USS Charleston (C-2)

USS Charleston at Hong Kong, 1898
History
United States
Name	Charleston
Namesake	Charleston, South Carolina and Charleston, West Virginia
Builder	Union Iron Works, San Francisco
Laid down	20 January 1887
Launched	19 July 1888
Sponsored by	Mrs. A. S. Smith
Commissioned	26 December 1889
Decommissioned	27 July 1896
Recommissioned	5 May 1898
Identification	Hull symbol:C-2
Fate	Grounded 2 November 1899 near Camiguin Island, Philippines and abandoned
General characteristics
Type	Protected cruiser
Displacement	3,730 long tons (3,790 t)
Length	320 ft (97.5 m)
Beam	46 ft (14.0 m)
Draft	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Installed power	6 × steam boilers 2 × Horizontal compound engines 7,500 ihp (5,600 kW)
Propulsion	2 × screws
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) designed
Range	2,990 nmi (5,540 km; 3,440 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	34 officers, 296 men, 30 Marines
Armament	2 × 8-inch (203 mm)/35 caliber Mark 3 guns 6 × 6-inch (152 mm)/30 caliber Mark 3 guns 4 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) guns 2 × 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) guns 2 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns 2 × .45 caliber (11.4 mm) Gatling guns
Armor	Gun shields: 3 in (76 mm) Main deck: 3 in (76 mm) Conning Tower: 2 in (51 mm)
Service record
Commanders:	Captain George C. Remey Captain Henry Glass
Operations:	Spanish–American War Capture of Guam

The second USS Charleston (C-2) was a United States Navy protected cruiser — the fourth US protected cruiser to be built. Lacking experience in building steel cruisers, the design was purchased from the British company Armstrong, Mitchell and Co. of Newcastle, the construction to be by an American shipyard. In design, she succeeded the "ABC" cruisers Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago with better protection, higher speed, and similar armament.^[1][2]

She was launched on 19 July 1888 by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, sponsored by Mrs. A. S. Smith, and commissioned on 26 December 1889, Captain George C. Remey in command.^[3]