The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Loss of the Memphis (8/19/1916) - Dec 29th, 2004

www.compass.dircon.co.uk ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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The Loss of the Memphis

The USS Memphis was a large armoured cruiser of 18,000 tons, originally named the Tennessee, and launched on 3 December 1904. Her boilers were coal-fired and she had two reciprocating engines which gave her a speed of 23 knots. Her main armament consisted of four ten-inch guns in twin turrets, and when she was commissioned these guns could outrange those of any battleship in existence. Her subsidiary armament included 16 six-inch and 22 three-inch guns.

She was renamed Memphis in 1916 to release the name Tennessee for a battleship (BB43) which was then under construction. Many of the dock workers thought it bad luck to change the name and the idea spread to the crew, but few took it really seriously.

Her commanding officer was Captain Edward J. Beach, who had earlier commanded Memphis' sister ship, the cruiser Washington.

Shortly after her change of name Memphis sailed from Hampton Roads for the harbour of San Domingo. San Domingo was capital of the Caribbean Island of the same name (now the Dominican Republic). The island was in formal terms an independent state, but the government was unstable and the United States Government deemed it advisable to station Marines there to look after US interests. The Memphis was sent there to support the Marines and more generally to act as guardship. She was also flagship to the senior officer, Admiral Pond.

San Domingo harbour is a very exposed anchorage, lying open to the south and east. Neither Admiral Pond nor Captain Beach much liked the anchorage, but they had to make the best of it, as Memphis was likely to be stationed there for a long time. As it was August and the hurricane season was almost upon them Captain Beach proposed to keep four boilers alight at all times to enable the ship to get out of harbour quickly if a hurricane warning should be received. However, the US Navy was in the middle of one of its periodic bouts of economising, and there was much emphasis on saving fuel costs. The Admiral therefore told Captain Beach to keep only two boilers alight (the minimum needed to run the auxiliary machinery) but to keep four other boilers ready to be lit at a moment's notice.



This arrangement was to be put to the test on the evening of 22 August. The weather started to deteriorate and the barometer fell alarmingly. Captain Beach thought that a hurricane was approaching, so he ordered the additional four boilers to be lit and all arrangements to be made for getting underway. The Admiral was entertaining the the US Ambassador. There was to have been a film show after dinner, but this was cancelled, the boats were hoisted and the Ambassador was obliged to spend the night on board. However, the hurricane did not materialise. Nonetheless the situation had provided good practice.

Moreover, the preparations for the anticipated hurricane had demonstrated that steam could be raised in 40 minutes. This greatly reassured the Captain, as he expected to have much more than 40 minutes warning of any future hurricane.

All was peaceful for another week. On Tuesday 29 August the day dawned fine with a light northeasterly breeze. The Admiral and Captain Beach had been invited ashore for an afternoon concert in the Cathedral but the Captain felt he had too much work to do aboard the Memphis. Admiral Pond and two aides went ashore and were met by the US consul.

Memphis was as usual anchored in some 55 feet of water, with the gunboat USS Castine also anchored nearby. At 13.00 the cruiser put ahore a recreation party, consisting largely of the ship's baseball team. The party proceeded in one of the ship's boats to a point half a mile upstream in the Ozama River - near to Fort Ozama where the US Marines were billeted.



The first warning of an approaching storm was voiced by the cruiser's Executive Officer, Lt-Commander Williams. One of the ship's dinghies had capsized and he was supervising the operation of re-hoisting it when he noticed that the ship was rolling more than usual. Memphis often rolled in the afternoons when the wind got up, but he noticed that there was no wind. He therefore went below to inform the Captain.

The Executive Officer was unhappy about the rising swell and told Captain Beach that he had sent two boats ashore to pick up the recreation party. The CO of the gunboat Castine - Commander Kenneth Bennett - was visiting the Captain, having come aboard Memphis for dental treatment. The three officers went on deck to assess the situation.

They saw that the cruiser and the much smaller (1,600 ton) Castine were now rolling very heavily, and they did not like what they saw. Captain Beach arranged for Commander Bennett to return to Castine immediately in a Memphis boat. He also took a long look at the lee shore and could see clearly the surf breaking on the rocks. Turning to look to seaward he could see long waves rolling into the harbour from the east.

This was enough to worry him, and he therefore sent a message to the Chief Engineer to raise steam in the four boilers as fast as possible. He also told Williams to make all preparations for sea and to hoist all boats. One boat had alrady gone inshore for the recreation party and a second was on its way, but the swell was rising so quickly that the Captain decided to recall this boat. Before the recall could be signalled the boat had got through the breakers near the shore and was entering the mouth of the Ozama, so the recall was in fact never made. Beach then sent a signal to the officer commanding the Marine garrison to hold both boats and to keep the party ashore for the time being.

