsequently assisted in the occupation of Archangel
.
After the end of the war, Olympia sailed to the Mediterranean via Portsmouth
, England. In December 1918, the ship became the flagship for American naval forces stationed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. While on this assignment, she continued in her old role of showing the flag and conducting goodwill visits in various Mediterranean ports. This included a period of policing duty in the Adriatic Sea
from 21 January–25 October 1919; the Dalmatian coast
was in a state of turmoil following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the war. On 18 August, she steamed to the Black Sea
to aid the return of refugees from the Balkans who had fled during the war. She was back in the Adriatic by 19 September, and four days later had to deploy a landing party to prevent an incident between Italian and Yugoslav forces.
Olympia briefly returned to Charleston on 24 November 1919. The following year, she was reclassified CA-15. She then prepared for another tour of duty in the Adriatic, departing from New York on 14 February 1920. This was concluded on 25 May 1921, when the ship returned to Charleston. A month after her arrival she was made the flagship of the training unit for the Atlantic Fleet. She then participated in the joint Army-Navy experiments in July, during which the ex-German warships and were sunk off the Virginia Capes
. She was again reclassified as CL-15 that year.
On 3 October 1921, Olympia departed Philadelphia for Le Havre
, France, to bring the remains of the Unknown Soldier home for interment in Arlington National Cemetery. The cruiser departed France on 25 October 1921; she was escorted by a group of French destroyers for part of the voyage. At the mouth of the Potomac river on 9 November, the battleship and the destroyer joined Olympia as she sailed to the Washington Navy Yard. After transferring the remains to shore, the cruiser fired her guns in salute. She conducted a last training cruise for midshipmen in the summer of 1922.
.
On 11 September 1957, she was released to the Cruiser Olympia Association, modified back to her 1898 configuration and became a museum ship
under their auspices. In January 1996, when faced with mounting debt and tremendous deferred maintenances, the Cruiser Olympia Society merged with the Independence Seaport Museum
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Today, Olympia is a museum at the Independence Seaport Museum
, at Penn's Landing
in Philadelphia. She is the sole floating survivor of the U.S. Navy's Spanish-American War fleet. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Midshipmen from Villanova University
and the University of Pennsylvania
regularly work on Olympia, functioning as maintenance crew.
The museum is no longer able to fund the preservation costs for Olympia. Historic steel-hulled ships should be dry-docked for maintenance every 20 years, but she has been in the water continuously since 1945. Essential repairs are estimated at $10 million. Plans to scuttle Olympia, making her into an artificial reef, are under consideration.
A national effort is needed to save her as the U.S. Navy has dropped Olympia from budget requests year after year. Plans were made to close Olympia to visitors on 22 November 2010, due to the poor material condition of the ship and a lack of operating funds. These plans were scrapped, and Independence Seaport Museum agreed to keep the ship open with regular hours through 31 December, and then reduced hours through 31 March 2011. The U.S. Navy has expressed its willingness to let the museum "responsibly dispose" of the vessel. This could result in the ship being transferred, sold as scrap, or sunk as a reef. As such, the museum held a summit in early 2011 with the Navy, Navy Sea Systems Command, National Park Service, and the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission to determine what steps can be taken to save the cruiser.
As a result of the summit, the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia is seeking another non-profit organization to assume stewardship of Olympia to provide for her maintenance and restoration. On 6 March 2011, the ISM published a Transfer Application (TAPP) similar to a Request for Proposals. Those who qualified to apply for the TAPP include domestic governmental organizations and not for profit organizations with valid 501 (c) 3 IRS status. There are several organizations from the East, Gulf and West Coasts who have submitted applications to preserve and display Olympia.
