PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Based on the premise that the membership is not aware of the size of the problem that exists with late membership dues renewal, I would like to outline the specifics in the hope that member aware- hess will result in the cooperation required to reduce this problem to a more reasonable level° One of the Society’s greatest single expenses is the postage re- quired to deliver the ten annual issues of The Medal Collector (TMC) each year° I believe that most members are aware a~het continually declining level of postal service has in no way been offset by a comparable reduction in the price of that service; quite the contrary in fact, with what service that is provided be- ing rendered only at an ever-increasing cost to the consumer. In spite of this situation, through the efforts of your Board of Directors, and especially those of the Treasurer and Business Mana- ger, OMSA dues have been held to a constant level for several years for North American members, through the difficult and frustrating procedures required for securing reduced rate mailing permits for use in the delivery of TMC. While this does save the Society a goodly amount of money in pos- tage, one of the drawbacks is that the contents of each mailing envelope are strictly controlled in regard to weight, which, to make a long story short, results in the restriction of one (only) TMC allowable per mailing envelope. Which brings us to the origi- nal purpose for this message° At this writing, some 300+ members have yet to send in their renewals (w~ich puts us just slightly ahead of the same date last year). Year after year these renewals trickle in (in slowly decreasing numbers) over the period of the entire year, with some always waiting until November to renew for the current calendar year, and a few inevitably not dolng so until December!. The normal mailing of TMC has the envelopes addressed through the use of mailing labels printed by computer° There is no ~easible process by which late renewals can be individually printed by the computer in the constantly differing numbers required as determined by the month in which they happen to drift in; ~.~., the computer prints one label for each mailing for each member in good standing at the date the labels ~or that month are run off. The result of this combination of circumstances is that when a late renewal is received, the Business Manager must hand-address what- ever number of envelopes is required to get the proper number of back-issues for the current year up to that month, off to the late renewer° Thus, if the renewal is received in, say, July, he must hand-address six envelopes for this renewal alone, and if in Decem- ber, TEN! Now consider the amount of effort required of him in light of the 300+ that have yet to renew for this year, and you will begin to appreciate the scope of the problem~ Now, add to this the normal influx of new memberships that occur at random dates during the year, all of which must be individually handled on the same basis of the single envelopes, hand-addressed, in hum ...... bers required by whatever month they are received, and you have the ...... bottom line ...

size; at the current membership level it is catastrophic. Then consider the fact that the work of the Society is accomplished not by a full-time paid professional staff, but by a few dedicated individuals taking time from their lives to do the best job possible in the time available. Clearly, something must be done to alleviate this pressing problem.~ In the meantime, those who care can help a great deal by sending in their renewals in a timely manner, so that they may be processed "in bulk" as early in the year as possible. This will not only re- duce the burden on the Business Manager and the Drudge who keeps the computer records up to date, but will also result in better service and more normal delivery of T~IC to the individual member. Your assistance in this matter is urgently solicited° - Lee E. Bishop, OMSA President.

SAMPSON MEDAL ROLL - USS VESUVIUS DAN FAREK, OMSA #1880

Vesuvius was launched on 28 April 1888 and commissioned on 2 June 1890. She was armed with three 15oinch pneumatic guns. These were mounted forward in fixed position, side-by-side. Since the guns themselves could not be moved, the ship had to be aimed at its target° The shells were propelled by compressed air, rather than gunpowder.. The explosive used in the shells was a mixture of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. This mixture was less sensi- tive to shock than regular dynamite, but still sensitive enough that compressed air, rather than powder, had to be used as the propellant. Thirty shells, ten per each gun, were carried On board. The range of the guns varied from 200 yards to 1 and 1/2 miles. V~su~ius operated off the East Coast until 1895. She was decom- missioned for repairs on 25 April 1895. She was re-commissioned on 12 January 1897 and sailed for , operating off the East Coast until 1898~ With relations with Spain worsening, the Ameri- can Fleet gathered in Florida waters. V~su~gus arrived at on 13 May, remaining there until the 28tb, when she sailed for blockade duty off . Vesuuius carried out the first of eight shore bombardment missions against Santiago, Cuba on 13 June. After hostilities with Spain ended, gesu~ius sailed north and was taken out of active service on 16 September 1898.. She remained at the Navy Yard until 1904, when she began conversion to a torpedo-testing vessel. She lost her three pneumatic guns and acquired four torpedo tubes. She ~¢as re-commissioned on 21 June 1905 and sailed for the Naval Tor- pedo Station at Newport. She was decommissioned for repairs on 27 November 1907~ After being re-commissioned on 14 February 1910,

