I just recently completed an article for the Bulletin of International Stationary Steam Engine Society (or ISSES). The opening paragraph is as follows:

"The U.S.S. Olympia (C-6/CA-15/CL-15/IX-40) was built by the Union Iron Works in San Francisco in 1891-1892. Launched in 1892, she underwent fitting out until 1895, and was commissioned on 5 February 1895, Captain John Joseph Read in command."

Skipping down through the article so as not to give it's entire contents away (it's history can be found on Wikipedia);

"Olympia is a National Historic Landmark, a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is part of the Save America's Treasures program. The Olympia is also the oldest steel floating warship in the world. But, after 50 years of being afloat since its last drydock, it is need of major repairs to its hull; the cost of those repairs alone were estimated at $30 million.

"Faced with mounting debts, the Cruiser Olympia Society merged with the Independence Seaport Museum on January 1, 1996. The museum established the Michael Borsuk Memorial Fund (named for a member of the Living History crew who passed away in June 2000), but apparently the money coming in could not keep up with the ship's maintenance. In 2009, the Olympia's future is uncertain and the possibly of it being scraped looms in the future.

"A number of individuals are in the process of forming a non-profit organization to in order to take over the ship, get her hull work completed, and raise the necessary funds for other capital projects over the next several years. They have a non-profit incubator (through a local university) who is willing to help in setting up the necessary non profit, and monitor the group for a year or more to make sure everything is being done right. The group is currently asking for e-mails of support; they can be sent to olympiac6@aol.com They are hoping for a thousand e-mail of support, which will prove to the incubator that the project has public support."

It's plight was communicated to me by Harry Burkhardt, who is one of the volunteers working to maintain and now further preserve the Olympia; it is not an official communication from the museum itself.

They are asking anyone who is interested in helping to just send an e-mail to the above address; with a brief note stating why they would like to see it preserved. Doing so will not obligate you to anything in any manner.

If anyone is interested in ISSES; the group's website is http://www.isses.org. I have pictures of some of the steam machinery aboard the Olympia in my Steam Lizard Photo Gallery at:

http://www.steampump.org/gallery/album36

Somone please correct me here. But, isn't the Olympia the ONLY remaining warship of the US Navy that was built in the pre-dreadnaught era? It's a classic--a gem. Why isn't it part of the US Navy's historical collection? How about the Smithsonian?

Surely a possible fate can't be destruction!

Thanks!

Not quite -- there is the sail powered U.S.S. Constitution. It is the only historic U.S. Navy ship that I am aware is still in the hands of the U.S. Navy; all others are owned by museums or sitting in the James River Fleet awaiting donation or scrap.*

And yes, if it is indeed true that the Olympia may face scrapping in the future; what does that bode for less iconic railroad items?

* It is my understanding that the Olympia's hull is too fragile to risk a move to the James River Fleet; the Coast Guard will only permit a move to drydock; such as was made by the U.S.S. Texas a few years ago. So storage in the James River Fleet is out of the question.

Some years ago when I was part of a group that attempted to save a US Navy ship, one of our problems was we were not able to convince the Navy we had the support/resources to take care of it - and just not next year, but 30 years from now. Although our larger problem is the Navy didn't think this particular ship was historic enough. Though out the process, I got the impression the Navy never REALLY gives up ownership, or at least maintains the right recover the ship if needed. The ship was finally sunk as part of an experiment.

I wonder if that could happen here; if faced with scrapping, the Navy would assume ownership and care.

This also, in my mind, raises a question as to the long term viability of the survival of any of large steel hulled ships that are now museums. The Texas, a WWI era ship, was just "saved" for another few decades, but in another 20 or so years, there will be a good number of large steel hulled museum ships, most of WWII age, that will approach similar condition, many at about the same time, all needing tens of millions for a dry docking and repairs. I wonder how many of these will end up just settling into the mud.

I also don't think this says much about smaller projects like steam locomotives. The cost - in this case, $30m - is much higher and the environmental conditions these ships are in, not to mention the regulatory (for just "sitting" around) environment these vessels are in means this is a major reoccurring expense that makes the cost of a 1400 day inspection (for an operating locomotive) look easy.

Just my 2 cents...

