The first San Francisco, a steel protected cruiser, was laid down on 14 August 1888, at San Francisco, Calif., by the Union Iron Works; launched on 26 October 1889; sponsored by Miss Edith W. Benham, daughter of Commodore Andrew E. K. Benham, Commandant, Mare Island (Calif.) Navy Yard; and commissioned on 15 November 1890, Capt. William T. Sampson in command.
Assigned to the South Pacific Squadron, San Francisco moved south and became the squadron's flagship on 31 March 1891. Five months later, as an eight-month-old civil war drew to a close in Chile, she landed a force of sailors and marines on 28 August to protect the U.S. Consulate at Valparaiso. September brought an end to the war, and San Francisco resumed her cruising off the South American coast. With the New Year 1892, she sailed north and west and arrived at Honolulu on 27 February as political differences deepened between monarchists and republicans. Through the spring, friction increased, and San Francisco, with others of the unofficial international "police force," deterred extreme action. The unrest, complicated by diplomatic maneuvering, continued through the year and was climaxed by the January 1893 revolution. San Francisco, having departed Hawaii, in August 1892, was then en route to Norfolk, where she arrived in February 1893.
San Francisco became the flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron on 31 May 1893, and cruised off the New England coast into the fall. In November, she sailed south, visited ports in the Caribbean; and, in late December, reached Rio de Janeiro and assumed flagship duties for the South Atlantic Squadron. She called at ports in Brazil, the Netherlands West Indies, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua during the next six months, then returned to the United States, anchoring at New York, on 29 July 1894. After a period at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., she departed on 30 December, for Newport, R.I., and arrived the next day. After spending the New Year’s holiday in port, she departed on 10 January 1895, bound for the Mediterranean and the European Station. En route, she called at Horta, Fayal, Azores (19-20 January), and Gibraltar (25 January). Entering the Mediterranean, she spent the next five months showing the flag in the “Middle Sea” and visiting ports throughout. Returning to Gibraltar on 21 May, she cleared the straits and re-entered the Atlantic en route to Britain. She arrived at Southampton (27 May-7 June), before moving on to Copenhagen, Denmark (10-14 June); Kiel, Germany (15 June-2 July); Kronstadt, Russia (5-11 July), Stockholm, Sweden (13-19 July); and Christiana, Norway (22-24 July), before returning to Britain at Gravesend (27 July-20 August).
