USAT McClellan
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USAT ''McClellan'' was a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
transport ship that saw service during the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
and
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. She also participated in the occupation of Veracruz in 1914. ''McClellan'' was originally SS ''Port Victor'', a
steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
- hulled passenger-cargo
screw A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...
steamer built for
Anglo Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British d ...
-
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n service in the 1880s. Eventually converted into an early example of a refrigeration ship, ''Port Victor'' continued in Australian service until shortly before her sale in 1898 to the
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
for use as a transport during the Spanish–American War. After the war, she was renamed USAT ''McClellan'' and employed as a U.S. Army transport for more than twenty years, supplying the garrisons in
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
,
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
and the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. Sold in 1919, she briefly returned to mercantile service under the name SS ''Hastier'', until being damaged by a fire in 1920 and subsequently scrapped.


Construction and design

''Port Victor'' was built by Andrew Leslie & Co."Wm. Milburn & Co. - The Fleet"
, Merchant Navy Association website.
at
Newcastle-on-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , RP: ), is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located on the River Tyne's northern bank opposite Gateshead to the ...
in 1885 for W. Milburn & Co., a company which operated a fleet of ships between Britain and Australia under a subsidiary known as the Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Company. ''Port Victor'' was the Milburn Line's first steel- hulled ship, as well as being the first of the company's ships to have a
clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. The term was also retrospectively applied to the Baltimore clipper, which originated in the late 18th century. Clippers were generally narrow for their len ...
bow and be fitted with a triple expansion engine. Like most of the Anglo-Australian Line's ships, ''Port Victor'' was named after an Australian port, in this case that of Port Victor, South Australia (now known as Victor Harbor). ''Port Victor'' was a passenger-cargo ship of 2,793 tons"Expected Arrivals"
''The West Australian'', 1894-07-24, p. 4.
(1,828 tons gross)."Purchase Of Transports"
''
The Brisbane Courier ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
'', 1898-07-09, p. 5.
The ship had two decks, six watertight bulkheads,American Bureau of Shipping 1922
p. 886
two masts,
barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are Square rig, rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-maste ...
-rigged, and a single funnel. Her powerplant was a 400 IHP, three-cylinder
triple expansion A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...
with cylinders of 27, 42 and 70 inches by 48-inch stroke. With her fine, "yacht-like" proportions, ''Port Victor'' was considered to be "out of the ordinary run" of
tramp steamer A boat or ship engaged in the tramp trade is one which does not have a fixed schedule, itinerary nor published ports of call, and trades on the spot market as opposed to freight liners. A steamship engaged in the tramp trade is sometimes called ...
s and "one of the handsomest" of the Milburn fleet."Shipping Reports: The S.S. Port Victor"
''The Argus'', 1889-06-07, p. 7.
In addition to her cargoes, she could carry both cabin-class and steerage passengers.