Bob

Actually, almost all US Navy museum ships are still "sort of" owned by the Navy - kind of indefinite loan arrangements. There are a couple of ships I can think of that are not owned by the US Navy in any way - SLATER and LST325. This is because those ship were sold to foreign navies, then sold to the current groups - the USN was essentially taken out of the equation.

--
Will

I agree with the concerns about steel hulled ship preservation. By the way, is it any better for wooden hulls? At least with a steam locomotive you can coat it with preservative or paint and park it indoors.

What does this say about other static steamships such as the few lake boats?

$30 million is a tough pill. Imagine what else you could do with that, such as East Broad Top.

Perhaps a little, they tend to be smaller and there are often more access to local craftsman to work on them. The infrastructure to work on them is more available The wooden hull Constellation in Baltimore was worked on a few years ago if I remember for less than $2m and it was made sturdy enough to be towed around the area.

Unless a steel hull is near an active ship yard making ships for the navy, you'll either need a floating dry dock or make one nearby and somehow import the labor and the cranes and other infrastructure to do the work. Some of these steel hulls are massive and make the Olympia look like a toy and there might only be a hand full of dry docks big enough in the country. One of the most amazing things I've seen was the replacement of about 40ft of the bow of the carrier USS Coral Sea after it was damaged in a collision in the 1980's. The dry docking and replacement was done in about a week.

The Navy maintains a dry dock in Boston specifically for the USS Constitution. They also maintain ownership of some islands off one of the Carolina's to grow the Live Oak trees that are used in the Constitution. The Navy purchased these islands, if I remember, about the time she was rebuilt in the 1920's. When I visited her in the 1990's we were shown how large pieces of Live Oak were in the bottom of the dock, in water, being aged for use on the ship. Besides from being strong and hard, Live Oak does not rot as easy as many woods. The US had a pretty good strangle hold one what was then an important strategic material that many navies wanted.

Bob

It’d be an utter shame of the Olympia was cut up, but in all fairness, much of what you see above the waterline today isn’t from the original ship anyway. She was modified heavily after the Spanish-American war at several different times. Much of what you see of the superstructure was put there after WW2. Still, there’s a lot that’s original as well.
Having been the ship that returned the Unknown Soldier from France after WW1 surely would place her into the collective American consciousness, even if most Americans today have never even heard of the then-famous phrase, “You may fire when ready, Gridley.”
I’m not shocked to hear of the fragile state of the hull. I do wonder if the recent addition of the USS New Jersey just across the river from the Olympia might have boosted interest in another battle wagon of the earlier generations.
It’s not in a great place to be seen. I used to visit the ship when I was at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, but found even then that parking was a nightmare. I returned there last July (with my wife) and was hoping to see the Olympia again, but there was some kind of festival on that side of the river and a country music concert at the stadium on the New Jersey side of the river, preventing me from seeing either battle wagon. I’m still fuming over that.

I visited USS Olympia about 20 years ago. I was in Philadelphia and one of my "must see" attractions was the (now vanished) historic trolley line running along the waterfront. Finding the preserved cruiser was a "bonus". As a "wannabe San Franciscan, I was intrigued by the fact that she was built by Union Iron Works back when SF was a major industrial center. I believe the same facility, which had been bought by Bethlehem Steel, built streetcars for the Municipal Ry. Among other things, I don't think Olympia was ever converted to burn fuel oil. One of the nastiest jobs on King Neptune's ocean was stoking a coal-burning steamship. Another discovery near Olympia was the WWII submarine Becuna. She is powered by four EMD V-16-567 diesel engines, the seagoing version of what powered the "F" series locomotives and later the GP series. One of the "silent service" veterans showing visitors around the boat mentioned that before the war started, the US Navy consulted with the Santa Fe Railway, because ATSF was consider the most knowledgeable railroad when it came to EMD diesel power. As a one-time Santa Fe employee, I was glad to find out this bit of history.
Getting back to Olympia, $30 megabucks is a tough "nut", and the preservation group is not going to get that by doing bake sales or selling memberships. We can only hope that they can find a real "rainmaker" for their fundraising effort.

The old Philidelphia Navy Yard is now privately owned and active, with at least one dry dock, so finding a nearby drydock is not the problem. The money is the problem, as it always is.

