Coutler -- On the Camanche -- January 20, 2023

San Francisco Call, 23-February-1897

WA Coulter did many maritime drawings for the San Francisco Call. In 1897, California's naval militia put a show for members of the legislature, in honor of George Washington's birthday. The Camanche (that's how the Navy spelled it) was a Civil War monitor with an unusual history. After being built, she was disassembled and loaded into the hold of a sailing ship, the Aquila, which carried her around the horn. Aquila sank in her berth in San Francisco. After being salvaged, Camanche was assembled and launched in late 1864. By this time, she had been turned over to California's Naval Militia. The Oregon (BB-3) was a pre-Dreadnought battleship, built at San Francisco's Union Iron Works.

ON THE CAMANCHE

The Naval Battalion Inspected

by the Legislative Committee.

The National Guard of this section of the State had its day yesterday, being inspected by the adjutant-general, A. W. Barrett, and members of the Military Committee of the Senate and House. It was expected that Governor Budd, commander-in-chief of the Guard, would have been present/with his staff, but he was not present, and the excuse for bis absence was tbat public business prevented him from coming to this City.

The day commenced with a visit to the Naval Battalion on board of the monitor Camanche, at anchor in the bay off Folsom-street Wharf. It had been arranged that there was to be an inspection of the vessel and men and then a boat race between crews of the First and Second divisions of the battalion, but the order was reversed, the race came off first and then followed the inspection.

The party that went on the Camanche was conveyed there on the tug Governor H. H. Markham, made attractive by a liberal display of bunting. Tbe vessel was placed at the disposal of tbe party.

There were in the party Adjutant-General A. W. Barrett, Assistant Adjutant-General R. L. Peeler, Senator Pedlar, chairman of the Senate Military Committee, Senator Androus, Assembly man Cross, chairman of the House Military Committee, Assemblymen Jones, Godfrey, Mahoney. Powers, McLaren and Treacy of the House Committee, Lieutenant-Colonel Burgin and Lieutenant Sanborn of the Governor's staff. Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Crocker. Captain D. A. Smith, adjutant of the Fifth Infantry, Second Brigade.

They were received on the tug by Lieutenant Dennis of the First Division, who, in tbe absence of Lieutenant-Commander Turner, commanded the battalion, and Lieutenant Elliott, adjutant of the battalion. The tug first followed the racers and. the party on board witnessed some good work by the men of the naval reserve.

When the tug was moored alongside of the iron ship the visitors were received by Lieutenant Gunn of tbe Second Division, acting executive officer of the battalion. The men of the reserve, who were mustered on deck, in their neat uniforms presented a picturesque appearance and drew from tne visitors many expressions of satisfaction.

The customary ceremonies observed on an occasion of this kind being over, the visitors were invited below, where they were shown over the berth deck and in the ward room, where refreshments were served and they were briefly addressed by Lieutenant Dennis. He explained what the naval reserve has done in the past, what it is doing and what it needs.

The party was then shown over the ship, a number of the inquisitive legislators crawling through one of the portholes into the turret to see the guns inside. They asked a great many questions and they learned a great deal. They admitted tbey saw much to admire in that branch of the service, and they were of the opinion that the water militia ought to have the State assistance it asks for.

The inspection over the party returned to the tug and was saluted by the boom of tne Hotcbkiss gun. Then by direction of Colonel Chadbourne the party was taken along the City front and out toward the heads until abreast of the Mabel Gray, tbe schooner that was dismantled by lightning. The tug rounded that vessel and returned to her berth.

When passing the Corwin, which was dressed in gala attire, that vessel fired a National salute of twenty-one guns. Some of the guileless individuals on the tug were of the opinion that the salute was in their honor, until they were reminded tbat the day was a holiday and that the salute was the one usually fired at noon in honor of the occasion.

THE BOAT-RACING.

Division I of the Naval Battalion

Captures a Flag for Fast

Rowing.

"A better, fairer or more hotly contested race was never seen in California," was the comment of Henry Peterson after the first division of the Naval Battalion hbad won the champion flag yesterday. "They rowed stroke for stroke up to the stake boat, but on the turn the first division gained a decided advantage and finally won by about five lengths."

After the race the men in Division 2's boat became the guests of the winners in the boathouse, and a merry half-hour was spent.

