sscityofberlin

From this photo it's pretty obvious that the MEADE was designed as a passenger ship, not a naval vessel. There were in fact two destroyers called MEADE, but the first of these wasn't commissioned until 1919. After searching the Internet, I've found a bit of information about the ship in these photos. This U.S. Army transport ship was built in 1874 for the Inman line, originally named the CITY OF BERLIN, and renamed BERLIN when sold to the American Line in 1893. In 1898 she was purchased by the U.S. government and renamed MEADE, according to this page at Norway-Heritage, which also says the ship was scrapped in 1921. However, this page at the Vallejo Gallery website features a painting of the MEADE, and the accompanying text says that she was listed as an Army transport ship until 1921, and was sold to a San Francisco doctor in 1934. This page also describes the ship as a steam screw yacht of 5641 tons, with a length of 488.6', a beam of 44.2', and a draught of 34.9'. Vallejo Gallery also displays this ca.1910 photo of the MEADE running on San Francisco Bay, with inset portraits of the ship's officers.

Lowering brightness the stiker says 4/23/1 (4) and mirror view on the wagon wall, at right border, superimposed over "Loading up the "Meade": 4/22/14. Dr. Roberto Duarte Plastic Surgeon dr.robertoduarte@hotmail.com Torreón, Coahila, México.

LEAGUE ISLAND MARINES OFF.; 1,300 Sail Early This Morning -- 8-Inch Shells Aboard. February 20, 1913, Thursday Page 2, 175 words (the article is available, but you have to scroll all the way down the page to see it). query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D0CEED7163FE633A...

This is the transport ship Meade, not the battleship, that one was commissioned in 1918. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Meade_(DD-274)