An independent non-profit 501(c)3 corporation known as the Friends of the Cruiser Olympia was organized in 2009 with the goal of preserving Olympia and opening her to the public as a floating historic and educational museum that would preserve Olympia’s structure, history, heritage, and tradition as a national treasure. The Friends of the Cruiser Olympia hosted a dinner on June 23, 2011, in the historic Mike Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of their efforts to save, restore and preserve the Cruiser OLYMPIA from destruction by neglect. Participants included representatives of the US Navy, Department of Defense, Navy League, Naval Historical Foundation, US Naval Academy Alumni Association, key Congressional staff from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation, the U.S. defense industry, and the international community. With their support, the Friends submitted their TAPP application in September 2011 expressing their intention to keep her on the waterfront in Philadelphia's fresh waters where she has rested for 40+ years.
On August 19, 2011 the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation submitted an expression of intent to acquire the USS OLYMPIA. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation has been operating for 17 years and currently operates two mansions, the oldest non-denominational chapel in the Navy and a 50,000 square foot museum in the oldest building on the former shipyard. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation intends to display the ship out of water in Mare Island’s Dry Dock 1 a national historic landmark adjacent to the museum. By displaying the ship out of water future corrosion concerns with the hull will be eliminated and the venue will be enhanced by the ability to view not only the ship, but a historic graving dock.
On May 7, 2011 the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) set up a national donation repository to allow donations received through it to be used directly for the much needed temporary hull repairs and for future permanent repairs. The Independence Seaport Museum, although it is committed to giving up the vessel, will manage any repair work undertaken (funds permitting).
On October 13, 2011, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives which would require production of silver dollars commemorating the Olympia. The cost of each coin would include a surcharge of $10, which would be used for the restoration and preservation of the ship. The bill, HR 3180, names the Friends of the Cruiser Olympia as participants in the coin design and recipients of the funds raised to ensure OLYMPIA's ongoing restoration and preservation.
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
which saw service in the United States 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...
from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. This vessel became famous as 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...
of Commodore George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
at the Battle of Manila Bay during 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...
in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after returning to the U.S. in 1899, but was returned to active service in 1902.
She served until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a training ship for naval cadets and as a floating barracks in 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...
. In 1917, she was mobilized again for war service, patrolling the American coast and escorting transport ships.
Following the end of World War I, Olympia participated in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
in 1919, and conducted cruises in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas to promote peace in the unstable Balkan countries. In 1921, the ship carried the remains of World War I's Unknown Soldier from France to Washington, DC, where his body was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. Olympia was decommissioned for the last time in December 1922 and placed in reserve.
In 1957, the U.S. Navy ceded title to the Cruiser Olympia Association, which restored the ship to its 1898 configuration. Since then, Olympia has been a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, which is now part of the Independence Seaport Museum
Independence Seaport Museum
The Independence Seaport Museum is a museum dedicated to the maritime history of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley. It is located in the Penn's Landing complex along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The museum was founded in 1961 by J...
. It is the oldest steel warship still afloat. However, the Museum has been unable to fund essential maintenance for the old ship, and attempts to secure outside funding have failed.
Olympia was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1966.
, Olympia′s future was uncertain; the museum may have to sell the ship for scrap or sink her as an artificial reef.
Background
When the first Cleveland Administration came to power in 1885, United States Secretary of the NavyUnited States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
William Collins Whitney continued the naval modernization program started during the previous Arthur Administration
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
. U.S. naval policy at this time was focused on commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
, which implied a defensive posture on the part of the United States.
In 1887, Whitney authorized the construction of two coastal defense
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, which were to become and . The emphasis was still on large and fast commerce-raiding cruisers, capable of destroying an attacking fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
's supply line. President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
was defeated in the election of 1888
United States presidential election, 1888
The 1888 election for President of the United States saw Grover Cleveland of New York, the incumbent president and a Democrat, try to secure a second term against the Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison, a former U.S. Senator from Indiana...
, but before he left office, Whitney managed to have Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorize two additional cruisers, one of which was a large, 5300 LT (5,385.1 t) protected cruiser that was to become Olympia.
Starting in 1887, the new Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Tracy, began to rethink naval policy. Although Tracy allowed the design
Naval architecture
Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
and construction
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
of Olympia to continue, he was a follower of Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
. As such, Tracy advocated a battle fleet capable of engaging enemy fleets in their home waters. This meant a shift away from large, fast, commerce-raiding cruisers. As a result, Olympia, which would probably have been the first in a class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of ships, was the only one of her type built.
