Battery Murphy
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Battery Murphy (1900-1945) - Battery Murphy was constructed at Fort Columbia between April of 1899 and June of 1900. The battery was transfered for service on June 29, 1900 for a total cost of $58,623.82. Battery Murphy is named after Captain William C. Murphy, who was killed in the Philippines 14 Aug 1900 during the Spanish-American War.
Battery Murphy History
Part of the Harbor Defense of the Columbia.
Battery Murphy was the longest active Endicott Period battery at Fort Columbia, providing 45 years of continuous active military service in the Harbor Defense Project. The battery was in three wars before finally being deactivated on 24 Aug 1945. The battery was armed with two 6-inch disappearing rifles. Though the guns never fired in anger during combat, it fired thousand of shells in practice drills throughout its service.
| Empl. No. | Caliber Type | Barrel Length | Model | Serial No. | Manufacturer | Carriage | Service Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6" Rifle | 277.85" | M1897MI | 15 | Watervliet | Disappearing Carriage L.F., M1898, #9, Watervliet | 1900-1945 | |
| 2 | 6" Rifle | 277.85" | M1897MI | 24 | Watervliet | Disappearing Carriage L.F., M1898, #10, Watervliet | 1900-1945 | |
| Source: RCW Form 1, 30 Jun 1921, Coastal Defense Study Group | ||||||||
Current Status
The battery is in excellent shape and open to the public. There is a project to restore the Hodges shell hoists and wiring the battery with lights, though none of these projects seem to be started yet. No period guns or carriages are in place.
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Location: Fort Columbia, Washington Maps & Images Lat: 46.251685 Long: -123.921238
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Sources:
Links:
Visited: 16 Feb 2008, 22 Mar 2008, 27 Aug 2008
Battery Murphy Picture Gallery
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Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |
 Right Side |
 Center |
 Left Side |
 Shell hoists |
 First Gun Emplacement |
 First Gun Emplacement Stairs |
 First Gun Emplacement Walkway |
 First Gun Emplacement Storage Room |
 Latrine |
 Second Gun Emplacement Walkway |
 Oil Room |
 Central Corridor |
 Second Gun Emplacement Magazine Room |
 Second Gun Emplacement Stairs |
 Second Gun Emplacement |
 Guard Room Door |
 Guard Room |
 Magazine Room |
 Main Storage Room Entrance |
 Main Storage Room |
 Passageway |
 Passageway - First gun emplacement |
 Passageway - Second gun emplacement |
 First Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Loading Room |
 First Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Elevator |
 First Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Outside |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Loading Room |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Elevator |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Hoist - Outside |
 First Gun Emplacement Shell Room - Entrance |
 First Gun Emplacement Shell Room |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Room - Entrance |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Room |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shell Room |
 First Gun Emplacement Shot Room - Entrance |
 First Gun Emplacement Shot Room |
 First Gun Emplacement shot room |
 Second Gun Emplacement Shot Room - Entrance |
