Cruiser OLYMPIA
Cruiser OLYMPIA Length: 344 feet Beam: 53 feet Displacement: 5,870 tons Crew: 33 Officers, 396 enlisted men Top Speed: 22 knots (25mph) Coal Consumption at Top Speed: 633 lbs./minute History and Significance Launched in 1892, Cruiser Olympia (C-6) is the oldest steel warship afloat in the world and is one of only two ships left from World War I (the other being Battleship Texas). The ship was placed into commission by the United States Navy for the first time in February 1895 as a state-of-the-art man of war. In the years since she continues to serve her country as a monument to American genius and ingenuity but also as a public memorial to those who gave their lives in service to their country. Cruiser Olympia rose to fame as Commodore (later Admiral) George Dewey’s flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. This battle not only marked the beginning of the Spanish-American War, but also positioned America’s Navy as a world power. Fittingly, her final act of service was t...