View source for USS Bennington (PG-4)

{{Short description|Former United States warship}}
{{Other ships|USS Bennington}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:USS-Bennington-1890.jpg|300px|USS ''Bennington'']]
|Ship caption=The ''Bennington'', photographed circa 1898 by [[William&nbsp;H.&nbsp;Rau]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country= United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1905}}
|Ship name=USS ''Bennington'' (PG-4)
|Ship namesake=[[Bennington, Vermont]], site of the [[Battle of Bennington]]
|Ship awarded=15 November 1887<ref name=USN-AR1902-616>''Annual reports of the Navy Department'', pp. 616–17.</ref>
|Ship builder=*[[N. F. Palmer & Co.]]
* [[Hull (ship)|Hull]]: [[Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works|Delaware River Shipbuilding]]
|Ship original cost=$490,000<ref name=USN-AR1902-616 />
|Ship laid down=June 1888<ref name=Roberts-155>Bauer and Roberts, p. 155.</ref>
|Ship launched=3 June 1890<ref name=Roberts-155 />
|Ship completed=
|Ship commissioned=20 June 1891
|Ship decommissioned=5 September 1901
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship recommissioned=2 March 1903
|Ship decommissioned=31 October 1905
|Ship struck=10 September 1910
|Ship fate=Scuttled off [[Oahu]], 1924
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass|Yorktown|gunboat|1}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1710|LT|MT}}<ref name=Silverstone>Silverstone, p. 67.</ref>
* {{convert|1910|LT|MT}} (fully loaded)
|Ship length=*{{convert|244|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}} ([[Length overall|oa]])<ref name=Silverstone />
* {{convert|230|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} ([[length at the waterline|wl]])<ref name=Silverstone />
* {{convert|226|ft|m|0}} ([[length between perpendiculars|lpp]])<ref name=NYT-launch />
|Ship beam={{convert|36|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=Silverstone />
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|14|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=Silverstone />
|Ship depth=
|Ship propulsion=*2 × horizontally mounted [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s,<ref name=Silverstone /> {{convert|3400|ihp|abbr=on}}<ref name="Roberts-155"/>
* 2 × [[screw propeller]]s
* 4 × railroad boilers
|Ship sail plan=[[schooner rig|three-masted schooner rig]] with a total sail area of {{convert|6300|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<ref name=NYT-launch />
|Ship speed={{convert|17.5|knots|km/h}}<ref name=Silverstone />
|Ship endurance={{endurance|df=yes|4262|nmi|km|10|knots|km/h}}<ref name=USN-AR1902-614>''Annual reports of the Navy Department'', pp. 614–15.</ref>
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=197 officers and enlisted
|Ship armament=*1902:<ref name=USN-AR1902-547>''Annual reports of the Navy Department'', p. 547.</ref>
* 6 × [[6"/30 caliber gun|{{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}}/30]] [[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] Mark 3 guns
* 4 × [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss#American service|6-pounder]] ({{convert|57|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}) guns
* 4 × [[QF 1 pounder pom-pom|1-pounder]] ({{convert|37|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}) guns
* 2 × {{convert|.45|in|mm|abbr=on}} [[Gatling gun]]s
|Ship armor=*deck: {{convert|0.375|in|mm|1}}<ref name=Silverstone />
* [[conning tower]]: {{convert|2|in|mm}}<ref name=Roberts-155 />
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''USS ''Bennington'' (Gunboat No. 4/PG-43)''' was a member of the {{sclass|Yorktown|gunboat|4}} of steel-hulled, twin-screw [[gunboat]]s in the [[United States Navy]] in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the first U.S. Navy ship named in honor of the town of [[Bennington, Vermont]], site of the [[Battle of Bennington]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]].

The contract to build ''Bennington'' was awarded to [[N. F. Palmer & Co.]] of [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] in November 1887. Her [[hull (ship)|hull]] was subcontracted to the [[Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works]] which [[keel laying|laid down]] ''Bennington''{{'}}s keel in June 1888. ''Bennington'' was [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed in June 1890. She was just over {{convert|244|ft|m}} long and {{convert|36|ft|m}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]] and [[displace (ship)|displace]]d {{convert|1710|LT|MT}}. She was equipped with two [[steam engine]]s which were supplemented with three [[schooner rig|schooner-rigged]] [[mast (ship)|mast]]s. The ship's main [[artillery battery|battery]] consisted of six {{convert|6|in|cm|1|adj=on}} guns and was augmented by an assortment of smaller caliber guns.

