[Waverunner]

When the navy went to Turbo electric drive in large warships like the battleship New Mexico in 1917, it wasn't unusual for navy ships to go to a disaster area to provide relief, then also to include shore power from the ships massive generators.
USS Lexington, CV2, which was originally laid down as a battle-cruiser after WW1, provided power to Tacoma in December 1929. There was a drought in Washington state, and the hydro power loss caused some paper mills to be shut down, hurting the states economy.

[DUMBGRUNT]

USS Lexington, CV2, which was originally laid down as a battle-cruiser after WW1, provided power to Tacoma in December 1929.

May very well have been the event?
The old man did thirty years US Navy and was home on shore leave that 7 Dec.
No phones on the farm, so he put on his uniform and hitchhiked into Cincinnati. Found a recruiting station, they took the farm address and told him to wait there for orders.
A few days later they telegrammed him, New York City, the Yorktown. (Until the Battle of Midway).

How on earth did the Department of the Navy move so fast???

Thanks very much for the information.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Now I found this...
http://www.navyhistory.org/2014/03/going-ashore-naval-ship-to-shore-power-for-humanitarian-services/