Omaha (1877): links, questions, comments, coordination, ...

[Randi]

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NARA URL	JPG Link	General area(s)
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169761415	January (1-6)	Panama
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169761613	January (7-31) February March April May June July (1-6)	Panama Ecuador Peru
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/169761810	July (7-31) August September October November December	Peru Chile Peru Chile

Muster Rolls of U.S.S. Omaha 1875-1878

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[Michael]

26 February
Panama Bay

At sunrise half masted colors in honor to the memory of the late Rear Admiral Chas Wilkes USN.

A controversial guy!

[Michael]

27 February
Panama Bay

At sunrise hoisted colors and placed them at half mast in respect to the memory of Rear Admiral Jas. A. Alden U.S.N.

[Randi]

So, who will be your next victim?

[Michael]

[Michael]

12 March
Panama Bay

You wanted another one killed off...

At sunrise hoisted and half-masted colors with the Flagship Pensacola in honor to the memory of R. Adm'l C. L. [sic] Davis U.S.N.

At 1 o'clock called all hands to muster and read orders ordering Rear Admiral E. H. Preble to assume command of the S. Pacific stations, and detaching Capt Edw. Simpson from command of this ship and ordering him home, and orders to Capt L. A. Kimberly to assume command of the ship. Capt. E. Simpson having turned over the command of the ship left at 2 o'clock. By order of Capt Simpson, disrated all petty officers and by order of Capt Kimberly, restored all petty officers to previous ratings. At 1:20 hoisted the flag of Rear Adm'l G. H. Preble, and saluted it with 13 guns. Pensacola fired a salute of 13 guns to Rear Adm'l G. H. Preble. At noon, Pensacola fired 13 minute guns to the memory of Rear Adm'l Cl. L. Davis, U.S.N.

By order of Comd'g Officer, rated Henry Burrows Lds to Adm'l's Steward and Peter Caranan Lds to Adml's Cook, from this date.
It was Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis, U.S.N. Not C. L. Davis.

Also, I suspect that when the February mail arrived there were two letters for the two Rear Admirals who died, Wilkes and Alden. The entry in the logs for 26 February had a note about half-masting colors for both admirals, but Alden's name was crossed out, and he got his honor separately the next day.

[Michael]

13 March
Panama Bay

At sunrise half masted colors in honor to the memory of Rear Admiral L. M. Goldsborough, U.S.N.

[Michael]

14 March
Panama Bay

You wanted more...

At sunrise, half-masted colors in respect to the memory of the late Rear Adm'l T. Bailey U.S.N.

At 12, Pensascola fired a salute of 13 minute guns in honor to Rear Adm'l T. Bailey U.S.N.

At 8:55 P.M., saw a very brilliant meteor to the N'd + W'd, appearing at an altitude of about 40^o, lasting a N'ly course it disappeared abut 15^o above the horizon, having at times in its passage exhibited twice very great brilliancy.

[Randi]

[Michael]

At sea standing for Callao, Peru
13 June 1877

Position at 2:00 A.M. near -9.7 -78.5.
Midnight to 4 A.M.

Several meteors seen during the watch.

[Michael]

This very long entry was so unusual, that I thought it interesting enough to type it up. The Rear Admiral does not seem to be amused...

General Order #4

South Pacific Station
U.S. Flag Ship Omaha (2^nd Rate)
Bay of Callao, Peru, July 4^th 1877

Before a Naval General Court Martial, convened on board the U.S. Ship Onward, (4th Rate) at Callao, Peru, on the 22nd day of June 1877, by order of the Rear Admiral, Commanding the U.S. Naval Force on the South Pacific Station was arraigned and tried, Lieutenant Frederick W. Crocker, U. S. Navy, on the charges of,

• First, Disobedience of Orders, and Neglect of duty,
• Second, Drunkenness.

The first charge was supported by four specifications, and the finding of the Court is that the First and Third specifications are "Not Proven." The Second specification is "Proven by Plea," and the Fourth specification, "Proven by Plea," except the words "He being at the time in a state of partial intoxication," and the Court finds the accused Guilty of so much of the First Charge as relates to "Neglect of Duty," but not of "Disobedience of Orders."

The Second charge of "Drunkenness," was supported by two specifications, which the Court find, "Not proven," and the accused "Not guilty of the Charge."

