USS Minneapolis (C-13)

USS Minneapolis (C-13), photographed while at anchor, 1898.
History
United States
Name:	Minneapolis
Namesake:	City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ordered:	2 March 1891
Awarded:	31 August 1891
Builder:	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost:	$2,690,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down:	16 December 1891
Launched:	12 August 1893
Sponsored by:	Miss Elizabeth Washburn
Commissioned:	13 December 1894
Decommissioned:	15 March 1921
Reclassified:	CA-17, 17 July 1920
Struck:	26 January 1922
Identification:	Hull symbol:C-13 Hull symbol:CA-17
Fate:	sold for scrap, 5 August 1921
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Columbia class protected cruiser
Displacement:	7,350 long tons (7,468 t) (standard) 8,270 long tons (8,403 t) (full load)
Length:	413 ft 1 in (125.91 m) oa 411 ft 7 in (125.45 m)pp
Beam:	58 ft 2 in (17.73 m)
Draft:	22 ft 7 in (6.88 m)
Installed power:	8 × Double-ended boilers, 2 × Single-ended boilers 21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
Propulsion:	3 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines 2 × screws
Sail plan:	Schooner
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) 23.07 knots (42.73 km/h; 26.55 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Complement:	45 officers 338 enlisted men
Armament:	1 × 8 in (200 mm)/40 caliber Mark 5 gun 2 × 6 in (150 mm)/40 guns 8 × 4 in (100 mm)/40 guns 12 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) guns saluting guns 4 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns 4 × gatling guns 4 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Deck: 4 in (100 mm) (slope) 2 1⁄2 in (64 mm) (flat) Conning Tower: 5 in (130 mm) Shields: 4 in (100 mm)
General characteristics (1914)
Armament:	3 × 6 in (150 mm)/45 caliber Mark 10 gun 8 × 4 in (102 mm)/40 guns 2 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) saluting guns
General characteristics (1920)
Armament:	3 × 6 in (150 mm)/45 caliber Mark 10 gun 4 × 4 in (100 mm)/40 guns 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 anti-aircraft guns 4 × 3-pounder(47 mm (1.9 in)) saluting guns 2 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns

The first USS Minneapolis (CA-17, ex-C-13) was a United States Navy Columbia-class protected cruiser. She was named for the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minneapolis was laid down 16 December 1891 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia; launched 12 August 1893, sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Washburn, daughter of Senator William D. Washburn of Minnesota; and commissioned at Philadelphia, 13 December 1894, Captain George H. Wadleigh, in command.

Assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron, the new cruiser took part in maneuvers and cruises along the eastern seaboard and in the West Indies until she was assigned to the European Squadron 27 November 1895, arriving Gibraltar, 13 December. After cruising in the Mediterranean Sea, she visited Kronstadt, Russia, 13 May to 19 June, as flagship of Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., representing the United States at the coronation of Czar Nicholas II. Following visits to principal ports of northern Europe, she returned to Turkey and Greece. She departed Gibraltar 21 June 1897 and arrived at Philadelphia 6 July. The next day, she was placed in reserve at League Island Navy Yard, Philadelphia.