USS Chicago (1885)

	USS Chicago in 1891
History
United States
Name	Chicago (1885–1928); Alton (1928–1936);
Namesake	City of Chicago, Illinois; City of Alton, Illinois;
Ordered	3 March 1883
Awarded	26 July 1883
Builder	Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, Chester, Pennsylvania
Cost	$889,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Laid down	29 December 1883
Launched	5 December 1885
Sponsored by	Edith Cleborne
Commissioned	17 April 1889
Decommissioned	30 September 1923
Renamed	Alton 16 July 1928 and reclassified IX-5
Reclassified	CA-14, 17 July 1920; CL-14, 8 August 1921; IX-5, 16 June 1928;
Identification	Hull symbol:CA-14; Hull symbol:CL-14; Hull symbol:IX-5;
Fate	sold 15 May 1936,; Foundered under tow 8 July 1936;
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Protected cruiser
Displacement	4,500 long tons (4,572 t)
Length	342 ft 2 in (104.29 m) oa; 325 ft (99 m) pp;
Beam	48 ft 3 in (14.71 m)
Draft	19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power	14 × 100 psi (690 kPa) coal-fired boilers
Propulsion	2 × compound overhead beam steam engines; 5,084 ihp (3,791 kW); 2 × screws;
Sail plan	Schooner
Speed	14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Capacity	830 short tons (750 t) of coal
Complement	45 officers and 356 enlisted men
Armament	4 × 8-inch (200 mm)/30 caliber Mark 2 guns (4x1); 8 × 6-inch (150 mm)/30 caliber Mark 2 guns (8x1); 2 × 5-inch (130 mm)/31 caliber Mark 1 guns (2x1); 2 × 6-pounder 57 mm (2.24 in) guns; 4 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.85 in) guns; 2 × 1-pounder 37 mm (1.46 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon; 2 × .45 caliber (11.4 mm) Gatling guns;
Armor	Gun shields: 4 in (100 mm); Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm); Conning tower: 3 in (76 mm);
General characteristics (1895 & 1902 rebuild)
Displacement	5,000 long tons (5,080 t)
Installed power	2 × Triple expansion engines; 9,000 ihp (6,700 kW);
Propulsion	6 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers; 4 × Single ended boilers; 2 × screws;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Armament	4 × 8 in (200 mm)/35 caliber Mark 4 guns (4x1); 14 × 5 in (130 mm)/40 caliber Mark 3 guns (2x1);

The first USS Chicago (later CA-14) was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy, the largest of the original three authorized by Congress for the "New Navy" and one of the U.S. Navy's first four steel ships.