Last year the crew of the Second Division won the race, and on this occasion the First Division determined to win back the flag presented by Irving M. Scott for annual competition. It has to be won three times in succession and then becomes the property of the division that proves victorious. Yesterday R. Shualler, W. Giesler, F. J. Murphy, P. Murray, J. Meyers and George Green, with J. T. Healey as cockswain, upheld the honors of the First Division, while T. P. Shroeder and Messrs. Undgen, Olsen, Hansen, Johnson and Halleday, with T. Rowe as cockswain, fought out tbe battle on behalf of the Second Division. Henry Peterson was the referee, Lieutenant Calden was judge for the First Division, Lieutenant A. H. Elliot for the Second Division and S. J. Pembroke was timekeeper.

The course was from the Camanche to a buoy anchored off Mission Rock and return, a distance of about three miles. Considering that the men covered the distance in 20 minutes and 26 seconds, there is some truth in the remark made by Henry Peterson, "The best time ever made by green amateurs, in a ship's boat, in the world."

The start was a perfect one. Neither gained a foot during the first mile and a half, and when the stakeboats were reached it was anybody's race. It was then that Howe carried his boat wide, and Healey, who is an excellent cockswain, made his men slow down, and making a short turn gained at least six lengths on Division 2. With all that distance to make up, the boys never lost heart, and set out on a stern chase. They made up two boats-lengths, but the strain told on them, and during the last quarter of a mile they fell back a length.

The boys of Division 1 earned their victory. They were all out at the finish, and not one of them could have rowed another half-mile. Murphy was bleeding at the nose, and his rowing shirt and arms were covered with his blood; but just the same he stuck to bis work and stayed by his oar until the boat was alongside the monitor. When passing the Oregon and the bark Las Adelphes the men were heartily cheered, and when opposite the schooner on which Schnalier of the battalion had a party of friends the winners received an ovation. It was a perfect day for the races, and it was rowed at slack water and with little or no wind.

"Little Jack," whose clever maneuvering really won the race for Division 1, was afterward carried down below to the berthdeck by his delighted crew.

Then followed several races from the battle-ship. The course was from the Oregon, around the Camanche and back. The big cutter 13 was beaten by barge 32. It was nip and tuck with them until they got into the backwash from the sternwheeler A. C. Freese. Then the cutter lost headway and 32 finally won by four lengths.

In the next race No. 32 was pitted against cutter 41, and this time 32 turned the tables and won cleverly by two lengths.

The third and last race of the day was between dingeys 14 and 24, the former winning by three lengths.

Harrison, Folsom and Howard street wharves were crowded with spectators, all of whom enjoyed the spectacle. The British and American ships were covered with bunting, and it was one of the gayest spectacles seen on the bay in many a day. In point of decorations the Occidental and Oriental Company's Doric easily took the palm, and next came the battle-ship Oregon. The American fleet in port showed more flags and made a better appearance than they have in years.

Coulter -- The Comanche on Duty -- March 23, 2021

 

San Francisco Call, 15-March-1896

WA Coulter did many maritime drawings for the San Francisco Call. The Camanche (that's how the Navy spelled it) was a Civil War monitor with an unusual history. After being built, she was disassembled and loaded into the hold of a sailing ship, the Aquila, which carried her around the horn. Aquila sank in her berth in San Francisco. After being salvaged, Camanche was assembled and launched in late 1864. Here we see her turned over to California's Naval Militia. The USS Monadnock and Monterey were New Navy monitors, commissioned in The 1890s. Both sailed across the Pacific during the Spanish-American War. The USS Independence, commissioned in 1814, was a razeed frigate which served as a receiving ship at Mare Island.

THE COMANCHE ON DUTY

She Was Successfully Towed

Down From Mare Island

Yesterday.

HER TWO SAWED-OFF GUNS.

First Day's Work of Her Crew— A

Public Reception to Be Given

on Board.

Lieutenant-Commander Louis H. Turner, United States Naval Reserve, hoisted his pennant aboard of the monitor Comanche at Mare Island yesterday and the old ironclad, after thirty years of idleness, went into commission. There was none of the usual formalities. The colors went up and the vessel passed quietly under the control of the State of California. Early yesterday morning Captain Turner, Lieutenant Gunn and Lieutenant Dennis, with a detachment of the battalion, in the harbor tug Markham, which had been detailed for that duty, proceeded to the navy-yard, where they found the Comanche ready for her departure. The Markham hooked on, the shorelines were cast off and the trip began.

" The monitor was a little rusty from her long sleep, and the rudder-chains raised creakingly through their sheaves, but she swung around to her helm, and the water rippled along her sides as she went out into the stream. Captain H. N. Turner, the father of Lieutenant-Commander Turner took the wheel, with two seamen, to overcome whatever tendencies the Comanche might have to ram tbe Independence as she passed down the straits. All the steam whistles of the yard blew the monitor a "good- by," and her old mooring place was vacant.

