USACS JOSEPH HENRY

The SHIP

The Cable Ship, built by contract, for the Army Quartermaster Corps was designed for Submarine Telephone Cable Work. It was attached to the Mine Planter Fleet of the Coast Artillery Corps in 1918.

Built at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Virginia {Hull # 114} and commissioned in 1909, at a cost of $240,000. It was named, not for an Army Service Member, but for a prominent physicist who's discoveries made Telegraphs possible.

{ After 1918, the Joseph Henry still specialized with cable installations when not required for emergency mine planting.

One of Henry's discoveries was a device (relay mechanism) that produced a click / clack sound when it sensed a voltage difference, making the Telegraph work and hence the need for cable laying. - mjd }

Joseph Henry; 1797 - 1878

Specifications:

Length: .................. 165 ft overall (146 ft between perpendiculars)
Beam: .................... 32 ft ( Moulded )
Depth: ................... 14 ft 7 in midships ( Moulded )
Freeboard: ............. 4 ft 7 in
Displacement: ........ 601 tons Gross ( 404 tons net )
Hull: ...................... Riveted Steel ( Drydock worker stated Wrought Iron)
Engine: .................. Steam, two 550 hp Vertical Compound Recip.
Boilers: ................... 2 Babcock & Wilcox water tube 150 psi
............................... Originally coal, converted to Oil in 1920s
Fuel Capacity: ........ 28,734 gal Bunker "C" oil
Freight Capacity: .... 135 tons
Crusing Range: ...... Oil; ................ 1,100 miles
............................... Fresh Water; .. 7,200 miles
Speed: ................... 9 Knots

Equipment: (c1940s)

Cargo Booms: ................ Forward: 5 ton
....................................... Main: 10 ton
Boats: ............................ Captain's Gig (Originally)
....................................... Replaced with 26 ft Mine Yawl
....................................... Life boat 2, later only 1 plus Life Raft.
Electronic: ...................... RCA Radio Direction Finder
....................................... Submarine Signal Depth Finder
....................................... Radio; CW Transmitter
............................................ Scott Receiver
............................................ Emergency Transceiver
............................................ Life Boat Transmitter
............................................. 3 SCR-94 Walkie-Talkies
Gryo Compass ................. Sperry
Fire Suppressent System: . CO2

Now comes a question: the date noted by the photographer is 7 May 1908. (Refering to Photo #1 on first page of site) The nameplate in the engine room says 1909. Neither of the Chief Warrant Officers (the old timers) on board had any idea of why the difference in dates. I've recently come to this conclusion:

"The Army required 'sea trials' and these were done in the NY Harbor Defenses. After proving out, the ship returned to Virginia for final outfitting and commissioning".

The photograph (Photo #1) shows fresh paint. The name on the bow is not quite the formal name ( Photo #1a). There is cable on the big wheel so some kind of work is being done. The depth marks on the bow are faint, and there is no Plimsoll mark on the hull. The personnel don't appear to be military - some on the foredeck are in business clothes, hats, too ( Photo #1b ). However, the National Colors are flying !

{ At that time period many Army Ships had civilian Masters and crews. - mjd }

" Not much changed from 1908 to 1940, when I first came aboard !"

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1a
Bow
© JCrosby 1908

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1b
Fore Deck
© JCrosby 1908

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #2
Fore Deck
© JMiller c1944

Fore Deck

Prominent on the fore deck is the loaded cable wheel ( Photo #2 ), ready to feed the cable out over one of the twin sheaves at the tip of the bow ( Photo #3 ).

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #3
Twin Sheaves
© JMiller c1944

All cable was laid from the bow (photo #4). The forward boom was used in working cable over the side. Usually for maintenance or repair operations (Photos 5a & 5b).

USACS Joseph Henry

photo #4
Buzzard's Bay (vicinity Ft. Rodman)
© JMiller c1943

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #5a
Cable Work
© JMiller c1944

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #5b
Cable Work
© JMiller c1944

Main Deck

Below the fore deck, on the main deck level (the Forecastle, with four port holes), steam engines were located in the center to operate capstans, anchor chains, cable wheel. On the port side of these engines was storage (instruments, splicing material, {etc...} and work space for the cable crew. On the starboard side was storage (paint, tools, hardware, {etc...} and work space for the ship's storekeeper.

Aft of the forward mast; is a heaver boom used to load the cargo hold or to support a 'fairhead' to feed the cable to the cable wheel. A life boat, on davits, was not there in later years (Photo #1c). The main deck was steel overlaid with oak planking and caulked with tarred oakrum. Doors and portholes help to identify the interior of the main deck structure which was steel construction with no inside passageways.

Going aft on the port side, directly under the wheel house was the Warrant officers mess and the enlisted head. A full-width storage area above the fresh water tanks below. A food storage area with a tiny PX. Next was the galley, full width, and the enlisted mess, full width. Aft of this was an open area above the engine room, a cabin for the Assistant Engineer (Warrant Officer) and finally; full width, the enlisted men's quarters for the deck crew. There was a small open deck {fantail} at the stern.

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1c
Main Deck (Future Mine Deck)
© JCrosby 1908

Lower Deck

The cargo hold was below the Main boom. Aft of the hold, were fresh water tanks; the boiler room; engine room; and the enlisted men's quarters for the "black gang" (a name hung over from an earlier time when coal-firing was a dirty job). Actually, work in the engine / boiler areas was quite clean.

