USS Chicago (1885)

USS Chicago in 1891
History
United States
Name	Chicago (1885–1928) Alton (1928–1936)
Namesake	City of Chicago, Illinois City of Alton, Illinois
Ordered	3 March 1883
Awarded	26 July 1883
Builder	Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, Chester, Pennsylvania
Cost	$889,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down	29 December 1883
Launched	5 December 1885
Sponsored by	Edith Cleborne
Commissioned	17 April 1889
Decommissioned	30 September 1923
Renamed	Alton 16 July 1928 and reclassified IX-5
Reclassified	CA-14, 17 July 1920 CL-14, 8 August 1921 IX-5, 16 June 1928
Identification	Hull symbol:CA-14 Hull symbol:CL-14 Hull symbol:IX-5
Fate	sold 15 May 1936, Foundered under tow 8 July 1936
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Protected cruiser
Displacement	4,500 long tons (4,572 t)
Length	342 ft 2 in (104.29 m) oa 325 ft (99 m) pp
Beam	48 ft 3 in (14.71 m)
Draft	19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power	14 × 100 psi (690 kPa) coal-fired boilers
Propulsion	2 × compound overhead beam steam engines 5,084 ihp (3,791 kW) 2 × screws
Sail plan	Schooner
Speed	14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Capacity	830 short tons (750 t) of coal
Complement	45 officers and 356 enlisted men
Armament	4 × 8-inch (200 mm)/30 caliber Mark 2 guns (4x1) 8 × 6-inch (150 mm)/30 caliber Mark 2 guns (8x1) 2 × 5-inch (130 mm)/31 caliber Mark 1 guns (2x1) 2 × 6-pounder 57 mm (2.24 in) guns 4 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.85 in) guns 2 × 1-pounder 37 mm (1.46 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon 2 × .45 caliber (11.4 mm) Gatling guns
Armor	Gun shields: 4 in (100 mm) Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm) Conning tower: 3 in (76 mm)
General characteristics (1895 & 1902 rebuild)
Displacement	5,000 long tons (5,080 t)
Installed power	2 × Triple expansion engines 9,000 ihp (6,700 kW)
Propulsion	6 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 4 × Single ended boilers 2 × screws
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Armament	4 × 8 in (200 mm)/35 caliber Mark 4 guns (4x1) 14 × 5 in (130 mm)/40 caliber Mark 3 guns (2x1)

The first USS Chicago (later CA-14) was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy, the largest of the original three authorized by Congress for the "New Navy" and one of the U.S. Navy's first four steel ships.

She was launched on 5 December 1885 by Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works of Chester, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Edith Cleborne (daughter of Navy Medical Director Cuthbert J. Cleborne) and commissioned on 17 April 1889.