Out on San Pablo Bay the tide, beginning its ebb, helped the tow, and the great mass was dragged along at a good speed. The Monadnock went by about a mill to starboard dipping her ensign in a sisterly salute. During all the way down Captain Turner, with his entire crew, worked industriously getting his mooring ready. They consist of a large float weighing several tons and a ponderous 23,000 pound sinker, which will hold the monitor against the southeaster and fierce tides of San Francisco Bay.

Notwithstanding her age the Comanche proves how well the Navy Department takes care of its vessels. The engines are as bright and clean as if they had been placed in the hull yesterday, and the roomy apartments below show where fresh paint and the scrubbing-brush have been used.

A machinist and fireman have been stationed in the monitor during her long rest at the yard, and every day the boilers, engine-room, turret and turret-chamber and the guns have been examined. The engine has been turned over, the turret revolved, the battery run out and in. Three men enlisted at Mare Island for special service will remain aboard and continue to care for the vessel and her machinery. They will also exercise diligence in guarding against fire, for which an alarm will be given by the rapid ringing of the ship's bell and the closing of the ports and hatches to prevent any draft of the flames. The steering wheel of the Comanche is on top of the turret, where is also located the iron conning-tower for the accommodation of the helmsman when shot and shell are whistling painfully near him. The turret itself holds the two big, old-fashioned smooth-bore 15-inch guns that were considered dangerous a quarter of a century ago. Their muzzles, when run out look through two narrow slots at the world around them.

The guns do not protrude through the wall of the turret as in the Monterey and Monadnock, but fit snugly against the port to fill up the aperture, thus preventing the smoke of the discharge from blowing back into the turret and suffocating the gunners. The pieces have the appearance of being sawed off like an express messenger's shotgun. The guns are moved and the turret revolved by compressors and levers from within the structure. It sweeps around on a central pivot carrying the two great guns easily ana smoothly in an entire circle at the will of the operator.

The vessel has much more deck room than the Monterey or Monadnock, being more convenient to the crew as an open drilling place. She is fitted with the four handsome black boats belonging to the battalion, besides the fine, swift steam launch received a few days ago from the navy-yard.

Besides the heavy mooring, float and sinker she is provided with a mushroom shaped anchor, which is drawn up through a well in the hull, near the stem, when the Monitor is under way. It is never visible when the vessel is afloat and its existence is only known by its weight on the cable.

The only thing in poor repair is the deck, which is rotten as punk, but as the planking is laid upon an iron deck there is no danger of tbe naval reserve going down below through the seams. An effort has been made to protect the deck by a thick coat of tar covered with sawdust, which gives the big platform a sort of prize-ring appearance.

Captain Turner and his officers and crew took charge of the ironclad like old men-of-war's men. The young fellows worked faithfully and cheerfully all day at the difficult labor of getting the cumbersome moorings ready, proving that the State's Naval Battalion has the right stuff in it and would make a good showing should they be called upon to fight their craft against a hostile ship.

Lieutenant-Commander • Turner is a master mariner, a practical seaman, and is enthusiastic in his efforts jto bring the re serve up to a high standard of proficiency, consequently, he is pleased that the naval militia has a drill snip, even if her battery and herself is of a past day.

At the entrance to San Francisco Bay the Comanche was joined by her new steam launch, having on board Colonel James, the inspector of the battalion, and Lieutenant Elliot, who brought a fresh crew to assist those aboard the monitor.

Arriving off Harrison street about 7 o'clock in the evening the vessel was moored in the berth. assigned her, the stay-lamp lighted and she was left in charge of the ship-keeper, Cockswain John Lund. To Captain Petzinger of the tug Markham, who managed his unwieldy tow so skillfully, much credit for the success of the undertaking is due.

As the battalion is desirous of making some small immediate repairs on its vessel and if possible put a new deck in her, they intend soon to give a Sunday reception on board to raise funds for that purpose. As the Comanche, though an old type monitor, is in good condition and well worth a visit, the plan of the young men will doubtless meet the approval of the public. The admirer of naval progress will then note the gap of thirty years between the Comanche and the Monterey.

Fish Commisioners' Steamer Albatross -- July 5, 2019

San Francisco Call, 08-May-1896

This drawing is from the 08-May-1896 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper.

The United States Fish Commissioners' steamer Albatross is preparing for another cruise in the Bering Sea.  She will be gone some time, and beds that were not fully examined last year will be thoroughly explored this season. The Albatross made a pretty picture yesterday as she lay in the stream. As she was sketched yesterday a scow-schooner was approaching her with a load of coal, as was one of the steamer's boats.  In the distance was the monitor Comanche, and away in the distance a small schooner.