USS Dynamite Gunboat Vesuvius

The USS dynamite gunboat Vesuvius was used during the Spanish-American War in 1898 off Santiago de Cuba. It was the only time a dynamite gun was used on a boat (probably because they weren't very accurate.) On June 28, 1898, the Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Utah reported that, "The dynamite gunboat Vesuvius fired three shells last night. They fell in the vicinity of Morro castle and the eastern batteries."

The Spanish-American War was fought between the U.S. and Spain over issues of the liberation of Cuba. Several events led up to to the declaration of war:

1. A riot by Spanish loyalists in Cuba in January, 1898, which led to the presence of American Marine Forces in Havana.
   
2. The sinking of the USS Maine, which may have been caused by an internal coal combustion, but was suspected of being an explosion from a mine.
3. American anger fueled by news stories (particularly in Hearst newspapers) about the events surrounding the USS Maine.

President Grover Cleveland referred to the USS Vesuvius and other ships in his fifth State of the Union address in 1893 (from Wikisource):

Progress in the construction of new vessels has not been as rapid as was anticipated. There have been delays in the completion of unarmored vessels, but for the most part they have been such as are constantly occurring even in countries having the largest experience in naval shipbuilding. The most serious delays, however, have been in the work upon armored ships. The trouble has been the failure of contractors to deliver armor as agreed. The difficulties seem now, however, to have been all overcome, and armor is being delivered with satisfactory promptness. As a result of the experience acquired by shipbuilders and designers and material men, it is believed that the dates when vessels will be completed can now be estimated with reasonable accuracy. Great guns, rapid-fire guns, torpedoes, and powder are being promptly supplied.

The following vessels of the new Navy have been completed and are now ready for service: The double-turreted coast-defense monitor Miantonomoh, the double-turreted coast-defense monitor Monterey, the armored cruiser New York, the protected cruisers Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, San Francisco, Charleston, Atlanta, and Boston, the cruiser Detroit, the gunboats Yorktown, Concord, Bennington, Machias, Castine, and Petrel, the dispatch vessel Dolphin, the practice vessel Bancroft, and the dynamite gunboat Vesuvius. Of these the Bancroft, Machias, Detroit, and Castine have been placed in commission during the current calendar year.