Lower row, left to right: William H. Reader, chief gunner’s mate; Augustus Gumpert, gunner’s mate second class; Lieutenant Harry H. Caldwell, commanding; Arthur Callahan, gunner’s mate second class; Barnett Bowie, chief machinist’s mate. Upper row: Harry Wahab, gunner’s mate first class; O. Swanson, gunner’s mate first class, Gunner Owen Hill; W. Hall, electrician’s mate second class.
Captain and crew, left to right: Harry Wahab, chief gunner’s mate; Kane; Richard O. Williams, chief electrician; Chief Gunner Owen Hill, commanding; Igoe; Michael Malone; Barnett Bowie, chief machinist’s mate; Simpson; Rhinelander. In the background, a monitor of the Arkansas class, at left, and the USS Terror, a pre-Spanish-American War monitor".
William Reader (one of the original crew members) wrote down his recollections of life aboard the USS Holland in 1943. A copy of these recollections can be found in the Submarine Force Library. The personal recollections of original crew members Richard Williams and Harry Wahab were printed in a Navy News release dated 1952 which can also be found in the Submarine Force Library. In addition, Alan Burgoyne included the Congressional Testimony and official reports of several officers including Lieutenant Harry H. Caldwell in his book Submarine Navigation: Past and Present.
A review of the log of the USS Holland located at the National Archives in Washington DC, reveals that she spent most of her active life at the United States Naval Academy training the young cadets. However, she did spend two summers at the Torpedo Station in Newport Rhode Island. In the summer of 1900, the Frank Cable and the Electric Boat crew trained the first Navy Crew. In the summer of 1901, she appears to have been engaged in training runs and torpedo tests.
| 1 Jan 1900 | to | 13 June 1900 | Navy Yard, Washington DC |
| 25 June 1900 | to | 16 Oct 1900 | Torpedo Station, Newport Rhode Island |
| 22 Oct 1900 | to | 8 Jan 1901 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 10 Jan 1901 | to | 22 Jan 1901 | Navy Yard, Norfolk VA |
| 23 Jan 1901 | to | 10 June 1901 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 15 June 1901 | to | 2 Oct 1901 | Torpedo Station, Newport Rhode Island |
| 3 Oct 1901 | to | 24 Oct 1901 | Navy Yard, New York |
| 5 Nov 1901 | to | 14 July 1902 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 18 July 1902 | to | 31 July 1902 | Navy Yard, New York |
| 1 August 1902 | to | 3 April 1903 | Navy Yard, League Island PA |
| 3 April 1903 | to | 4 August 1903 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 4 August 1903 | to | 8 August 1903 | Baltimore Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Baltimore |
| 8 August 1903 | to | 6 Sept 1904 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 6 Sept 1904 | to | 10 Sept 1904 | Baltimore Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Baltimore |
| 10 Sept 1904 | to | 18 July 1905 | United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD |
| 20 July 1905 | to | 1915 | Navy Yard, Norfolk VA |
| 25 Sept 1900 | "Got within torpedo range of USS Kearsage during night attack." |
| 11 Oct 1900 | Acting Gunner O. Hill, Lieut. H. H. Caldwell reported for duty. |
| 12 Oct 1900 | "Lieut H.H. Caldwell today placed this boat in commission." |
| 11 Feb 1901 | W. Reader GM 1st class rated Chief Gunner dated from 1-1-1901 |
| 20 Feb 1901 | Chief Mate B. Bowie reported for duty |
| 22 April 1901 | B. Bowie Mach 1st class rated to CM to date from 14th, Callahan GM 3rd rated to GM 2nd class. |
| 13 May 1901 | A. Gumpert GM 3rd class reported for duty. |
| 30 July 1902 |
"R.K. Holland, Elect 2cl, in starting battery blower, aspark from starting rheostat caused an explosion of gas, given off by storage battery. The explosion and flames injured Holland, burning his face and body and cutting his head by coming in ontact with lower edge of conning tower." "The flames also set fire to some waste stowed in the boat, source of the boards covering the battery were thrown up and buckled. Otherwise no damage was done." |
| 25 Nov 1902 | "Lieut Arthur McArthur Jr assumes command of USSTB Holland" |
| 17 Jan 1903 | W. Reader CGM transferred to USRS Minneapolis for general detail |
| 18 Jan 1903 | R.O. Williams (Elect 2cl) received acting appointment as Elect 1cl and made part of regular crew |
| 7 May 1903 | Lieut. Arthur MacArthur Jr detached from Holland and ordered to New Suffolk, Long Island. Holland put under command of Gunner O. Hill, USN |
| 9 August 1904 | "Fitted new canvas cover for battery deck and patched rubber cover." |
| 29 Oct 1904 | R.O. Williams Chief-Electrician transferred to Gunnery school at Navy Yard, Washington, DC. |
| 1 Nov 1904 | E. Swanson, Acting Gunner relived Owen Hill Ensign, USN. |
| 16 Nov 1904 | Owen Hill Ensign detached from command of USS Holland and ordered to USS Wisconsin |
| 30 March 1905 | "Painted parts of inside of boat with white paint." |
| 31 March 1905 | "Crew at work painting inside of boat with lead - colors, black - shellac and red shellac." |
| 1 April 1905 | "Gave battery deck a coat of red shellac." |
| 29 April 1905 | "A. Wm Keane, M Mate 1st class given five days Bread & Water for having whiskey in his possession" |
| 6 May 1905 | "E.R. Rhinelander GM 2nd cl placed in irons to await action of Commanding officer" |
| 9 May 1905 | "A.E. Simpson, Gunner's mate 3rd class given 5 days bread and water for being absent from ship without proper authority" |
| 3 June 1905 | E.R. Rhinelander, Gunners Mate 2nd class restored to duty |
| 24 July 1905 | Board of Inspection from Equipment Department recommends removing the battery from boat and setting up on dock |
| 1 August 1905 | "Yard people began pumping out battery cells and removing plates in the cells" |
| 10 August 1905 | "Plates all out of battery and yard men started taking out the empty cells" |
| 13 April 1907 | Hauled out on marine railway. Workmen prepared boat to be skidded off railway - heavy marine growth but otherwise hull in good condition |
| 17 April 1907 | Skidded from railway - working on engine - machy jacked by hand |
| 30 June 1907 | "All machinery jacked over by hand. Crew inspected at quarters on Torpedo Station" |
| (Last entry in the log book) |
Source: "Deck Log of the USS Holland" located in the National Archives, Washington, DC.
ÓCopyright 1999,2000,2001,2002 Gary McCue