After her June 1891 [[commission (ship)|commission]]ing, ''Bennington'' was attached to the [[Squadron of Evolution]] and for its cruise to South America. The gunboat made two [[Mediterranean]] tours between 1892 and 1894, after which she was assigned to the duties in the Pacific. She sailed the Pacific coasts of North and Central America and spent time in the [[Hawaiian Islands]] to protect American interests there. On her way to support [[United States Army]] operations of the [[Philippine–American War]], ''Bennington'' claimed [[Wake Island]] for the United States. After two years in the [[Philippines]], she returned to the United States and was [[decommission (ship)|decommission]]ed for 18&nbsp;months of repairs and refitting. After her March 1903 recommissioning, most of the next two years were spent patrolling the Pacific coasts of North and South America.

On 21 July 1905 at [[San Diego]], California, ''Bennington'' suffered a [[boiler explosion]], that killed 66&nbsp;men and injured nearly everyone else on board. Shortly after the explosion, a [[tug]] beached the ship to prevent her from sinking. Eleven men were awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for "extraordinary heroism" in the aftermath of the explosion. After ''Bennington'' was refloated, the damage was deemed too extensive to repair and the ship was decommissioned in September. The ship was sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1910, but instead served as a water barge for the [[Matson Line]] at [[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]] from 1912. In 1924, the former ''Bennington'' was [[scuttling|scuttled]] off the coast of [[Oahu]].

== Design and construction ==
The ''Yorktown'' class gunboats – unofficially considered third-class cruisers – were the product of a [[United States Navy]] design attempt to produce compact ships with good seakeeping abilities and, yet, able to carry a heavy [[artillery battery|battery]]. ''Bennington'' was authorized in the 1888 fiscal year, and the contract for her construction was awarded to [[N. F. Palmer & Co.]] of [[Chester, Pennsylvania]]. The [[hull (ship)|hull]] for ''Bennington'' was subcontracted to the [[Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works]] and built to the Navy's [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]] design. The mechanical design was patterned after the layout for her older [[sister ship]] {{USS|Yorktown|PG-1|2}} developed by [[William Cramp & Sons]].<ref name=Roberts-155 />

''Bennington''{{'}}s [[keel laying|keel was laid down]] in June 1888,<ref>{{csr|register=MSI|id=6100063|shipname=Bennington |access-date=20 April 2009 }}</ref> and the ship was [[launch (ship)|launch]]ed on 3 June 1890, sponsored by Anne Aston,<ref name=DANFS-Bennington>{{cite DANFS | last = Mann | first = Raymond A. | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/b/bennington-i.html | title = Bennington | date = 8 February 2006 | access-date = 18 March 2015}}</ref> the daughter of Rear Admiral [[Ralph Aston]], Chief Engineer of the U.S. Navy.<ref name=NYT-Benn-launch>{{cite news | title = A new gunboat launched | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1890/06/04/103246453.pdf | work = The New York Times | date = 4 June 1890 | access-date = 21 April 2009 | page = 4 }}</ref><ref name=Benham-23>Benham, p. 23.</ref>

=== Layout ===
As built, ''Bennington'' was {{convert|244|ft|5|in|m}} in [[length overall|length]] and {{convert|36|ft|m|0}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]]. Her steel hull had an average [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|14|ft|m|0}},<ref name=Silverstone /> which was expected to give her the ability to escape from larger ships into shallow water.<ref name=NYT-launch /> At the waterline was a turtleback deck of {{convert|3/8|in|adj=on}} steel that formed a watertight seal over the lower spaces. The deck had a crown at the level of the waterline and curved downwards to {{convert|3|ft|m|1}} below the waterline at the sides of the ship. Below this armored deck were twelve compartments separated by watertight [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s; the spaces above were equipped with watertight doors intended to be closed during battle.<ref name=NYT-launch />

Above the armored deck, ''Bennington'' had [[forecastle]] and [[poop deck|poop]] decks with an open [[gun deck]] that spanned the length of the ship between them. The [[conning tower]] was located forward on the forecastle deck and was oval-shaped to deflect shot. It was outfitted with a steam-powered [[Ship's wheel]], an [[engine order telegraph]], and speaking tubes; it was protected by {{convert|2|in|mm}} of steel armor plate.<ref name=NYT-launch />