Thanks to Colorado Tanker for suggesting this Thread

[GailA]

If it didn't move and wasn't made of fabric it has had a coat of paint put on it in the past month! The only room not to be touched was my sewing room. I boxed up Dennis' music and electonic gear and shoved them into there until I could sell them.

I want to tackle some outside projects when the weather permit. I have a small repair of the sidewalk to do...a sack of quickcrete and some elbow grease should fix it. Just frame in the area, mix water with the quickcrete and spread it out and let it dry. I know it has to be above 40 degrees for the concrete to set up correctly. The small entry way must be painted, I have the paint for that already left over from another project. It shouldn't take more than a quart.

Most of the big ones I need done won't get done due to the cost. New carpet and vinyl were on our to do list this year.

Told the 'kid' he needed to clean the gutters and coat the trailer roof this spring. He didn't seem to enthused with those projects.

He will have to do them regardless.

[w_over_w]

Thanks! Only two kinds of music . . . Country and Western. ;^)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Howdy all.

[SAMWolf]

Kids are never impressed with any chores. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Evening Victoria.


You spend all that Christmas cash yet?

[snippy_about_it]

Cute tagline today Sam.

[snippy_about_it]

Good evening Victoria.

[Victoria Delsoul]

I'm saving it for my trip, but whatever little left I had is pretty much gone, why, you want some? LOL.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Snippy.

[alfa6]

We have the kind of store where folks come in and aren't in a hurry so they just chit-chat awhile. It would be nice if it was full of freepers!

When would you get any work done, eh? Or maybe you want them freepers to help out, ya that's the idea :-)

BTW, did you get the big ol hunk of fenced moved without creating any mayhem or destruction, Hmmm?

Reagrds

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

Good luck on grouting your tile, the cake decorating bag should work rather well for the small area that you are doing. Be sure to force the grout into the cracks so that it can bond up to the tile, if you do not have a grout float a rubber spatula should work. After you get your grout in you can clean up with a damp towel or sponge, wipe the length of the tile flip sponge/towel over wipe again then rinse. Should be able to get the tile clean in two or three passes.

BTW you will have a Freepmail shortly

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[PhilDragoo]

Admiral Pond refused Captain Beach's request to maintain four boilers lit--after all, economy was necessary so the admiral could go ashore to par-tay with the U.S. Consul.

Then when the Navy in characteristic form crucified the wrong man for doing nothing wrong, Pond took a powder--and Beach covered for him.

We may remember these pre-nuclear-terrorism days as the lull before the tsunami.

Let not pc and fear of the "Arab shtreet" stay Bush's hand in giving Khatami's centrifuges a few hundred JDAMs a la B-2 Spirit Overnight Overflight.

Run Silent, Run Deep is the first of a trilogy by Edward L. Beach, followed by Dust on the Sea, and Cold is the Sea.

Interview with Capt. Edward L. Beach USNA '39

Biography of Capt. Edward L. Beach (b 1918, d 2002)

Captain Edward L. Beach Jr.: 'His Work Will Live On'

[SAMWolf]

:-)

[SAMWolf]

you want some

Sure, I'm open to any bribes. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Or maybe you want them freepers to help out

Darn! You're on to us.

did you get the big ol hunk of fenced moved without creating any mayhem or destruction

Yep, Only one more wall to do, we finished the seed storage area in the back. We have about 6 feet of fence to put up and a wall of standards. The electricians didn't show up so we still need that done and then we can move the computer to the proper place and get to the wall we need to finish.

[SAMWolf]

Evening Phil Dragoo.

Thanks for the links on Capt. Beach, Jr.

Let not pc and fear of the "Arab shtreet" stay Bush's hand in giving Khatami's centrifuges a few hundred JDAMs a la B-2 Spirit Overnight Overflight.

Amen to that!

[Valin]

Ad-aware, Spybot Search and Destroy

Been there done that...no joy.


I hate to do it but I think I'm going to take into a pro in the morning.

AAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!

[SAMWolf]

Rats. Good Luck, I hope at least it didn't cost you any data or programs.

[snippy_about_it]

Boy could we have used the help!

[Iris7]

There is a program I just downloaded a few minutes ago, might get the job done, but I sure don't know how to use it yet!!

http://www.winpatrol.com/

Well recommended by good sites. Free with good features, more for $20, updates, etc.

Good luck.