USRC Commodore Perry (1884)
United States Revenue Cutter Commodore Perry was an iron-hulled revenue cutter built in 1884 for revenue service on the Great Lakes, where she served for nine years. In December 1893, she was transferred to the West Coast of the United States, for service in the Pacific Northwest and Alaskan waters, where she served until wrecked near the Pribilof Islands on 27 July 1910.
History
Commodore Perry was built at Union Drydock Company, Buffalo, New York, for a cost of $83,000. Like her namesake she replaced, the 1865, she was assigned to Lake Erie for duty and her assigned cruising grounds were the entire lake. She was placed out of commission each winter at the close of the shipping season, typically in mid-November, and her crew released. She was placed back in commission at the start of the shipping season, typically during May of each year.On 23 September 1893, Commodore Perry was ordered to New York to be fitted out for a cruise to the Pacific. She arrived at New York on 20 October 1893 where she carried out "temporary duty" in New York waters. After fitting out, she was ordered to sail to San Francisco, via the Straits of Magellan, on 7 December 1894. Arriving in Callao, Peru, on 24 March 1895, the ship's captain met with the United States Ambassador to Peru, James McKenzie, to discuss providing additional protection during the Peruvian civil war. Officers and 25 men were detailed with arms and one rapid-fire gun to protect the legation until the situation calmed by 29 March, when they left port. She arrived at San Diego on 22 April 1895, for refueling, and arrived at San Francisco three days later. She was then assigned to duty with the Bering Sea Patrol.
Commodore Perry, originally designed for short operating distances of the Great Lakes, was ill-fitted for her new duty in the open sea. Vessels on duty in Alaskan waters required ample food storage room, enough to hold six months' stores and provisions, and enough coal-bunker space to cruise actively for at least two weeks. Commodore Perry was designed to carry only 90 tons. Making room for more coal required stores and provisions to be stored on the deck. Most often, her cruising radius was limited to about, insufficient to meet the duties demanded of her.