Design and construction
The newly formed Board on the Design of Ships began the design process for Cruiser Number 6 in 1889. Eight inch (200 mm) guns were chosen as the main armament, though the number and arrangement of these weapons as well as the armor scheme were heavily debated. On 8 April 1890, the Navy solicited bids but found only one bidder, the Union Iron WorksUnion Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The contract specified a cost of $1,796,000, completion by 1 April 1893, and offered a bonus for early completion .
During the contract negotiations Union Iron Works was granted permission to lengthen the vessel by 10 ft (3 m), at no extra cost, to accommodate the propulsion system. The contract was signed on 10 July 1890, the keel was laid down
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
on 17 June 1891, and ship was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 5 November 1892, However, delays in the delivery of components including the new Harvey steel armor, slowed completion. The last 1-pounder gun wasn't delivered until December 1894.
Union Iron Works conducted the first round of trials on 3 November 1893; on a 68 nmi (78.3 mi; 125.9 km) run, the ship achieved a speed of 21.26 kn (25.9 mph; 41.7 km/h). Upon return to harbor, however, it was discovered that the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
had been fouled by sea grass, which required dry-docking to fix.
By 11 December, the work had been completed and she was dispatched from San Francisco to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
for an official speed trial. Once in the harbor, heavy fog delayed the ship for four days. On the 15th, Olympia sailed into the Santa Barbara Channel
Santa Barbara Channel
The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura....
, the "chosen race-track for California-built cruisers," and began a four-hour time trial. According to the navy, she had sustained an average speed of 21.67 kn (26.4 mph; 42.5 km/h), though she reached up to 22.2 kn (27 mph; 43.5 km/h)—both well above the contract requirement for 20 kn (24.4 mph; 39.2 km/h). While returning to San Francisco, Olympia participated in eight experiments which tested various combinations of steering a ship by rudder and propellers. The new cruiser was ultimately commissioned on 5 February 1895. For several months afterwards, she was the largest ship ever built on the western coast of the U.S., until surpassed by the battleship .
Scientific American compared Olympia to the similar British s and the Chilean Blanco Encalada and found that the American ship held a "great superiority" over the British ships. While the Eclipses had 550 ST (499 t) of coal, compared to Olympia′s 400 ST (362.9 t), the latter had nearly double the horsepower (making the ship faster), more armor, and a heavier armament on a displacement that was only 200 ST (181.4 t) greater than the other.
Characteristics
The ship is 344 in 1 in (104.88 m) in overall length, has a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 53 ft (16.2 m) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 21 in 6 in (6.55 m). Her design displacement was 5865 LT (5,959.1 t), with a full combat load of up to 6558 LT (6,663.3 t) displacement. The ship is powered by a pair of vertical triple expansion engines, supplied with steam from three coal-fired cylindrical boilers each. Her engines were rated at 13500 ihp with a top speed of 20 knots, though on trials she achieved 17313 ihp and a top speed of 21.67 knots.
Olympia is armed with a variety of weapons. The primary armament is four 8 in (203.2 mm)/35 caliber guns in two twin Mark 6 gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s, one forward and one aft of the superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
. These guns could fire 260 lb (117.9 kg) projectiles, either armor-piercing or high explosive, at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 2100 ft (640.1 m) per second. The Mark 6 turret was designed for depression of the guns to −4° and elevation to 13°.
The secondary battery is ten 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber guns mounted in casemates, five on each side of the ship; each is placed to avoid the flash from the main battery. These guns fired 50 lb (22.7 kg) armor-piercing shells at a muzzle velocity of 2300 ft (701 m) per second. Fourteen 6-pounder (57 mm (2.24 in)) anti-torpedo boat guns are mounted in casemates. Six 1-pounder guns are mounted on deck, along with six 18 in (45.7 cm) above-water torpedo tubes.