=== Propulsion ===
''Bennington'' was powered by two [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s which each drove one of the pair of {{convert|10.5|ft|m|adj=on}}, three-bladed [[screw propeller]]s. The cylinders of each engine were 22, 31, and 51&nbsp;inches (56, 79, and 130&nbsp;cm) in diameter and had a {{convert|30|in|cm|adj=on}} [[stroke (engine)|stroke]].<ref name=NYT-launch /> Each engine was rated at {{convert|3400|ihp}} and together were designed to move the ship at {{convert|16|knots|km/h}},<ref name=NYT-launch /> though the ship exceeded that in her trials, topping out at {{convert|17.5|knots|km/h}}.<ref name=Roberts-155 />

The engines, situated in separate watertight compartments, were each fed by a pair of coal-fired boilers. Each boiler was horizontally mounted and was {{convert|9|ft|6|in|m}} in diameter and {{convert|17|ft|6|in|m}} in length with a total grate area of {{convert|220|sqin|cm2}}. ''Bennington''{{'}}s coal bunkers could carry up to {{convert|400|LT|t}} of fuel, and were shielded from "shot and shell". At a near top-speed of 16 knots, the ship could cover {{convert|2800|nmi|km}} in {{frac|6|1|2}} days; at the more economical speed of {{convert|8|knots|km/h}} she could cruise {{convert|12000|nmi|km}} over 62 days.<ref name=NYT-launch />

To supplement her steam power plant, ''Bennington'' was built with three [[mast (ship)|mast]]s that were [[schooner rig|schooner-rigged]]. She had a total [[sail area]] of {{convert|6300|sqft|m2}}. The steam and sail combination was expected to allow ''Bennington'' to remain at sea for months at a time during wartime.<ref name=NYT-launch>{{cite news | title = The cruisers launched | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1888/04/29/100940226.pdf | work = The New York Times | date = 29 April 1888 | access-date = 19 April 2009 | page = 1 }}</ref>

=== Armament ===
''Bennington''{{'}}s main battery consisted of six [[6"/30 caliber gun|{{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}}/30]] caliber Mark 3 guns,<!-- number, size --><ref name=DANFS-Bennington /><ref name=NavWeaps-6in>{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = United States of America: 6"/30, 6"/35 and 6"/40 (15.2&nbsp;cm) Marks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_6-30_mk1.htm | work = Naval Weapons of the World | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 25 December 2008 | access-date = 16 April 2009 }}</ref><!-- calibers --><ref group=Note>The ''30'' denotes the length of the gun barrels; in this case, the gun is 30&nbsp;[[calibers#Caliber as measurement of length|calibers]], meaning that the gun is 30&nbsp;times long as the diameter of its bore.</ref> with each gun weighing in excess of {{convert|11000|lbs|kg}}.<ref name=NavWeaps-6in /> Two were mounted on the forecastle deck, two on the poop deck, and the other pair amidships on the gun deck. The two guns on the gun deck were mounted {{convert|10|ft|m}} above the waterline, while the other four were {{convert|18|ft|m}} above.<ref name=NYT-launch /> The guns fired {{convert|105|lbs|kg|adj=on}} [[armor-piercing shot and shell|armor-piercing]] [[projectile]]s with a [[propellant]] charge weighing {{convert|18.8|lbs|kg}} at {{convert|1950|ft/s|m/s}}. At an [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] of 30.2°, the guns had a range of {{convert|18000|yards|m}}.<ref name=NavWeaps-6in /> Each gun was shielded with steel plating {{convert|3|in|mm}} thick.<ref name=NYT-launch />

''Bennington''{{'}}s secondary battery consisted of four [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss#American service|6-pounder]] ({{convert|57|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}) guns, and four [[QF 1 pounder pom-pom|1-pounder]] ({{convert|37|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}) guns.<ref name=Silverstone /> Both were based on designs of the French arms company [[Hotchkiss et Cie|Hotchkiss]].<ref name=NYT-launch /> According to a 1902 [[Bureau of Ordnance]] publication, an armor-piercing round fired from a 6-pounder gun could penetrate {{convert|2|in|mm}} of armor at a distance of {{convert|1000|yards|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=NavWeaps-6pdr>{{cite web | last = DiGiulian | first = Tony | title = United States of America: 6-pdr (2.72&nbsp;kg) [2.244" (57 mm)] Marks 1 through 13 | url = http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_6pounder_m1.htm | work = Naval Weapons of the World | publisher = Navweaps.com | date = 6 April 2008 | access-date = 16 April 2009 }}</ref>

