USS New York (CA-2)

USS New York (ACR-2), off New York City during the victory fleet review, August 1898.
Class overview
Builders:	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Operators:	United States Navy
Preceded by:	USS Maine (ACR-1)
Succeeded by:	USS Brooklyn (ACR-3)
Built:	1890–1893
In commission:	1893–1938
Completed:	1
Lost:	1
History
United States
Name:	New York (1891–1911) Saratoga (1911–1917) Rochester (1917–1938)
Namesake:	State of New York City of Saratoga, New York City of Rochester, New York
Ordered:	7 September 1888
Awarded:	28 August 1890
Builder:	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost:	$2,985,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down:	30 September 1890
Launched:	2 December 1891
Sponsored by:	Miss Helen Page
Commissioned:	1 August 1893
Decommissioned:	29 April 1933
Renamed:	16 February 1911, Saratoga 1 December 1917, Rochester
Reclassified:	CA-2, 17 July 1920
Struck:	28 October 1938
Identification:	Hull symbol:ACR-2 Hull symbol:CA-2
Fate:	Scuttled 24 December 1941, Subic Bay, Philippines, wreck remains in place
General characteristics (as built)
Type:	Armored cruiser
Displacement:	8,150 long tons (8,281 t) (standard) 8,900 long tons (9,043 t) (full load)
Length:	384 ft (117 m)oa 380 ft 6 in (115.98 m)pp
Beam:	64 ft 10 in (19.76 m)
Draft:	23 ft 3 in (7.09 m) (mean)
Installed power:	8 × steam boilers 4 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines 16,000 ihp (12,000 kW) (design)
Propulsion:	2 × screws
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (design) 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Complement:	53 officers, 422 enlisted, 40 Marines
Armament:	6 × 8 in (203 mm)/35 caliber Mark 3 breech-loading rifles (2 × 2, 2 × 1) 12 × 4 in (102 mm)/40 caliber rapid fire (RF) guns 8 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) Driggs-Schroeder RF guns 4 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) Driggs-Schroeder saluting guns 3 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Belt: 4 in (102 mm) Deck: 6 in (152 mm) sloped sides, 3 in (76 mm) flat middle (amidships) 2 1⁄2 in (64 mm) (forward & aft) Turrets: 5 1⁄2 in (140 mm) 5 in (127 mm) (hoists) Barbettes: 10 in (254 mm) Side barbettes: 2 in (51 mm) Secondary sponsons: 4 in (102 mm) Conning Tower: 7 1⁄2 in (191 mm)
General characteristics (1909)
Installed power:	12 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Armament:	4 × 8 in (203 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 breech-loading rifles (2 x 2) 10 × 5 in (127 mm)/50 caliber Mark 6 breech-loading rifles 8 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber guns 4 × 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) Driggs-Schroeder saluting guns
Armor:	Turrets: 6 1⁄2 in (165 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm)-4 in (102 mm)
General characteristics (1919)
Complement:	73 officers, 511 enlisted, 64 Marines
Armament:	4 × 8 in (203 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 breech-loading rifles (2 x 2) 8 × 5 in (127 mm)/50 caliber Mark 6 breech-loading rifles 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber anti-aircraft guns 2 × 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) Driggs-Schroeder saluting guns

USS New York (ACR-2/CA-2) was the second United States Navy armored cruiser so designated; the first was the ill-fated Maine, which was soon redesignated a second-class battleship. Due to the unusually protracted construction of Maine, New York was actually the first armored cruiser to enter U.S. Navy service. The fourth Navy ship to be named in honor of the state of New York, she was later renamed Saratoga and then Rochester. With six 8-inch guns, she was the most heavily armed cruiser in the US Navy when commissioned.

She was laid down on 19 September 1890 by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, launched on 2 December 1891, and sponsored by Miss Helen Clifford Page, the daughter of J. Seaver Page, the secretary of the Union League Club of New York.New York was commissioned 1 August 1893, Captain John Philip in command.

In 1888, during the 50th Congress, 3.5 million dollars was authorized for the construction of New York. She was designed by the Navy Department. On 28 August 1890, the contract for her construction was awarded to William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia.

New York as built had a main armament of six 8 in (203 mm)/35 caliber Mark 3 breech-loading rifles in two twin Mark 5 turrets fore and aft and two open single Mark 3 and/or Mark 4 mounts on the sides. Secondary armament was twelve 4 in (102 mm)/40 caliber rapid fire (RF) guns in sponsons along the sides, along with eight 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) Driggs-Schroeder RF guns, four 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) Driggs-Schroeder RF guns, and three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes for Howell torpedoes.