Olympia′s conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
is armored with 5 in (12.7 cm) thick steel plates. The ship has a 2 in (5.1 cm) thick armored deck that slopes on the sides; the slopes increase in thickness to 4.75 in (12.1 cm) amidships and 3 in (7.6 cm) at the ends. A 4 inches (101.6 mm) thick glacis
Glacis
A glacis in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth used in late European fortresses so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders until the last possible moment...
protects the engine rooms. Her main battery turrets are protected by 3.5 in (8.9 cm) of Harvey armor
Harvey armor
Harvey armor was a type of steel armor developed in the early 1890s in which the front surfaces of the plates were case hardened. The method for doing this was known as the Harvey process....
, while the barbette
Barbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s upon which they rest have 4.5 in (11.4 cm) thick nickel-steel armor. The 5-inch guns are protected by 4-inch thick gun shield
Gun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
s.
Olympia′s crew numbered between 411 and 447 officers and enlisted men.
Service history
Upon commissioning in February 1895, Olympia departed the Union Iron Works yard in San Francisco and steamed inland to the U.S. Navy's Mare Island Naval ShipyardMare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
at Vallejo, where outfitting was completed and Captain John J. Read was placed in command. In April, the ship steamed south to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
to participate in a festival. The ship's crew also conducted landing drills in Sausalito and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
that month. On 20 April, the ship conducted its first gunnery practice, during which one of the ship's gunners, Coxswain John Johnson, was killed in an accident with one of the 5-inch guns. The ship's last shakedown cruise took place on 27 July. After returning to Mare Island, the ship was assigned to replace as 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...
of the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
.
On 25 August, the ship departed the United States for Chinese waters. A week later, the ship arrived in Hawaii, where she remained until 23 October due to an outbreak of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
. The ship then sailed for Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Japan, where she arrived on 9 November. On 15 November, Baltimore arrived in Yokohama from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China, to transfer command of the Asiatic Squadron to Olympia. Baltimore departed on 3 December; Rear Admiral F.V. McNair arrived fifteen days later to take command of the squadron. The following two years were filled with training exercises with the other members of the Asiatic Squadron, and goodwill visits to various ports in Asia. On 3 January 1898, Commodore George Dewey
George Dewey
George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
raised his flag on Olympia and assumed command of the squadron.
Spanish-American War
As tensions increased and war with Spain became more probable, Olympia remained at Hong Kong and was prepared for action. When war was declared on 25 April 1898, Dewey moved his ships to Mirs Bay, China. Two days later, the Navy Department ordered the Squadron to ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Philippines, where a significant Spanish naval force protected the harbor. Dewey was ordered to sink or capture the Spanish warships, opening the way for a subsequent conquest by US forces.
Battle of Manila Bay
On the morning of 1 May 1898, Cdre. Dewey—with his flag aboard Olympia—steamed his ships into Manila Bay to confront the Spanish flotilla commanded by Rear AdmiralRear 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"...
Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. The Spanish ships were anchored close to shore, under the protection of coastal artillery, but both the ships and shore batteries were outdated. At approximately 05:40, Dewey instructed Olympia′s captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley". Gridley ordered the forward 8-inch gun turret, commanded by Gunners Mate Adolph Nilsson, to open fire, which opened the battle and prompted the other American warships to begin firing.
Though shooting was poor from both sides, the Spanish gunners were even less prepared than the Americans. As a result, the battle quickly became one-sided. After initial success, Dewey briefly broke off the engagement at around 07:30 when his flagship ran low on 5-inch ammunition. This turned out to be an erroneous report — the 5-inch magazines were still mostly full. He ordered the battle resumed shortly after 11:15. By early afternoon, Dewey had completed the destruction of Montojo's squadron and the shore batteries, while his own ships were largely undamaged. Dewey anchored his ships off Manila and accepted the surrender of the city.
Word of Dewey's victory quickly reached the U.S.; both he and Olympia became famous as the first victors of the war. An expeditionary force was assembled and sent to complete the conquest of the Philippines. Olympia remained in the area and supported the Army by shelling Spanish forces on land. She returned to the Chinese coast on 20 May 1899. She remained there until the following month, when she departed for the U.S., via the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Mediterranean Sea. The ship arrived in Boston on 10 October. Following Olympia′s return to the U.S., her officers and crews were feted and she was herself repainted and adorned with a gilded bow ornament. On 9 November, Olympia was decommissioned and placed in reserve.