I remember years ago, before insurance becoming an issue, when you could visit the engineroom. Up on one of the bulkheads was a pair of Westinghouse single stage air compressors that looked like they belonged on a locomotive; steam is steam, right?

And not to nitpick, but the engines in the Becuna are not quite 567s, but still a General Motors product. They are Clevelands, and IIRC 148s or 178s. (Truthfully, I was more impressed with the sub than the cruiser when I visited a few summers ago, much more accessable-)

A hundred numbers higher EDM, the Becuna has Cleveland Diesel 278A main engines.

http://tugboatenthusiastsociety.org/Pag ... D-278A.htm

PC

James and all:

The Olympia was built here in San francisco at the Union Works and we have her plans here in the Maritime Park.

She is a most amazing survivor. She is the oldest steel ship in the United States; the only survivor of the "New Navy" of the 1890s and one of only two or three vessels of her period in the world. The Greek Navy has a similar cruiser which is very similar.

But seeing those engine rooms with the huge triple expansion steam engines was a treat! The name Union Iron Works is cast into a lot of the parts used in there.

You do not oftens see wooden laging used to insulate the major engine parts and even the smaller steam engine used to power the generators etc are wood laged.

The ship general overhaul at Boston around 1901; but most of the work had to do with the guns and living quarters and the machinery was pretty much left alone.

Her gun turrets were removed during WWI; so what you see are none working replicas.

If you visit the Independence Seaport Museum; do not neglect the indoor displays on the cruiser. They have several good models of navy ships in her period like the USS Maine. and also a great replica of the bronze figurehead that she got in 1901. Which is no longer on the vessel.

And the next oldest US Navy ship is the USS Texas on display at Houston, Texas. She and her sister the USS New York were the last battleships having up and down steam engines. She is also a treat!

Ted Miles

For those interested, here is a photo of USS Olympia and Becuna in September 2007


Here is USS Texas in June 2009.



Texas smelled worse inside. Apparently she was in such bad shape at one point that some compartments were open to the sea and flooded. That was before the State took over the ship as part of the state parks. As I recall she also has thin hull problems but not as bad as Olympia. They are considering placing her in permanent dry dock. The internal access in Texas was MUCH better, being able to access three decks and several levels of the tower. They had the engine room closed that day (grrr.) You can see where many parts had been restored and others had not. Fascinating ship. The interpretive signs in the ship were plentiful and well done.

Olympia had only two decks open, not including the main deck where the main guns are. I understand the bridge used to be accessible as well. The interpretive signs were not as common as on the Texas and not as well done. They were better on the Becuna. There were signs of neglect such as the M falling off the back of the ship, but I've seen far worse. Becuna seemed ship-shape.

Thanks, Mr. Cook, for the correction, and the link to the 278A information.

Ebtrr mentioned internal access. In my travels, about the best access on a displayed warship has to be the North Carolina in Wilmington NC. Bridge, engine and boiler rooms, turrets, magazines, steering, all wide open and with great signs.

In comparison, the most disappointing was the Wisconsin down in Norfolk. You could walk around the main deck and up one level. The only compartment open in the superstructure, at least a few years ago, was used as a gift shop.

New Jersey, in Camden, falls between North Carolina and Wisconsin. I've been told that NJ has 539s for part of the ships service electrical system, but I've never been in engineering and seen them.

Of course, Becuna is all open to the public, except for the battery compartments below the main deck. On a ship that small, and that packed with machinery, it would all have to be out in the open and viewable by visitors.

The USS SLATER in the Port of Albany, NY also has excellent access throughout the ship, and they improved it in the last year or two by installing new watertight doors that allow you to move from aft berthing to the #2 motor room and engine room. Prior to that all access to the engine and motor rooms was vertical ladders. The vessel has Cleveland Diesel 278A main engines and 268A ships service generators.

The management of the USS SLATER also made an excellent decision some years back by relocating the vessel up to Albany, getting her out of the salt water region of the river. You can never get all the salt residue out of the hull but you can slow down the corrosion process considerably by getting into fresh water. The salt front on the Hudson is generally around 67 miles north of the Battery, the USS SLATER is up around RM140.

PC