With the departures of the U.S.S. Augusta and the U.S.S. Sacramento from Shanghai, Admiral H. E. Yarnell, Commander of the United States Asiatic Fleet, has transferred his flag to the U.S.S. Isabel which is now occupying the Augusta's former berth on the river, The Augusta, which left yesterday afternoon, will loin other American warships at Manila for winter manœuvres and will remain in Philippine waters until spring, during which time she will receive her annual overhaul.
With the departure of the U.S.S. Sacramento the Asiatic Fleet has lost one of its oldest gunboats. Bound for San Francisco, the ship will be decommissioned and scrapped after her arrival in the United States.
"The Sacramento was commissioned in 1914 and was designed to carry a crew if about 200. Her first duty was, on patrol work in Mexican waters, and during the years 1915-17 she guarded American interests in Haiti. When the United States, eutered the Great War she was on duty in New Orleans.
War Career Detachments from the Sacramento and the U, S.S. Dewey, which was in New Orleans at the same time, were sent to seize German' steamers which "were interned in the harbour, namely the Breslau and the Andromeda, and these vessels later became the U.S.S. Bridgeport and Bath. Sometime later further detachments from the Sacra-monte seized three Austrian ships, the Anna, Teresa and Louise.
From New Orleans the Sacramento was sent north to patrol the New England coast and it was on May 8, 1917 that she picked up.an SO. from the British motorship Sebastian Fon fire at sea. Following a quick dash to the stricken ship, the Sacra-monte removed 36 men and an attempt was made to tow the Sebastian to port. This proved impossible and she was sunk by gunfire from the On June 1917, the Sacramento went to the assistance of the U.S.S. Olympia, which had run aground on Cer-berns Shoal, off Long Island, and during the following month she entered the Brooklyn Navy Yards to be fitted Out for foreign service. She sailed for France with a convoy on July 22
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.