On the starboard side of the main structure were three or four cabins; the arms locker; and aft of the engine room, the quarters for the Chief Engineer (Chief Warrant Officer).

{ Aft of the Chief Engineer's Stateroom was the steering lazarette. - mjd}

Upper Deck

Going to the Upper ( Boat ) Deck, the Wheel House ( Bridge ) is prominent (Photo #1d). And inside most notable is the helm (to me it was always the "steering wheel" ). A beautiful piece of woodwork about six feet in diameter which required a well in the deck to bring it down to a working height. The wheel looked capable of handling the rudders direct, but actually controlled, through cables, a steering engine in the lazarette above the rudders. Forward of the wheel was a chart table accessible from both sides; two engine room telegraphs on either side of the wheel. A magnetic compass, and a recently added gyro compass. A sturdy lever on the overhead controlled the steam whistle (Photo #1e) ( a low melodious sound) mounted on the stack. When under way, the Master (Chief Warrant Officer) usually took a position to the right of the chart table; the 1st mate (Warrant Officer) to the left. The 2nd mate (Warrant Officer, JG) tended the depth and range finders, and the signal light when needed.

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1d
Wheel House
© JCrosby 1908

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1e
Steam Whistle
© JCrosby 1908

To me, the most interesting device on the bridge was the voice tube to the engine room. No electronics here - just a husty blow into the mouthpiece produced a whistle at the engine-control station. Then, alternating speaking and listening through the connecting tube - voice communication!. Likewise, it worked engine room to bridge.

{ Ala' John Wayne in "Blood Alley". - mjd)

Aft of the wheel house, on the starboard side, a few steps down lead to the Master's Quarters. Here also was the chart storage cabinet for charts ( we had charts galore ) and a work space for chart work. In this forward structure were cabins for the 1st and 2nd mates and a warrant officer's head.

Both structures on the boat deck were of wood construction, attractively paneled on the inside. Between the structures was an open deck, with skylights to the engine room. The small boat in the 1908 photo looks somewhat like a passenger boat (Photo #1f); in my time, it was a mine yawl (Photo #6), open cockpit, heavy duty towing bit, powerful engine and high thrust prop, launched by power-operated davits. On the starboard side was the lifeboat, manually launched, capable of carrying about one third of the crew (Photo #7) and equipted with water, rations, radio, flares, etc... Taking a prominent position on this deck is the stack and two large ventilators to supply air to the boiler and engine rooms.

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1f
Original Captain's Gig
© JCrosby c1908

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #6a
Mine Yawl
© JMiller c1944

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #7
Life Boat Drill
© JMiller c1944

The stern cabin (Photos # 1g & 6b) housed the Ship's Office / Radio room {The JOSEPH HENRY's radio call sign was "WYAC" - mjd}, a cabin on the starboard side for the Executive Officer (Lieut.), and at the stern - the Commanding Officer's (Capt.) Quarters. Nicely finished off and furnished with hanging closets, chest of drawers, raised bunk with drawers and cabinets, a desk safe {under the desk}

{ ** CORRECTION ** Safe was located below the bunk, see questions and answers below}

and bookcase, a work / dining table, good lighting and portholes on three sides provided good ventilation. Head with a shower (always hot water).

A small deck aft had a GE monitor top refrigerator ( a real luxury ). In WW II a large life raft was installed aft of the CO's cabin (Photo #8).

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #1g
Stern Cabin
© JCrosby 1908

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #6b
Stern Cabin
© JMiller c1944

USACS Joseph Henry

Photo #8
Stern Life Raft
© JMiller c1944

{ The raft sure cut into his use of water skies, or a deck chair for sun-bathing, for that matter ! - mjd }

Top Deck

Above the wheel house (Photo #1h) on the flying bridge was a compass repeater for taking bearings and an open conduit tube for speaking below. the RDF antenna is visable in the photo. The ship's bell, mounted on the forward bulkhead of the wheel house, could be rung from the wheel house, or from the outside Flying Bridge.

After Pearl Harbor, one of two 50 caliber machine guns (Photo #9) was mounted above the CO's Cabin.

{ The second MG location was not identified, I assume it was above the Wheel House. - mjd }

{ From Photo #10 it appears that project supplies were pre-positioned before the Ship arrived in the area to accomplish the work, where ever possible.

One of the few days of the year that the Ship is "FULL DRESSED", 4 July 1943. - mjd }

In Conclusion

All in all, the JO HENRY had aged well. It was comfortable to live in and did its job well. In working cable, much time is spent at the dock, and, work at sea required relatively calm water. However, in moving from port to port, we occasionally encountered rough weather and here, the JO HENRY, proved out strong and sea worthy.

En route from Norfolk to Miami, for special assignment for the US Navy, we encountered rough seas off Cape Hatteras. Extra life lines were strung, as the main deck was awash most of the time. Swells were 10 to 14 feet high. Sometimes the Jo Henry would ride up and over - other times just burst straight thru with a shutter and a sale, and on to the next. Not being subject to seasickness, I enjoyed the ride and marvelled at how the old tub took the seas. The ride smoothed out as the winds went down with he sun; BUT, I found myself arm weary, having to hold on to something all day.

"ONE FELT SECURE IN THIS OLD TUB !"

USACS Joseph Henry

the CREW

The O&O

the MISSIONS

the SHIP; Q&A



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