Post-war service
Olympia was recommissioned into the fleet in January 1902 and assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron. Her first duty was to serve as the flagship of the Caribbean Division. Over the following four years, the ship patrolled the Atlantic and Mediterranean; her voyages included a visit to Turkey. Starting on 2 April 1906, she became a training ship for naval cadets from the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. In this role, she conducted three summer training cruises: 15 May–26 August 1907, 1 June–1 September 1908, and 14 May–28 August 1909. Between the cruises, the ship was placed in reserve, first in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Virginia and later at Annapolis, Maryland. On 6 March 1912, Olympia arrived in 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...
. Here she served as a barracks ship until 1916. In late 1916, the ship was recommissioned into the fleet, when it became increasingly clear that the U.S. would eventually join the fighting in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
World War I
After the U.S. joined World War I in April 1917, Olympia was mobilized as the flagship of the U.S. Patrol Force. She was tasked with patrolling the eastern seaboard of the U.S. for German warships. She also escorted transport ships in the North Atlantic. On 15 June 1917, she ran aground on Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, and was put in for repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which, along with the replacement of her four inch guns with 5-inch guns, took eight months. Olympia departed Charleston on 28 April 1918 carrying an expeditionary force bound for Russia. Russia, which had previously been a member of the Allied Powers, was in the midst of civil war
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
and had signed a separate peace with Germany. On 9 June 1918, the ship arrived in Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, Russia, and deployed the peace-keeping force. She subsequently assisted in the occupation of Archangel
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
.
After the end of the war, Olympia sailed to the Mediterranean via Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, England. In December 1918, the ship became the flagship for American naval forces stationed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. While on this assignment, she continued in her old role of showing the flag and conducting goodwill visits in various Mediterranean ports. This included a period of policing duty in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
from 21 January–25 October 1919; the Dalmatian coast
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
was in a state of turmoil following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the war. On 18 August, she steamed to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
to aid the return of refugees from the Balkans who had fled during the war. She was back in the Adriatic by 19 September, and four days later had to deploy a landing party to prevent an incident between Italian and Yugoslav forces.
Olympia briefly returned to Charleston on 24 November 1919. The following year, she was reclassified CA-15. She then prepared for another tour of duty in the Adriatic, departing from New York on 14 February 1920. This was concluded on 25 May 1921, when the ship returned to Charleston. A month after her arrival she was made the flagship of the training unit for the Atlantic Fleet. She then participated in the joint Army-Navy experiments in July, during which the ex-German warships and were sunk off the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
. She was again reclassified as CL-15 that year.
On 3 October 1921, Olympia departed Philadelphia for Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France, to bring the remains of the Unknown Soldier home for interment in Arlington National Cemetery. The cruiser departed France on 25 October 1921; she was escorted by a group of French destroyers for part of the voyage. At the mouth of the Potomac river on 9 November, the battleship and the destroyer joined Olympia as she sailed to the Washington Navy Yard. After transferring the remains to shore, the cruiser fired her guns in salute. She conducted a last training cruise for midshipmen in the summer of 1922.
Preservation of Olympia
On 9 December 1922, she was decommissioned for the last time in Philadelphia and placed in reserve. On 30 June 1931, the ship was reclassified IX-40, to be preserved as a relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
.
On 11 September 1957, she was released to the Cruiser Olympia Association, modified back to her 1898 configuration and became a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
under their auspices. In January 1996, when faced with mounting debt and tremendous deferred maintenances, the Cruiser Olympia Society merged with the Independence Seaport Museum
Independence Seaport Museum
The Independence Seaport Museum is a museum dedicated to the maritime history of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley. It is located in the Penn's Landing complex along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The museum was founded in 1961 by J...
in 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,...
.
