USS Oregon (BB-3)

USS Oregon in dry dock, 1898
History
United States
Name:	Oregon
Namesake:	State of Oregon
Ordered:	30 June 1890
Builder:	Union Iron Works
Laid down:	19 November 1891
Launched:	26 October 1893
Sponsored by:	Daisy Ainsworth
Commissioned:	15 July 1896 29 August 1911
Decommissioned:	27 April 1906 4 October 1919
Struck:	2 November 1942
Identification:	Hull symbol: BB-3
Nickname(s):	Bulldog of the navy
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 1956
General characteristics
Class and type:	Indiana-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	10,288 long tons (10,453 t) standard
Length:	350 ft 11 in (107.0 m)
Beam:	69 ft 3 in (21.1 m)
Draft:	27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power:	9,000 ihp (6.7 MW) (design) 4 double ended Scotch boilers later replaced by 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Propulsion:	Two vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines 2 shafts
Speed:	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (design)
Range:	4,900 nmi (9,100 km; 5,600 mi)
Complement:	473 officers and men
Armament:	2 × twin 13 in (330 mm)/35 caliber guns 4 × twin 8 in (203 mm)/35 caliber guns 4 × single 6 in (152 mm)/40 caliber guns removed 1908 12 × single 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber guns added 1910 20 × single 6-pounder guns 6 × single 1 pounder guns 4 × Whitehead torpedo tubes
Armor:	Harveyized steel Belt: 18–8.5 in (460–220 mm) 13" turrets: 15 in (380 mm) Hull: 5 in (130 mm) Conventional nickel-steel Tower: 10 in (250 mm) 8" turrets: 6 in (150 mm) Deck: 3 in (76 mm)

USS Oregon (BB-3) was a pre-dreadnought Indiana-class battleship of the United States Navy. Her construction was authorized on 30 June 1890, and the contract to build her was awarded to Union Iron Works of San Francisco, California on 19 November 1890. Her keel was laid exactly one year later. She was launched on 26 October 1893, sponsored by Miss Daisy Ainsworth (daughter of Oregon steamboat magnate John C. Ainsworth), delivered to the Navy on 26 June 1896, and commissioned on 15 July 1896 with Captain H.L. Howison in command. Later she was commanded by Captains Albert S. Barker and Alexander H. McCormick. Captain Charles E. Clark assumed command 17 March 1898 throughout the Spanish–American War.

Oregon served for a short time with the Pacific Squadron before being ordered on a voyage around South America to the East Coast in March 1898 in preparation for war with Spain. She departed from San Francisco on 19 March, and reached Jupiter Inlet 66 days later, a journey of 14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km; 16,000 mi). This was considered a remarkable achievement at the time. The journey popularized the ship with the American public and demonstrated the need for a shorter route, which led to construction of the Panama Canal. After completing her journey Oregon was ordered to join the blockade at Santiago as part of the North Atlantic Squadron under Rear Admiral Sampson. She took part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, where she and the cruiser Brooklyn were the only ships fast enough to chase down the Spanish cruiser Cristóbal Colón, forcing its surrender. Around this time she received the nickname "Bulldog of the Navy", most likely because of her high bow wave—known as "having a bone in her teeth" in nautical slang—and perseverance during the cruise around South America and the battle of Santiago.