Service history


Australian service

''Port Victor'' entered service in 1885. For the next dozen years, she would operate from her homeport of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to a host of Australian ports, including those of
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
and Darwin, as well as other
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
and
Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
ern destinations such as
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and Batavia. ''Port Victor''s initial service period proved eventful. Her first recorded voyage to Australia took place in December 1885, carrying eight cabin- and six steerage-class passengers in addition to her cargoes. Upon arrival in Australia, the ship immediately became embroiled in controversy when '' The Argus'' newspaper in Melbourne accused a company responsible for providing some of the ship's cargoes of falsely describing a consignment of 13 tons of bisulphate of carbon, "a chemical of a most volatile and combustible nature", as
sheep dip Sheep dip is a liquid formulation of insecticide and fungicide that shepherds and farmers use to protect their sheep from infestation against external parasites such as itch mite (''Psoroptes ovis''), blow-fly, ticks and lice. History Sheep ...
."Victorian Items"
''The Mercury'', 1886-01-13, p. 4.
The firm in question quickly sued the paper for libel, and in August 1887, won damages of £250 in a split jury decision. ''The Argus'' however maintained that it had been correct to publish the story, citing public safety and noting that public pressure had since forced the shipping firm in question to reduce the amount of the chemical shipped in individual vessels."Saturday, August 20, 1887"
''The Argus'', 1887-08-20, p. 9.
Shortly before the resolution of this court case, in July 1887, ''Port Victor'' again became the source of "considerable excitement" when one of the ship's passengers arriving in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
from
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
turned out to have
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
."Intercolonial: New South Wales"
''The Argus'', 1887-07-12, p. 9.
The passenger was quickly quarantined while the Sydney Board of Health took steps to have Hong Kong declared an "infected port"."Palmerston, Saturday, August 27"
''Northern Territory Times and Gazette'', 1887-08-27, p. 2.
In June of the following year, ''Port Victor'' was again in the news, this time as the result of a rough passage from London to Sydney. On 28 May, the ship had run into a gale which tore away the topsails, while heavy seas smashed the port side of the upper bridge, wrecked the forward house on the bridge, and damaged one of the lifeboats. Sheep pens, hen coops, dog kennels and livestock on the ship's deck were swept overboard, and the passenger quarters, including the saloons and cabins, were flooded."Shipping"
''The Mercury'', 1888-06-28.
A little over a year later, on 8 July 1889, the ship suffered a second accident when she ran aground on a reef off Restoration Island, northwest of
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, on a
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
-carrying voyage from
Newcastle, NSW Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and it is the hub of th ...
to Batavia. The ship was refloated without damage a few days later after the removal of about 200 tons of cargo."Queensland: The S.S. ''Port Victor''"
''The West Australian'', 1889-07-12.
In October 1889, ''Port Victor'' sailed from London bound for Sydney with relieving crews for the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
ships HMS ''Royalist'' and , arriving at her destination after a rough passage in mid-December."The S.S. Port Victor"
''The Argus'', 1889-12-17.
"Special Telegrams: The Australian Squadron"
''The Argus'', 1889-10-15.
''Egoria''s discharged crew, which had been engaged in a survey mission for a cable-laying project to Vancouver, New Zealand, exchanged places with the relieving crew aboard ''Port Victor'' for the return voyage to Britain."Survey Of The Proposed Vancouver Cable Route"
''The West Australian'', 1889-11-27.
''Port Victor'' was back in Melbourne by May 1890, with a cargo of
ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...
and railway
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...
for the government, in addition to four
draught horse A draft horse (US) or draught horse (UK), also known as dray horse, carthorse, work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred to be a working animal hauling freight and doing heavy agricultural tasks such as plough, plowing. There are a nu ...
s presumably brought out for breeding purposes."Shipping Reports: The S.S. Port Victor"
''The Argus'', 1890-05-13, p. 10.


Refrigeration ship

The exact date on which ''Port Victor'' was converted into a refrigeration ship is not known, but it is known that ships of the Anglo-Australian Line, including ''Port Victor'', began to transport apples and pears from
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
to Britain in about 1891, suggesting the conversion took place around this time. As marine refrigeration was still in its infancy, this particular venture seems to have been something of a hit-and-miss affair, with some fruit shipments arriving in Britain in good condition and others not."Conference Of Fruit Growers"
''The Mercury'', 1897-07-24, p. 1.
In 1894, ''Port Victor'' sailed from London bound for
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
with a passenger complement of fifty female emigrants, handpicked by the United British Women's Immigration Association, for placement in the colony as female servants, for whom there was much demand. The girls were said to be "much pleased" with the accommodations arranged for them aboard ship."News and Notes"
''The West Australian'', 1894-03-06, p. 4.
"News and Notes"
''The West Australian'', 1894-02-27, p. 4.
A couple of voyages to London reported on in 1895 give an idea of the kind of exports produced in Australia at the time. In a June 1895 voyage, ''Port Victor'' sailed with 73 "specially selected bullocks", although 17 died before reaching their destination. Upon arrival in Britain, it was decided to slaughter the animals as the ship had made a port of call at
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
during its voyage. The carcasses yielded an average of 122 stone each (976 lb), which was sold wholesale at between 3s. 2d. and 3s. 4d. per stone. The cargo on this trip also included a number of
emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
s, although the reason for their export is not disclosed."The Export of Australian Cattle"
''The Argus'', 1895-06-11, p. 5.
"Commercial: The Live Stock Trade"
''The West Australian'', 1895-06-12, p. 5.
"Colonial Produce"
''The Mercury'', 1895-06-13, p. 2.
In November, ''Port Victor'' sailed from Melbourne for London with a cargo of 2,100 bales of
wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
, and 440 cases of
rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...
s from the Hamilton Preserving Factory."Direct Shipment From Portland"
''The Argus'', 1895-11-29, p. 6.
''Port Victor''s last known voyage between Britain and Australia took place in 1896."Shipping Telegrams"
''The Argus'', 1896-01-28, p. 4.
In February 1897, after twelve years of
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
service, the refrigerated vessel was shifted to the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, where she appears to have carried the first-ever cargo of
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
n fruit direct to London, in a move her owners hoped would "create a revolution in the foreign fruit trade"."Jamaica in Covent Garden"
''The Mercury'', 1897-02-20, p. 2.
Shortly afterward however, on 7 July 1898, ''Port Victor'' and another ship of the Anglo-Australian Line, ''Port Chalmers'', were purchased for £31,500 and £70,000 respectively"Reported Sales"
''The Mercury'', 1898-08-11, p. 2.
by the United States government, for use as transports following the outbreak in April of the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
."American Transports: Anglo-Australian Steamers Purchased"
''The Argus'', 1898-07-09, p. 9.