Today, Olympia is a museum at the Independence Seaport Museum
Independence Seaport Museum
The Independence Seaport Museum is a museum dedicated to the maritime history of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley. It is located in the Penn's Landing complex along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The museum was founded in 1961 by J...
, at Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is the waterfront area of the Center City along the Delaware River section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is so named because the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, docked near here in 1682, along the now paved over Dock Creek, after landing first in New...
in Philadelphia. She is the sole floating survivor of the U.S. Navy's Spanish-American War fleet. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
Midshipmen from Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
regularly work on Olympia, functioning as maintenance crew.
The museum is no longer able to fund the preservation costs for Olympia. Historic steel-hulled ships should be dry-docked for maintenance every 20 years, but she has been in the water continuously since 1945. Essential repairs are estimated at $10 million. Plans to scuttle Olympia, making her into an artificial reef, are under consideration.
A national effort is needed to save her as the U.S. Navy has dropped Olympia from budget requests year after year. Plans were made to close Olympia to visitors on 22 November 2010, due to the poor material condition of the ship and a lack of operating funds. These plans were scrapped, and Independence Seaport Museum agreed to keep the ship open with regular hours through 31 December, and then reduced hours through 31 March 2011. The U.S. Navy has expressed its willingness to let the museum "responsibly dispose" of the vessel. This could result in the ship being transferred, sold as scrap, or sunk as a reef. As such, the museum held a summit in early 2011 with the Navy, Navy Sea Systems Command, National Park Service, and the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission to determine what steps can be taken to save the cruiser.
As a result of the summit, the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia is seeking another non-profit organization to assume stewardship of Olympia to provide for her maintenance and restoration. On 6 March 2011, the ISM published a Transfer Application (TAPP) similar to a Request for Proposals. Those who qualified to apply for the TAPP include domestic governmental organizations and not for profit organizations with valid 501 (c) 3 IRS status. There are several organizations from the East, Gulf and West Coasts who have submitted applications to preserve and display Olympia.
An independent non-profit 501(c)3 corporation known as the Friends of the Cruiser Olympia was organized in 2009 with the goal of preserving Olympia and opening her to the public as a floating historic and educational museum that would preserve Olympia’s structure, history, heritage, and tradition as a national treasure. The Friends of the Cruiser Olympia hosted a dinner on June 23, 2011, in the historic Mike Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of their efforts to save, restore and preserve the Cruiser OLYMPIA from destruction by neglect. Participants included representatives of the US Navy, Department of Defense, Navy League, Naval Historical Foundation, US Naval Academy Alumni Association, key Congressional staff from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation, the U.S. defense industry, and the international community. With their support, the Friends submitted their TAPP application in September 2011 expressing their intention to keep her on the waterfront in Philadelphia's fresh waters where she has rested for 40+ years.
On August 19, 2011 the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation submitted an expression of intent to acquire the USS OLYMPIA. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation has been operating for 17 years and currently operates two mansions, the oldest non-denominational chapel in the Navy and a 50,000 square foot museum in the oldest building on the former shipyard. The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation intends to display the ship out of water in Mare Island’s Dry Dock 1 a national historic landmark adjacent to the museum. By displaying the ship out of water future corrosion concerns with the hull will be eliminated and the venue will be enhanced by the ability to view not only the ship, but a historic graving dock.
On May 7, 2011 the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) set up a national donation repository to allow donations received through it to be used directly for the much needed temporary hull repairs and for future permanent repairs. The Independence Seaport Museum, although it is committed to giving up the vessel, will manage any repair work undertaken (funds permitting).
On October 13, 2011, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives which would require production of silver dollars commemorating the Olympia. The cost of each coin would include a surcharge of $10, which would be used for the restoration and preservation of the ship. The bill, HR 3180, names the Friends of the Cruiser Olympia as participants in the coin design and recipients of the funds raised to ensure OLYMPIA's ongoing restoration and preservation.
External links
- Friends of the Cruiser Olympia
- Independence Seaport Museum: USS Olympia
- Cruiser Olympia at Spanish-American War Centennial website
- HNSA Ship Page: USS Olympia This article has information about Olympia at the end.