1888 USS PHILADELPHIA. Originally rigged as a three-masted schooner, Philadelphia had a very short active career, spending most of her life as a receiving ship in Puget Sound Navy Yard.
DESIGNED IN GREAT BRITAIN
The United States New Navy, created in 1883, had a singular lack of success with its cruisers, and after constructing four poor ships, turned to Armstrongs on the Tyne for a more effective design. First came the Charleston, then the Baltimore and the Philadelphia, which shared a hull. Baltimore was held to be the best ship of her type in the period, while Philadelphia was less successful. Both were built by Cramp in New York. USS Philadelphia (C4) was laid down on 22 March 1888, launched on 7 September and completed (as a three-masted auxiliary mainsail schooner) on 28 July 1890. She was sent to Puget Sound Navy Yard for extensive repairs in August 1902 and never left, serving as a receiving ship and then as a prison hulk before being broken up in 1927.
ARMAMENT AND EQUIPMENT
Philadelphia was armed with 12 6in (152mm) guns mounted in single turrets on the fore- and after deck and in main-deck sponsons port and star board; four 6pdrs, four 3pdrs and two 1pdrs. She relied for protection on an armoured deck which sloped from the centre line to the hull sides just above the waterline and which was 4in (100mm) thick amidships.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Protected cruiser
Machinery: 2-shaft horizontal triple-expansion engines producing 9000ihp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 102.lm (335ft); beam, 14.8m (48.5ft)
Displacement: 4325t standard; 5305t deep load
Draught: 5.85m (l9ft) full load
Complement: 384
Speed: 19 knots (35km/h)