And the Court sentence, the said Lieutenant Frederick W. Crocker U.S.N. "to be reprimanded in General Orders, form the Commander-in-Chief of the Squadron, on the First Muster day after its receipt."

This finding and sentence of the Court are disapproved, and the accused is hereby relieved from arrest and restored to duty.

The Court's finding, that the accused is not guilty of the charge "Disobedience of Orders," when the two specifications to which the accused pleads guilty, directly accuse him with disobedience of orders, is so unaccountable to the Commander-in-Chief, that he cannot find words to express his astonishment at the Court's decisions, which he has disapproved as being contrary to the evidence before it.

The sentence, to publicly reprimand the accused for his deliberate neglect of, and entire absence from duty as the Executive Officer of the Onward, on the working hours of two afternoons, and to which the accused plead guilty, and for which he offers no excuse whatever in evidence, in the opinion of the Rear Admiral Commanding, demands a severer punishment, and does no comply with Article 51^st of the Articles for the Government of the U. S. Navy, which directs the Court, "in all cases of conviction to adjudge a punishment adequate to the offense." A majority of the Members of the Court have further shown their want of appreciation of the duties of an Officer of the rank of the accused, and in his position, which particularly demanded an example of obedience and attention to duty, by recommending him to the clemency of the revising power. For these reasons the sentence is disapproved.

As the orders and regulations of the U.S. Navy for the Administration of Justice (Section 268) require all sentences of a Court Martial on a foreign station to be communicated in a General Order to the Commander of each vessel in the Squadron, that they may be made public &c, so much of the sentence of the Court, as required it to be published in General Orders, is superfluous, and the fixing a time for its promulgation, "on the First Muster after its receipt," which muster might happen before its approved or disapproved by the Commander-in-Chief, is unusual, improper, and believed to be illegal.

This order will be read at General Muster on the Quarter deck of every ship on the Station, agreeably to section 269, Orders &c, for the Administrations of Law and Justice.

(Signed) Geo. Henry Preble
Rear Admiral U. S. N.
Comd'g U. S. Naval Force
South Pacific Station

[ggordon]

The Lieutenant must have had close friends on the Court.

[Randi]

Wow! The Rear Admiral was definitely not amused.
The members of the court may now be in more trouble than the man they tried.


Yes, friends on the court - or dirt on members of the court.

[Michael]

I'm glad Courts today aren't swayed by anything other than equality and justice for all.

[Michael]

12 August 1877
San Juan Bay, Peru

At 8:53 PM saw an exceedingly large + brilliant white meteor which appeared like a ball of fire, its diam about 2/3 that of the moon, in a NNE direction at an altitude of about 30^o, descending towards and breaking into 6 or 8 pieces and disappearing just before it reached the horizon.

As a note of interest, there was an exceedingly bright meteor seen in the sky south of Victoria last night. (Also seen as far away as Seattle.)

[Randi]

[Michael]

01 August 1877
Mejillones, Chile

At 12:40 A.M. felt a decided shock of an earthquake which lasted about seven seconds.

[ggordon]

12 August 1877
San Juan Bay, Peru

At 8:53 PM saw an exceedingly large + brilliant white meteor which appeared like a ball of fire, its diam about 2/3 that of the moon, in a NNE direction at an altitude of about 30^o, descending towards and breaking into 6 or 8 pieces and disappearing just before it reached the horizon.

As a note of interest, there was an exceedingly bright meteor seen in the sky south of Victoria last night. (Also seen as far away as Seattle.)

An online newsletter from Burien, Washington, just south of Seattle, has an article including dramatic videos of the meteor. Unfortunately I missed it, although I did notice a power fluctuation at roughly that time.
https://b-townblog.com/2022/10/13/video ... day-night/

[Michael]

Mejillones, Chile
02 August, 1877

At 12:34 A.M. experienced a light shock of an earthquake, lasting 15 seconds.

[Michael]

Mejillones, Chile
4 August

Hereafter, the Propeller well will not be used for stowing buckets or wash deck gear of any kind. A chest in the Mizzen Chains will be made for that especial purpose. All swabs are to be well wrung after use every morning, and triced to swab-line to dry, in gangway, where the sun can strike them.

They will not be stowed away until dry.