== Early career ==
USS ''Bennington'' (Gunboat No. 4) was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] at the [[New York Navy Yard]] on 20 June 1891 under the command of [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] Royal B. Bradford. As one of the first steel-hulled gunboats of the "[[New Navy]]", ''Bennington'' was assigned to the [[Squadron of Evolution]], a unit made up entirely of "New Navy" ships that was established to test and perfect tactics and doctrine developed at the [[Naval War College]]. In addition to operating as the first tactical fleet of the U.S. Navy, the squadron performed the secondary mission of cruising to foreign ports to demonstrate to the world the types of modern ships the United States was capable of building. In that latter role, ''Bennington'' and the rest of the squadron departed [[New York City|New York]] on 19 November 1891 for the unit's cruise to Brazil.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /><ref name=DANFS-Benn-OLD>{{cite DANFS | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b5/bennington-i.htm | title = Bennington | access-date = 10 April 2003 }}<!-- this is the old version of the online version of DANFS --><!-- copy may also be found at: http://hazegray.org/danfs/patrol/pg4.htm --></ref>

On 5 May 1892, ''Bennington'' was transferred to the [[South Atlantic Squadron]] and cruised South American waters until 19 July. Setting out from [[Salvador, Bahia|Bahia]], Brazil, the gunboat visited Spanish and Italian ports during the 400th&nbsp;anniversary celebration of Columbus' voyage to the western hemisphere. She concluded the European portion of those festivities on 18 February 1893 when she departed [[Cadiz]], with a replica of Columbus's [[caravel]] ''[[Pinta (ship)|Pinta]]'' in tow for [[Cuba]]. After stops in the [[Canary Islands]], the [[Netherlands West Indies]], and [[Havana]], the gunboat arrived back in the United States at [[Hampton Roads, Virginia]], on 26 March.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

Following participation in the 1893 [[International Naval Review]] at Hampton Roads, ''Bennington'' moved north for operations along the coast of [[New England]] before beginning preparations for foreign service. To this end, she entered the New York Navy Yard on 24 May and remained there until 6 August. The ship departed New York on the 6th and arrived in [[Lisbon]] on the 18th. She cruised the [[Mediterranean]], visiting various ports along its shores, for the next six months. In February 1894, orders arrived sending her to the Pacific. On the 18th, the gunboat transited the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] and headed back across the Atlantic. After steaming around [[Cape Horn]] and stopping at several Latin American ports, the warship finally arrived at the [[Mare Island Navy Yard]] on 30 April.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

== Pacific Duty ==
''Bennington'' served in the Pacific for a little more than four years. For the most part, her duty consisted of cruising along the west coast protecting American interests in Latin America during the numerous political upheavals that occurred at that time in Central and South America. In addition, she made two extended cruises to the [[Hawaiian Islands]]. The first came after a group of pro-royalists attempted in January 1895 to [[Wilcox rebellions#1895 Counter-Revolution in Hawaii|stage a countercoup]] against the provisional government of the islands. ''Bennington'' departed Mare Island on 28 May, arrived at Honolulu on 5 June, and spent the next nine months protecting American interests in the islands. On 5 March 1896, she departed [[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]], bound for [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] where she arrived on 16 March. The following day, the warship entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for five months of repairs.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

On 8 August, she resumed cruises along the west coast. That employment lasted a year and a week. On 14 August 1897, Bennington headed back to Hawaii. She arrived in [[Lahaina|Lahaina Roads]] on 27 September and reached Honolulu on the 30th. Except for a six-day cruise back to Lahaina in March 1898, the gunboat remained at Honolulu for just over nine months.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

