USS Huron (1875) facts for kids
An Alert class gunboat, possibly Huron, under construction at the shipyard of John Roach & Sons, c. 1874-75.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | USS Huron |
| Namesake | Lake Huron |
| Builder | John Roach & Sons |
| Laid down | 1873 |
| Launched | 1875 |
| Commissioned | 15 November 1875 |
| Fate | Wrecked 24 November 1877 |
| Notes | 98 of crew lost;34 saved |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gunboat |
| Displacement | 1,020 long tons (1,040 t) |
| Length | 175 ft (53 m) |
| Beam | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Depth of hold | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Armament | 1 × 11 in (280 mm) Dahlgren gun, 2 × 9 in (230 mm) Dahlgren guns, 1 × 60 pdr (27 kg) Parrott rifle, 1 × 12 pdr (5.4 kg) howitzer, 1 × Gatling gun |
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USS Huron
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| Nearest city | Nags Head, North Carolina |
| Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
| Built | 1877 |
| Architect | Delaware River Shipbuilding Co. |
| Architectural style | Alert-class Sloop of War |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001625 |
| Added to NRHP | 15 November 1991 |
The USS Huron was a special kind of ship called a gunboat in the United States Navy. It was made mostly of iron and used both a steam engine and sails to move. The ship was built by John Roach & Sons in Chester, Pennsylvania, between 1873 and 1875. It officially joined the Navy on November 15, 1875, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The Huron was named after Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes.
The Huron's Early Journeys
The Huron arrived at the Norfolk Navy Yard on December 11, 1875. For the next two years, it sailed around the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. On its first trip, it visited places like Veracruz in Mexico and Key West in Florida.
Later, in 1876, it returned to Port Royal. From March to June 1877, the Huron explored many ports in the Caribbean and Venezuela.
The Ship's Tragic End
After getting some repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in August 1877, the ship sailed to Hampton Roads. On November 23, 1877, the Huron began a scientific trip along the coast of Cuba.
Soon after leaving, the Huron ran into trouble. It got stuck off Nags Head, North Carolina, during very bad weather. Early the next morning, around 1 a.m., the ship was completely wrecked. For a while, the crew tried to free the ship, but it soon tipped over. Sadly, 98 officers and crew members were lost. Only 34 people survived. Many of those who were lost were later found and buried.
Exploring the Wreck Today
Today, you can still visit the wreck of the Huron if you like to scuba dive or free dive. It's located off Nags Head, North Carolina. The front part of the wreck is about 250 yards (228 meters) from the shore. During the summer, a buoy often marks the spot where the wreck is.
Images for kids
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An engraving from 1881 showing the USS Huron wreck.
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The graves of some of the Huron crew members at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
