Cruiser Olympia

[fredrosse]

Went to a fundraiser to save the US Protected Cruiser Olympia, only remaining warship from the 1898 Spanish-American War. The Engine Rooms and Boiler Rooms have been off-limits to visitors for decades, but we managed to be given a tour by a staff member when we introduced ourselves as marine steam men. When we emerged from the bowels of the ship several hours later, the fundraiser was long ago concluded, and a wonderful experience was had for three salty visitors.
The Olympia is 344 feet long, 5600 tons displacement, and is driven by two triple expansion engines, each producing about 8,500 horsepower, for 17,000 horsepower total, with a top speed of 25 MPH. Compare this to the Liberty Ship engines, also triple expansion engines, at 2,500 horsepower. Engine parts bigger than we are accustomed to indeed! The picture of the connecting rod big end has a US Dollar Bill on top of the rod bolt/nut for scale.

[cyberbadger]

Video of it back in the day:
http://www.loc.gov/item/98501276/

Video of it nowdays, some nice views:
6abc.com/entertainment/video-cruiser-olympia---6abc-loves-the-arts/88197/

-CB

[steamdon-jr]

Great video CB and Fred thanks for the pics and coming to the meet at Nockamixon, see you at cabin fever if not sooner.

[S. Weaver]

Thanks, Fred. Back in the day, when it was still a veterans' Saturday afternoon hangout, I used to haunt the engineering spaces.