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Photo # NH 65672:  USS Memphis wrecked at Santo Domingo, 29 August 1916

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- The 1910s -- 1916

Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916

At three in the afternoon of 29 August 1916, the 14,500-ton armored cruiser Memphis and the 1177-ton gunboat Castine were riding gently, anchored in the open roadstead off Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic. Rear Admiral Charles F. Pond, for whom Memphis was flagship, and a recreation party were ashore and the remainder of the ships' officers and crews were engaged in normal duties. Far away somewhere in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea, a seismic event had already generated a powerful tsunami, or tidal wave, as such things were then termed. One of the two ships would barely escape its effects, while the other would be driven ashore a complete wreck. More than forty men would lose their lives.

Perhaps twenty minutes later, Memphis' Executive Officer was troubled by the "looks of the sea" and at about half past three Captain Edward L. Beach, the cruiser's Commanding Officer, ordered steam power increased enough to allow his ship to leave the anchorage. Previous experience had demonstrated that this could be done in about forty minutes. Waves began breaking ashore and, since Memphis was now rolling too much to recover boats in the water, two of hers were sent out to sea, soon to be followed by one of Castine's. Shortly afterwards, when a large wave was seen on the horizon, both ships began to prepare for heavy weather. This laborious work was greatly hindered by violent rolling and pitching as waves rapidly became larger and then immense. The effort to get steam up on Memphis suffered even more, with the problem becoming worse as water began to flow over her decks and enter through ventilators, incompletely closed gunports, and even her four tall smokestacks. As a result, when the main tsunami waves reached the anchorage about half-past four, Memphis did not have enough steam available to run her engines properly. She dragged her anchor, all the while battering her bottom against the bottom, normally some twenty-five feet below her keel. At about five PM she went hard aground near Santo Domingo's rocky coastal cliffs.

Castine, meanwhile, had gotten clear of the anchorage, following a heroic effort that left her badly battered and barely seaworthy. A motor launch, erroneously sent out of port with much of Memphis' recreation party embarked, had foundered in the tremendous breakers, leaving twenty-five men dead. Another eight Sailors were lost when the three boats sent to sea sank or were wrecked attempting to reach shore after dark. Ten more were fatally injured on board Memphis, either by being washed overboard or from burns and steam inhalation as the ship's powerplant broke apart during her ordeal.

The big cruiser's remaining officers and men, many of them badly injured, were brought ashore by ship to shore lines, hastily rigged by U.S. Marines, Navy personnel and local residents. USS Memphis, so thoroughly damaged as to be not worth refloating, remained just off Santo Domingo's shoreline for many years, a monument to a sudden tsunami, one of nature's most unforseeable and powerful forces.

This page features all the views we have taken on 29 August 1916, as USS Memphis was driven ashore by a tsunami at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and provides links to coverage of related images taken later.

For more views concerning the loss of USS Memphis and of salvage efforts on her wreck, see:

  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Views taken the day after the Incident;
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Salvage Efforts on the Ship's Wreck;
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Views of the Wreck taken in 1917 and Later; and
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Miscellaneous Images.

    For photographs concerning the Memphis' Chief Engineer, who received the Medal of Honor for his conduct when she was driven ashore, see:

  • Rear Admiral Claud A. Jones, USN, (1885-1948).

    For related information, see:

  • Tsunami (Tidal Wave) Disasters and the U.S. Navy.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions.

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 101130

    USS Castine
    (Gunboat # 6)

    Among the breakers off Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, while escaping from the tidal waves that wrecked USS Memphis (Armored Cruiser # 10), 29 August 1916.

    From the album of Francis Sargent; Courtesy of Commander John Condon, 1986.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 48KB; 740 x 450 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 65672

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view was taken during the late afternoon, immediately after she struck. Note waves breaking over the ship. Men are visible on her bridge and midships superstructure.
    This photograph appears to have been retouched.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 430 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99960

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Driven ashore by tidal waves at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 29 August 1916.
    Photograph by Senior, heavily retouched and printed on postal card stock.

    Collection of Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, USN.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 485 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99959

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Driven ashore by tidal waves at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 29 August 1916.
    Photograph by Senior, heavily retouched and printed on postal card stock. Note the photographer's seal in the lower left.

    Collection of Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, USN.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 59KB; 475 x 765 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99958

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Driven ashore by tidal waves at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 29 August 1916.
    Photograph by Senior, heavily retouched and printed on postal card stock.

    Collection of Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, USN.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 79KB; 465 x 765 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46224

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view probably was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note water streaming from the ship's foredeck, and violent wave action around her bow.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 88KB; 740 x 585 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46225

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view probably was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note water streaming from her decks. Men are visible atop her forward gun turret, at her port deck edge and on her bridge.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 91KB; 740 x 590 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46228

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note waves breaking over the ship's superstructure, and lines rigged between ship and shore.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 570 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46226

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view probably was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note Sailors on the rocks in the center foreground. Other men are visible on the ship's superstructure.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 595 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46220

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view probably was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note water streaming from the ship's superstructure, and the U.S. Ensign flying from her stern.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 590 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 46221

    USS Memphis
    (Armored Cruiser # 10)

    Wrecked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she was thrown ashore by tidal waves on the afternoon of 29 August 1916.
    This view probably was taken during the late afternoon or early evening, as Memphis was being abandoned. Note water streaming from the ship's superstructure.
    Photographed by the local U.S. Consul, Carl M.J. von Zeilinski.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 570 pixels

     

    For more views concerning the loss of USS Memphis and of salvage efforts on her wreck, see:

  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Views taken the day after the Incident;
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Salvage Efforts on the Ship's Wreck;
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Views of the Wreck taken in 1917 and Later; and
  • Loss of USS Memphis, 29 August 1916 -- Miscellaneous Images.

    For photographs concerning the Memphis' Chief Engineer, who received the Medal of Honor for his conduct when she was driven ashore, see:

  • Rear Admiral Claud A. Jones, USN, (1885-1948).


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions.


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 10 January 2005
    Links added 28 February 2005