5 TMC 4/86 she remained at Newport until 1921. She was decommissioned on 21 October 1921 and sold for scrap on 21 April 1922.

Vesuvius had a displacement of 930 tons, length of 252’4", beam of 26’5", and draft of 9’0". Her speed was 21 knots. She carried three 15-inch pneumatic guns and three 3-pounders.

The crew of Vesuvius was entitled to the Sampson Medal for Santiago, Cuba, June 13 and bar for Santiago, Cuba, July 4. The following men were entitled to the medal and bar as indicated.

Barnes, C.L. Painter Lyons, F.M.1 Q.M.IC. Baum, G.M. F.2C. Magnusson, A. Q.M.3C. Blake, J.H. Apr.2C. Manning, A. F.IC. Boylan, C. Ch.Q.M. McCarthy, D.J. Ch.Mch. Bragg, J.W. O.S. McCune, E.J. Lds. Brown, W.H. M.Att. McGuiness, J. W.T. Bunting, C.W.H. O.S. McGuerney, J. F.IC. Buske, P. Sea. Mueller, E. Bay. Carlson, V. Ch.Mch. Murphy, J. F.2C. Casey, J. W.T. Nakamura, M. Ch. Ck. Clarke, J. Cox. Nilson, J. Cox. Conlay, J. Mch.2C. Noonan, J. F.IC. Connaughton, P. F.IC. Nygien, T. Sea. Connor, J.W.Ho F.IC. Olsen, A.O.P. O.S. Curry, S.J. F.2C. Payne, J. B.M.2C. Derham, J.F. Apr.2C. Restad, R. Sea. Ericson, J. G.M.2C. Rice, O. Sea. Fredricks, J. W.T. Ross, H. F.2C. Gibbons, T. Ch.Yeo. Rourke’, W. BI.Sm. Gibbs, G.W. M.Att. Rowe, H. Oiler Gjusund, S. F.2C. Runyon, G.L. Lds. Hallaghan, J. W.T. Ruschmann, F.H. Oiler Hallman, J. Oiler Schweikert, H. Ch.M.Att. Handley, G. Sea. Sharkey, W. Oiler Handlon, N.J. Siebeche, H. Yeo.2C. Howard, J.F. Cp. Sm. Smith, J.R. M.Att. Jacobs, M.R. Lds. Stack, F. Sea. Jackobsen, A.T. G.M.IC. Sullivan, P. Ch.B.M. Jakobsen, J. Sh.Ck.2C. Sweeney, E.J. Mch.2C. Kawabe, K. Cb.Stw. Tucker, A. BI.Mk. Keller, W. Mch. IC. Tynan, J. F.IC. Kettner, E. Q.M.IC. Viskvrich, J. Q.M.IC. Krug, G. Ch.Mch. Wagener, E.E. Ch.G.M. Larmary, J.R. F.2C. Weberg, K.J. Lds. Larsen, J. Sea. Welsh, J.W. G.M.3C. Lantzinheiser, E.E. G.M. IC. Whelan, W. W.T. Londenslager, F.C. F.2C. iThis man was received on board on 3 July 1898 from USS DuPont. He qualified for the medal for Matanzas, Cuba, May 6, and bar Santiago, Cuba, July 2 for service on that ship, plus the bar Santiago, Cuba, July 4 for service on the Vesuvius.

Sources: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. VII, Government Printing-~f~6?--l-g81. Muster Roll of the USS Yesuviu8 as provided by the National Archives.

6 TMC 4/86