The first USS ''Omaha'' was laid down in 1867 by the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

as ''Astoria''; launched 10 June 1869; she was renamed ''Omaha'' on 10 August 1869; and commissioned 12 September 1872, Captain John C. Febiger in command.

Service history

Atlantic Stations, 1873–1879

''Omaha's'' first assignment was with the

South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

, and she served alternately on South and North Atlantic Stations from 1873 to 1879. From 1880 to 1884, ''Omaha'' was laid up in ordinary at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, for a complete refit. By 1885 she was en route to the

Asiatic Station 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. Vessels of the squadron were primarily inv ...

via

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 Ramí ...

Statue of Liberty, 1885

Captain

Thomas Oliver Selfridge Jr. Thomas Oliver Selfridge Jr. (February 6, 1836 – February 4, 1924), son of Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, was an officer in the United States Navy. Early life Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Selfridge graduated from the United Stat ...

, of the U. S. man-of-war Omaha, delegated a lieutenant to present his compliments to Captain De Saune, the French commander of the Isère, laden with the Statue of Liberty, and suggest that

Gravesend Bay Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is the ...

would be a safer anchorage than the

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

Horseshoe.

Asiatic Station, 1885–1891

''Omaha'' served on the

from 1885 to 1891. In 1887, the captain of the ship, Thomas O. Selfridge Jr., conducted target practice off the coast of the Japanese island of Ikeshima which resulted in the deaths of four Japanese and the wounding of seven others. This created an international incident but Selfridge was acquitted at a court martial in 1888. In 1890, on the night of 8 February, she put ashore a detachment of officers and men to assist in fighting an extensive fire in the town of Hodogaya, Japan, on request of the United States Consul-General.

Marine Hospital Service, 1891–1914

In 1891, ''Omaha'' returned to

Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...

, where she decommissioned and was placed

in ordinary ''In ordinary'' is an English phrase with multiple meanings. In relation to the Royal Household, it indicates that a position is a permanent one. In naval matters, vessels "in ordinary" (from the 17th century) are those out of service for repair o ...

. She never recommissioned, but later was turned over to the Marine Hospital Service, (which later became the U.S.

Public Health Service In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

) and subsequently anchored at

Angel Island, California Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park, administered by California State Parks. The island, a California Historical Landmark, has been used by humans for a variety of purposes ...

for use as a quarantine barge. ''Omaha'' served in this capacity until 1914, after which she was scrapped.

References

Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: USS ''Omaha''
*

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Omaha (1869) Sloops of the United States Navy 1869 ships