U.S. Army transport

A few days after the purchase by the U.S. government of ''Port Victor'', an "infernal machine"—a bomb consisting of 30 lbs of
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
—was reportedly discovered and disarmed on board the vessel."Attempt To Blow Up American Steamer: Discovery Of Infernal Machine"
''The Mercury'', 1898-07-27, p. 2.
"Dynamitards And The War"
''The West Australian'', 1898-07-27, p. 5.
''Port Victor'' was thereafter quickly put into operation, transporting
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
s and
mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...
s to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
; unfortunately, the shipment came too late to assist the wounded after the battles for
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
.American National Red Cross Relief Committee, p. 27. In August, the ship also transported 150 tons of ice to Santiago for use in the hospitals.American National Red Cross Relief Committee, p. 75. After the war, ''Port Victor'' was retained by the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
and converted into a transport by the removal of her refrigeration equipment."Transport Service To Cuba Ends June 30"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 1901-05-07.
Renamed USAT ''McClellan'', the ship would spend the next two decades in Army service.


Cuban and Puerto Rican service

From the end of the Spanish–American War in August 1898 through to May 1901, ''McClellan'' and several other Army transports were engaged in the supply and rotation of U.S. occupation troops in the newly conquered territories of
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
and
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. ''McClellan'' maintained a regular monthly service to the islands at a cost of about $13,000 per voyage, transferring troops, government officials, civilians and supplies to and from the outposts. On several occasions, the ship was also used to return the remains of U.S. soldiers and others who had died during the occupation from illness and other causes. 76 bodies were returned in this manner in January 1900, followed by 101 in March of the same year and another 39 in February 1901. Most of the deceased were apparently victims of yellow fever."Brings Bodies of Soldiers"
''The New York Times'', 1900-01-21.
"Soldier Dead Arrive"
''The New York Times'', 1900-03-04.
"Transport Brings Many Dead From Cuba"
''The New York Times'', 1901-02-20.
In August 1899, ''McClellan'' became the subject of a test case after a dispute at
Gibara Gibara () is a town and municipality of the Province of Holguín in the Republic of Cuba. Gibara is the fourth largest town by population and the ninth by area in Holguín. History The main town was founded on January 16, 1817. It is also known ...
, Cuba, between two of the ship's officers, the quartermaster and the sailing master, the latter of whom resigned after having his advice to put to sea before the onset of a hurricane overruled by the former. The sailing master was later dismissed from government service over the episode, thus settling the "vexed question" of which officer exercised ultimate authority on an Army transport."The McClellan Arrives"
''The New York Times'', 1899-08-04.
"Capt. Brickley Dismissed"
''The New York Times'', 1899-08-19.
Not long after ''McClellan''s departure from Gibara, a
hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
devastated Puerto Rico, and ''McClellan'' spent the next two months carrying relief supplies to the island, provided by both the government and private donors. On August 24, for example, the ship sailed with 1,600 tons of supplies including a wide variety of foodstuffs, clothing, medicines such as
quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg ...
and building materials. Another voyage in mid-September carried 352,800 pounds of
rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
and a substantial quantity of beans, in addition to more medicine."Help for Puerto Ricans"
''The New York Times'', 1899-08-15.
"Relief For Puerto Ricans"
''The New York Times'', 1899-08-24.
"Aid For The Puerto Ricans"
''The New York Times'', 1899-09-14.
By the end of the month, ''McClellan'' was back in New York to take part in the grand naval parade on 29 September, arranged in celebration of Admiral George Deweys return to the United States following his victory over Spanish forces in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
the previous year. The parade, then the biggest in the city's history, was more than seven miles long and consisted of hundreds of ships and boats of all types, including both naval and private vessels. ''McClellan'' was one of three vessels in the parade representing the
Army Transport Service The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) was established as a sea-going transport service that was independent of the Navy Department. ATS operated army transport ships for both troop transport and cargo service between United States ports ...
(A.T.S.)."Naval Parade Formation"
''The New York Times'', 1899-09-28.
"The Dewey Naval Parade"
''The New York Times'', 1899-09-10.
More than a million people watched from the shore, after which a land parade of five to six hours duration—received by Dewey himself—took place through the streets of New York.Stratemeyer, Chapter 20.


