The U.S. battleship that made the famous 14,000-mile journey from San Francisco toward Cuba in 1898 was USS Oregon. She traveled around South America because the Panama Canal did not yet exist, joining the American fleet during the Spanish-American War.
Oregon left San Francisco on March 19, 1898, after taking on coal, ammunition, and supplies. The route took her through the Strait of Magellan and covered roughly 14,000 nautical miles in 66 days. The voyage was a remarkable demonstration of the logistical difficulty of moving warships between America’s two coasts.
After reaching the Caribbean, Oregon joined the blockade of Santiago de Cuba. On July 3, she took part in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, where her speed and heavy guns helped destroy the Spanish squadron. Her performance made the ship one of the most celebrated American warships of the era.
The journey also strengthened arguments for building an interoceanic canal. A Panama route would have shortened future naval movements between San Francisco and the Caribbean dramatically.