Boston (CA 69) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 8 text:

time A SLOOP-OF-WAR WAS NUMBER ' FOUR This fourth Boston was launched in 1825, and Went into service a few months later. Carrying 18 guns, her displacement totaled 700 tons. A va- riety of assignments took her to many lands. The waters ot Brazil saw her colors, as did those of the Mediter- ranean, and the Indies . . . both West and East. In 1843 she returned to the Brazilian station, where her career ended prematurely after almost three years of patrol work. On November 15, 1846, while cruising off Eleuthera in the West Indies, a sudden squall so badly crippled her that she foundered at sea.

Page 7 text:

THIR THE THIRD BOSTON WAS A REAL FIGHTING SHIP OF HER DAY! Growing commerce needed con- fidence and surety while on the high seas. Big, fast fighters were needed to Combat the Barbary pirates and the marauding privateers of Revolution- torn France. Born of necessity, this third Bos- ton was financed by Boston mer- chants at a cost of Sll9,57O. Built at the Continental Shipyards in North Boston, she inaugurated .a new Naval era. Prior to her building, copper for shipbuilding had been imported from England. Her construction broke away from this practice, as she was sheath- ed and fastened from the first Amer- ican-made copper to be used in ship- building. In fact, Paul Revere, the famous American patriot, is credited with manufacturing the copper used in this Boston .

Page 9 text:

Nw, ,,,,.,, Y., ....,. swf' MY IMMEDIATE PREDECESSOR MADE AN ILLUSTRIOUS RECORD Commissioned in December, 1887, the fifth Boston was one of our first steel cruisers. She was built at the shipyards of Iohn Roach 61 Sons in Chester, Pennsylvania. Naval shipbuilders were introducing a new policy. A law of 1883 had signalled the end of the old Navy. Repairs were prohibited on wooden warships whenever the cost would exceed 202 of the cost of a new ship of the same size and type. New construction favored steam while still carrying sails. In addition, American ships were to be built of Amer- ican-made steel. This Boston , a pioneer ship in our modern Navy, had a displacement of some 3,000 tons and a speed of about 15 knots. Her armament, heavy for that day, included two 8-inch and six 6-inch guns. To follow in the Wake of this fifth Boston was to trace our foreign policy of that period. In 1888, she was on pro- tective duty about Guatemala and Haiti: in 1890, she made a courtesy call to Brazil, and toured European ports: and in 1891, she was protecting our interests in Hawaii. Placed out of commission temporarily in 1894, she re- turned to her Asiatic station when the Spanish-American War developed. As a unit in the fleet of Commodore Clater Ad- miralj Dewey, she took part in the action which destroyed the Spanish Fleet at Cavite. Following this historic Battle of Manila Bay, she was assigned blockade duty about the Philippines. With the turn of the century, her assignments as a fighting ship became less and less frequent. Routine duty in 1899 be- tween the Philippines and various Asiatic ports was followed by inactive service. In 1902, she was again placed in commission and as- ' d signe to patrol duty along the west coast between Panama and Oregon. She was on hand to assist at the scene of the disastrous San Francisco fire, and also created great interest at sundry west coast Expositions After another eriod of - P non-commission, she was for a time connected with the Ore- gon Naval Militia. Today, with her fighting and even sailing days definitely ended, this proud ship, now renamed the USS Despatch, continues to serve She IS now the Receivin Shi t Y b . g p a uer a Buena Island CGoat lslandj, San F rancisco, California.