Philippines and Far Eastern station

In June 1901, ''McClellan''s service to Cuba and Puerto Rico was terminated after corporate lobbyists succeeded in having the work transferred to private contractors. ''McClellan'' and the other transports formerly engaged in this service were instead switched to supplying the U.S. garrison established in the new American protectorate of the Philippines, seized from the Spanish during the recent Spanish–American War. For ''McClellan''s new role, the Army considered reinstalling the ship with refrigeration equipment, but it is not known if this modification was carried out. ''McClellan'' would spend the next several years in service to the Philippines, carrying troops, supplies, officials and civilians between New York and
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. Although a small transport, ''McClellan'', with her two stateroom-fitted decks and extra bathrooms, had better accommodations than some of the other small transports, as a result of which she not infrequently carried officers and their families along with other dignitaries."Washington Letter"
''The Free State'', 1901-08-06.
One of her first such voyages to Manila occurred in July 1901 when she carried a party of U.S. Congressmen on a fact-finding mission."Congressmen Go To Manila July 10"
''The New York Times'', 1901-06-21.
"A Home Ruler's Suggestion"
''The New York Times'', 1901-09-02.
In February of the following year, ''McClellan'' carried 200 teachers to the same destination, including 80 females."Teachers Start For Manila"
''The New York Times'', 1902-02-23.
In November of the same year, the Army's Engineering Dept. proposed the conversion of ''McClellan'' into a dredge to assist with work in the
Ambrose Channel Ambrose Channel is the only shipping channel in and out of the Port of New York and New Jersey. The channel is considered to be part of Lower New York Bay and is located several miles off the coasts of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Breezy Point ...
in
New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...
, which had fallen well behind schedule, but this proposal was successfully resisted by the Quartermasters' Dept., and ''McClellan'' continued in service as a transport."To Hasten Harbor Work Here"
''The New York Times'', 1902-11-28.
On 7 December 1905 the steamer , tied up along side, caught fire at dock at the foot of Fifty-sixth street,
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. McClellan had 6 streams of water going unto the ship within 5 minutes. The water caused Rosalie to fill and sink. In February 1906, ''McClellan'' was transferred to the Philippines station, and would not return to the United States for more than two years. Her precise duties during this period are not recorded but she is known to have made voyages to Far Eastern destinations, in one instance being slated to return to his post the Governor of the Philippines,
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
, from a mission to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. ''McClellan'' would finally return to the United States after a two-year absence in April 1908, carrying a number of officers and their families including General
Leonard Wood Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, List of colonial governors of Cuba, Military Governor of Cuba, ...
."Transport Here From Philippines"
''The New York Times'', 1908-04-24.


