Sad News!

[Bull Schmitt]

I found this info on the SASS Wire.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/85456487.html

http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?s=2790abb50801fc4251b1422fc0b35725&showtopic=144594

The USS Olympia needs to be preserved. Maybe some of the stimulus money laying around doing nothing could be used.

Col Bull

[Texas Lawdog]

I don't know much about old Naval Warships.  Is the Olympia a sister ship to the Maine?

[River City John]

Dewey's flagship on the Grand Naval Tour.

[Texas Lawdog]

That would be a terrible shame for the ship to be demolished for lack of funds.

[Captain Lee Bishop]

It'd be an utter shame of the Olympia was cut up, but in all fairness, much of what you see above the waterline today isn't from the original ship anyway. She was modified heavily after the Spanish-American war at several different times. Much of what you see of the superstructure was put there after WW2. Still, there's a lot that's original as well.
Having been the ship that returned the Unknown Soldier from France after WW1 surely would place her into the collective American consciousness, even if most Americans today have never even heard of the then-famous phrase, "You may fire when ready, Gridley."
I'm not shocked to hear of the fragile state of the hull, having been to see her on the 100th anniversary of the battle at Manila. I do wonder if the recent addition of the USS New Jersey just across the river from the Olympia might have boosted interest in another battle wagon of the earlier generations.
It's not in a great place to be seen. I used to visit the ship when I was at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, but found even then that parking was a nightmare. I returned there last July (with my wife) and was hoping to see the Olympia again, but there was some kind of festival on that side of the river and a country music concert at the stadium on the New Jersey side of the river, preventing me from seeing either battle wagon. I'm still fuming over that. 

[Texas Lawdog]

I would really enjoy taking a tour of the Olympia. We have the BattleShip "Texas" and the "Lexington" here in Texas. I have been lucky enough to be able to tour both of these great Ships.

[US Scout]

I've noticed that a number of states are having to close state historical sites for lack of funds.  New York is closing about 50 sites, and Virginia expects to do something similar.

The sad thing is that once these facilities are closed, little or no maintence will be done and they will begin to enter a state of disrepair, making it even harder to open them up again in the future, and we'll lose even more historical sites. 

Even if the Olympia has been modified from its original specifications, it's still a piece of our history deserving a better fate. 

A very sad state of affairs.

US Scout
Brig Gen, GAF

[Texas Lawdog]

+1

[Story]

The old warship has been part of Philadelphia's waterfront for 50 years and left lasting impressions on thousands of visitors who heard gripping stories of its role in the Spanish-American War.

Now the Olympia - the last surviving vessel from that 1898 conflict - could face an ignoble end as an artificial reef off Cape May if a new benefactor cannot be found.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100523_Historic_warship_s_future_may_be_sunk.html

[Captain Lee Bishop]

Not to dismiss all this, but if you know the history behind things like this in the past, it's a very common tactic when you're tired of begging for money, to say, "Okay, fine, you don't wanna pay for this, bring on the blowtorches"
Usually that's all it takes, but sadly, sometimes the bluff gets called...