At the outbreak of the [[Spanish–American War]], ''Bennington'' was in Hawaiian waters. After spending the first two months of the war in the Hawaiian Islands, she departed Honolulu on 16 June and steamed to the west coast of the United States. The warship arrived in San Francisco on 26 June and patrolled the California coast for the remainder of hostilities.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> On 18 September, ''Bennington'' stood out of San Francisco on her way ultimately to the [[Philippines]]. She arrived in Hawaii on 27 September and devoted a little over three months to operations in nearby waters. On 7 January 1899, she resumed her voyage west. Ten days out of Honolulu, she stopped at [[Wake Island]].<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> There [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Edward D. Taussig]], ''Bennington''{{'}}s commander, under direct orders from [[President of the United States|President]] [[William McKinley]] claimed the [[atoll]] for the United States, despite protests from Germany (which considered the island group a part of its claim of the [[Marshall Islands]]). Wake eventually became an important link in the Honolulu–Manila trans-Pacific [[submarine communications cable|cable]].<ref>Dyal, pp. 39, 342.</ref> ''Bennington'' later made a stop at [[Apra Harbor|San Luis d'Apra]], [[Guam]], from 23 January to 15 February where [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] (later [[Rear Admiral]]) [[Edward D. Taussig|Taussig]] accepted the relinquishment of [[Guam]] from her Spanish colonial governor.  [[Edward D. Taussig|Taussig]] briefly served as the first naval governor of [[Guam]] and established a native ruling council, before continuing on to [[Manila]] where ''Bennington'' arrived on 22 February.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

== Philippine–American War ==
For a little more than two years after her February 1899 arrival, ''Bennington'' served in the Philippine Islands in support of the Army's campaigns during the [[Philippine–American War]]. For the most part, her service in the islands consisted of patrol and escort duty – preventing rebel movement and stopping the importation of arms, as well as seeing American troops and supplies safely between the islands. Occasionally, ''Bennington'' did see action. On 10 September, she shelled a fort near [[Legazpi, Albay|Legaspi]] on the southeastern coast of [[Luzon]]. Two days later, she captured and destroyed the insurgent vessel ''Parao''. Between 7 and 9 November, the warship supported an Army landing at [[San Fabian, Pangasinan|San Fabian]] on the shores of [[Lingayen Gulf]] in northwestern Luzon. The gunboat began a four-month assignment as station ship at [[Cebu (city)|Cebu]] on 26 November and concluded that duty on 19 March 1900.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

After visiting [[Cavite (city)|Cavite]] on Luzon, the gunboat headed for Japan on 3 April and underwent repairs there from 9 April to 19 May before heading back to the Philippines. The warship arrived at Cavite on 27 May and resumed patrols on 3 June. She spent another seven months conducting patrols in the Philippines and supporting the Army's operations in the island chain. On 3 January 1901, she departed Cavite and shaped a course for [[Hong Kong]]. The gunboat arrived in that British colony on the 6th and began over six months of repairs. At the completion of that work, she departed Hong Kong on 25 June. After a visit to [[Shanghai]], the warship headed back to the United States in July and arrived at the Mare Island Navy Yard on 19 August. She was decommissioned there on 5 September 1901.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

While she was out of commission at Mare Island, ''Bennington'' was refitted. A pilothouse that had been added on top of her bridge and a spotlight platform on her bow – both added in 1893–94 – were removed. ''Bennington''{{'}}s [[mainmast]] was also removed, leaving her as a two-mast rig. In addition, two tall ventilation cowls were added immediately behind the bridge.<ref name=NHC-Benn-photos-refit>{{cite web | title = USS ''Bennington'' (Gunboat # 4) following her 1901–1903 refit | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/pg4-c.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 4 March 2005 | access-date = 21 April 2009 }}</ref> After 18&nbsp;months of inactivity, ''Bennington'' was recommissioned on 2 March 1903 under the command of Commander [[Chauncey Thomas]].<ref name=DANFS-Bennington />

Over the next 27 months, ''Bennington'' cruised in the eastern Pacific along the coasts of North and South America. The warship visited Alaskan ports in the summer of 1903 and the coast of Central America the following fall and winter. In May 1904, she steamed to Hawaii and then proceeded to the Aleutians in June. The winter of 1904 and 1905 saw her voyage south for visits to Pacific ports in Central and South America.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> In February 1905, she departed San Francisco for a two-month cruise to the Hawaiian Islands, returning to San Diego on 19 July,<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> after a difficult 17-day voyage.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl>{{cite web | title = Boiler Explosion on USS ''Bennington'', 21 July 1905 | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/ev-1900s/ev-1905/bengtn.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images: Events | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 4 March 2005 | access-date = 21 April 2009 }}</ref>

== Boiler explosion ==
[[File:USS Bennington (PG-4) at San Diego, California (USA), sunk by boiler explosion in July 1905 (NH 100929).jpg|thumb|upright|Removing the dead from the ship, following her boiler explosion]]

