USRC ''Richard Rush'' was a of the

United States Revenue Cutter Service ) , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries=4 August , decorations= , battle_honours= , battle_honours_label= , disbanded=28 January 1915 , flying_hours= , website= , commander1= , co ...

which served in the coastal waters of the western United States and the

Department of Alaska Department of Alaska was the designation for the government of Alaska from its purchase by the United States of America in 1867 until its organization as the District of Alaska in 1884. During the department era, Alaska was variously under ...

. With a displacement of 179 tons, the vessel was long, in beam, and drew . Propulsion was provided by both a steam engine driving a single propeller, and a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

-rig of sail. ''Rush'' was built by the Atlantic Iron Works in Boston, Massachusetts, launched 14 March 1874, and commissioned 21 July of that year. Fitting-out was completed in New York, and on 15 September the cutter sailed for San Francisco, arriving there 8 January 1875 after rounding

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...

. Among the

plankowner A plankowner"U.S. Navy Style Guide", Navy.mil website (also referred to a plank ownerCutler and Cutler, p 167 and sometimes a plank holder) is an individual who was a member of the crew of a United States Navy ship or United States Coast Guard Cutt ...

s was then First Lieutenant

Michael A. Healy Michael Augustine Healy (September 22, 1839 – August 30, 1904) was an American career officer with the United States Revenue Cutter Service (predecessor of the United States Coast Guard), reaching the rank of captain. He has been recognized s ...

who at the time had never been on Alaska cruise but would later become an experienced captain of the ''Rush'', ''Corwin'', and ''Bear'' and become known throughout Alaskan waters as "Hell Roaring Mike" Healy.Strobridge and Noble, p. 46 Healy assumed command of ''Rush'' in 1881 as a first lieutenant.

History

Service

From 1877 through 1881 ''Rush'' completed four cruises in Alaskan waters. Thereafter the cutter was based in

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to ...

. In 1882 ''Rush'' was at San Francisco where the Royal Navy

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

took aboard the

Marquis of Lorne John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, (6 August 1845 – 2 May 1914), usually better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, by which he was known between 1847 and 1900, was a British nobleman who wa ...

, Governor General of Canada, and his spouse the Princess Louise, daughter of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, for their trip to

Victoria, Canada Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse ...

."The Marquis of Lorne's Movements", The New York Times An anonymous note threatened the British ship with destruction when the couple boarded, but a search by the crew of ''Richard Rush'' yielded nothing, and ''Comus'' was escorted out to sea by the American cutter."The Marquis of Lorne Threatened", The New York Times

Retirement

On 31 August 1885 the cutter was decommissioned and the hull and other fittings sold.Canney, p 43 The machinery was used in the construction of USRC ''Rush'', a larger cutter, completed on 10 November 1885.Canney, p 47

Notes

Citations

References cited

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External links

Teacher's Resource for U.S. Coast Guard History
pp. 20–21 {{DEFAULTSORT:Richard Rush Ships of the United States Revenue Cutter Service 1874 ships