Return to Latin American service

After her return from the Philippines, ''McClellan'' returned to Latin American service. In 1909, she participated in the withdrawal of occupation troops and officials from Cuba following the termination of Charles E. Magoon's governorship and the restoration of the island's independence under
José Miguel Gómez José Miguel Gómez y Gómez (; 6 July 1858 – 13 June 1921) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was one of the leaders of the rebel forces in the Cuban War of Independence. He later served as President of Cuba from 1909 to 1913. Ea ...
."Gomez Installed, Magoon Quits Cuba"
''The New York Times'', 1909-01-29.
"Washington, Dec. 31"
''The New York Times'', 1909-01-01.
In 1913, ''McClellan'' participated in a military buildup of 3,000 troops at Cuba in response to a war scare with
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
."Three Thousand Marines Rushed To Coast Of Cuba"
, ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', 1913-02-18 (subscription required).
In April 1914, ''McClellan'' took part in the
United States occupation of Veracruz The Battle of Veracruz was a military conflict between the United States and Mexico that took place in the Mexican port city of Veracruz between April 21 to November 23, 1914. The incident occurred in the midst of poor diplomatic relations be ...
, Mexico, following the
Tampico Affair The Tampico Affair began as a minor incident involving United States Navy sailors and the Mexican Federal Army loyal to Mexican dictator General Victoriano Huerta. On April 9, 1914, nine sailors had come ashore to secure supplies and were detai ...
earlier that month. ''McClellan'' sailed from
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
with a
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
escort and three other transports carrying a total of 4,000 troops,"General Funston Sails"
''The New York Times'', 1914-04-25.
arriving off Veracruz on the 27th."Funston To Land At Vera Cruz Today"
''The New York Times'', 1914-04-27.
After a brief battle, U.S. forces established control of the port and remained in occupation for six months. The incident precipitated a considerable worsening of relations between the two countries, and is said to have brought them to the brink of all-out war.


Conversion to refrigerated cargo

''McClellan'' was chosen by the Quartermaster Corps for conversion to refrigerated cargo capability when directed to choose one of its ships to supply frozen beef and other products to Army forces stationed in the Gulf of Mexico. The conversion was carried out by the Corps at New Orleans in early summer 1914. Little trace of the old refrigerated spaces and equipment remained but a refrigerated room on the lower deck and an old ice making machine remained. The ice machine was beyond repair and when insulation was removed from the old refrigerated room the deck plating underneath was found to be rusted out, requiring complete replacement. The conversion was done in a very short time as beef was already scheduled for delivery. After conversion the number 1, 2, 3, and 4 'tween decks space and holds were equipped for refrigerated cargo with a separate meat and ice box and another for ship's stores with a gross refrigerated space of . A thirty-ton Mayer Ice Machine Company refrigeration unit was installed along with two 10 kilowatt generators for lighting at New Orleans. The ship was ordered to New York on the day the work was completed and on arrival a twenty-ton York refrigeration unit was installed. As soon as a cargo of beef could be loaded the ship departed for the Gulf. In August 1915, a hurricane at Galveston reportedly left ''McClellan'' stranded half a mile inland."No Lives Lost At Galveston, Is Belief"
''The Gazette Times'', 1915-08-18.
In spite of this incident, she would later return to service.


World War I and after

During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, ''McClellan'' saw service in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an waters. In 1918, the Navy was authorized to take her over, but declined to do so. USAT ''McClellan'' was sold by the Army to Belgian company Lloyd Royal Belge SA, in December 1919,"USAT McClellan (Transport, 1898–1919)"
Naval History & Heritage Command website. —via archive.org.
and re-entered commercial service for a short time as SS ''Hastier''. On 27 October 1920, ''Hastier'' arrived at
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, Belgium, with a fire on board, sinking a few days later on 3 November. She was raised in 1921 and laid up. ''Hastier'' was sold to Société Métallurgique de Merxem for scrapping on 11 December 1922.


Footnotes


References


Bibliography

* * American National Red Cross Relief Committee (1889): ''Reports: May 1898; March 1899'', The Knickerbocker Press, New York. * Stratemeyer, Edward (1904): ''American Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt'', Chapter 20. * {{DEFAULTSORT:McClellan USAT 1885 ships Ships built on the River Tyne Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Spanish–American War auxiliary ships of the United States World War I transports of the United States Transport ships of the United States Army Maritime incidents in 1920 Ship fires