On the morning of 21 July 1905, ''Bennington''{{'}}s crew was preparing her to sail to the aid of the monitor {{USS|Wyoming|BM-10|2}} which had broken down and was in need of a tow.<ref name="Linder2526">Linder, pp. 25–26.</ref> After her crew had finished the difficult task of coaling the ship that morning, most of them were belowdecks cleaning themselves from the dirty job. Unbeknownst to anyone on board, three problems with one of ''Bennington''{{'}}s boilers – oily feed water, an improperly closed steam valve, and a faulty steam gauge – were conspiring against them. At about 10:30, excessive steam pressure in the boiler resulted in a [[boiler explosion]] that rocked the ship, sending men and equipment flying into the air. The escaping steam sprayed through the living compartments and decks. The explosion opened ''Bennington''{{'}}s hull to the sea, and she began to list to starboard.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /> Quick actions by the tug ''Santa Fe'' – taking ''Bennington'' under tow and beaching her – almost certainly saved the gunboat from sinking.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /><ref name="Linder2526"/>

The combination of the explosion and the scalding steam killed a number of men outright and left others mortally wounded;<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /> the final death toll was one officer and sixty-five men,<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> making it one of the U.S. Navy's worst peacetime disasters.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /> Nearly all of the forty-six who survived had an injury of some sort;<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> eleven of the survivors were awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for "extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion".<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /> One of the survivors was [[John Henry Turpin]], an [[African-American]] who had also survived the explosion of {{USS|Maine|ACR-1|2}} in Havana in February 1898 and was, reportedly, the only man to survive both explosions.<ref name=NHC-Turpin>{{cite web | title = John Henry ("Dick") Turpin, Chief Gunner's Mate, USN. (1876–1962) | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-t/j-turpin.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images: People | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 27 February 2005 | access-date = 21 April 2009 }}</ref> The sheer number of casualties – the death toll exceeded the U.S. Navy's death toll for the entirety of the Spanish–American War – overwhelmed San Diego's medical facilities, and many burn victims had to be cared for in makeshift facilities tended by volunteers.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /><ref name="Linder2526"/>

The number of dead also taxed the morticians in San Diego, who were hard-pressed to prepare all of the victims for burial. On 23 July, two days after the explosion, the majority of those killed were buried in the [[Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery|cemetery]] at [[Fort Rosecrans]].<ref name="Cornerstone124">{{cite book|title=San Diego: California's Cornerstone|author=Engstrand, Iris|page=124|publisher=[[Sunbelt Publications]]|date=2005|isbn=978-0-932653-72-7}}</ref><ref name="Pourade69">Pourade (1965), p. 69</ref> The victims are commemorated by the [[USS Bennington Monument|USS ''Bennington'' Monument]], a {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} granite [[obelisk]] dedicated in the cemetery on 7 January 1908.<ref name="Linder2526"/><ref name=NHC-Benn-monu>{{cite web | title = USS ''Bennington'' Monument, San Diego, California | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/ev-1900s/ev-1905/bengtn-8.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images: Events | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 4 March 2005 | access-date = 21 April 2009 }}</ref>

In spite of rumors of misconduct by ''Bennington''{{'}}s engineering crewmen, an official investigation concluded that the explosion was not due to negligence on the part of the crew.<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl />

[[File:Bennington 1905-0723.jpg|thumb|center|700px|Sectional view of the gunboat Bennington – Boston Daily Globe, 23 July 1905]]

=== List of Medal of Honor recipients from explosion ===
[[File:USS Bennington Monument at Fort Rosecrans, California (USA), circa in 1922 (NH 102774-KN).jpg|thumb|right|The USS ''Bennington'' Monument in San Diego commemorates the 66 killed in the 21 July 1905 [[boiler explosion]].]]
The eleven men who were awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for "extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion" were:<ref name=NHC-Benn-expl /><ref name=Benn-MOH>{{cite web | title = Interim Awards, 1901–1911 | url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/inter1901-11.html | work = Medal of Honor Recipients | publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History | date = 27 January 2009 | access-date = 21 April 2009 | archive-date = 14 January 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100114031841/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/inter1901-11.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>
* [[Edward William Boers]], Seaman
* [[George F. Brock]], Carpenter's Mate Second Class
* [[Raymond E. Davis]], Quartermaster Third Class
* [[John J. Clausey]], Chief Gunner's Mate  (retired as a Lieutenant (O-3) after World War I)
* [[Willie Cronan]], Boatswain's Mate (retired as Lieutenant Commander (O-4) after World War II)
* [[Emil Fredericksen]], Watertender
* [[Rade Grbitch]], Seaman
* [[Frank E. Hill (U.S. Navy)|Frank E. Hill]], Ship's Cook First Class
* [[Oscar Frederick Nelson]], Machinist's Mate First Class
* [[Otto Diller Schmidt]], Seaman
* [[William Sidney Shacklette]], Hospital Steward

Also aboard was [[John Henry Turpin]], an [[African-American]] sailor who was aboard the [[USS Maine (ACR-1)|USS ''Maine'']] when she exploded in [[Havana]] harbor in 1898 and would go on to become one of the first African-American [[Chief Petty Officer]]s in the U.S. Navy.

== Disposition ==
After the explosion, ''Bennington'' was refloated and towed to the Mare Island Navy Yard.<ref name="Pourade69"/> Because of the extent of the damage and the age of the ship, ''Bennington'' was not repaired but was instead [[decommission (ship)|decommission]]ed on 31 October 1905. After five years of inactivity, ''Bennington'' was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 10 September 1910 and sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] on 14 November.<ref name=DANFS-Bennington /> ''Bennington'' was not scrapped but was purchased in 1913 by the [[Matson Line]] for use as a molasses barge.{{sfn|Pacific Marine Review (November 1917)|p=67}} She was towed to Honolulu and remained in use there from 1913 until 1924, when she was [[scuttling|scuttled]] off [[Oahu]].<ref name=Roberts-155 /><ref name=NHC-Benn-photos>{{cite web | title = USS ''Bennington'' (Gunboat # 4), 1891–1910 | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/pg4.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 4 March 2005 | access-date = 21 April 2009 }}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DANFS}}<!-- link omitted because of citation above; sufficient text from DANFS is still included to justify this notice, even though the material is cited above. -->

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Bauer | first1 = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer | last2 = Roberts | first2 = Stephen S. | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants | location = New York | publisher = [[Greenwood Press]] | year = 1991 | isbn = 978-0-313-26202-9 | oclc = 24010356 }}
* {{cite book | last = Benham | first = Edith Wallace | title = Ships of the United States Navy and Their Sponsors, 1797–1913
| location = [[Norwood, Massachusetts]] | publisher = Privately Printed | year = 1913 | oclc = 7397146 }}
* {{cite book | last = Dyal | first = Donald H. | title = Historical Dictionary of the Spanish American War | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]] | publisher = [[Greenwood Press]] | year = 1996 | isbn = 978-0-313-28852-4 | oclc = 32854963 }}
* {{cite book | last = Linder | first = Bruce | title = San Diego's Navy | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]] | year = 2001| isbn = 1-55750-531-4}}
* {{cite journal |last=Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast |year=1917 |title=Captain William Matson |journal=Pacific Marine Review |volume=14 |issue=November 1917 |location=San Francisco |publisher=J.S. Hines |url=https://archive.org/stream/pacificmarinerev1417paci#page/n676/mode/1up |access-date=15 February 2015 |ref={{sfnref|Pacific Marine Review (November 1917)}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Pourade|first=Richard F.|title=Gold in the Sun|year=1965|location=San Diego|edition=1st|publisher=The Union-Tribune Publishing Company|isbn=0-913938-04-1}}
* {{cite book | last = Silverstone | first = Paul H. | title = The New Navy, 1883–1922 | location = New York | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-0-415-97871-2 | oclc = 63171106 }}
* {{cite book | author = United States Navy Department | author-link = United States Navy Department | title = Annual reports of the Navy Department for the year 1902 | location = [[Washington, D.C.]] | publisher = [[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]] | year = 1902 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Bennington (ship, 1890)}}
* [http://www.uss-bennington.org/early.html USS ''Bennington''] (includes photos)

{{Yorktown class gunboats}}
{{Squadron of Evolution}}
{{1905 shipwrecks}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennington (PG-4)}}
[[Category:Yorktown-class gunboats]]
[[Category:Ships built by the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works]]
[[Category:Ships built in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:1890 ships]]
[[Category:Philippine–American War ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1905]]
[[Category:Maritime boiler explosions]]