The Great White Fleet Visits Port Said

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The above booklet is a interesting find from a sailor onboard the USS Virginia that brought back a collection of pressed plants of the Middle East. Few items have been saved over the years besides postcards and medals from the cruise making this truly a unique item.

The above three photographs show the lighthouse at the entrance to the canal, the statue of Ferrinand de Lesseps, and a Portuguese Cruiser in the harbor with the American fleet. Ferrinand was the French developer of the Suez Canal which jointed the Mediterranean and Red Seas in 1869. He started the Panama Canal but, because the project was devastated by malaria and yellow fever, was left uncompleted until the United States took over the project and completed it in 1914.

January 9th, 1909 - USS Wisconsin

Maison Hollandaise House
In some accounts of the history of the Suez Canal Company offices, the SCC offices are confused with the Navy House, which was an entirely different building. The Navy House was first called the Maison Hollandaise. It was built in the late 19th century by Prince Hendrik of Holland, who was a friend of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the canal. It overlooked the Bassin de l'Arsenal (Arsenal Harbour) and was designed to be a centre for Dutch trade interests. It also contained a hotel and a casino. After the British took over running the canal, they purchased it and made it into their naval headquarters. It was renamed as the Navy House. It was tragically, destroyed by the British themselves, to prevent it falling into Egyptian hands, when their forces pulled out of Egypt suddenly following the failure of the 1956 invasion.

FERRINAND DE LESSEPS
By the end of three days all of the ships had made it through the canal and tied up to anchor buoys in the harbor at Port Said. No men were allowed ashore as Port Said was know as the "Wickedest city in the World".

This card showing the statue of Ferrinand de Lesseps and the harbor in Port Said. The card was mailed by a sailor onboard the USS Nebraska upon returning to Hampton Roads.

Without an opportunity to go ashore, it can only be assumed that the cards that were purchased and mailed from the ships while in Port Said were most likely from the sailors returning from the ship that had been put ashore in Suez.

These two cards are both early uses of the USS Virginia cancels while the ship was in Port Said.

THE NILE RIVER BRIDGE
This card is from the fleet's visit to Port Said showing the Nile River Bridge with it's two lions guarding the entrance. The card is mailed from an officer who was planning to depart to Naples the next day and mailed to Miss May Phelps. From my records this would indicated that the officer was onboard the USS Connecticut. At right, The Quai of Port Said, mailed to Master John Howard of Providence, RI.

January 8th, USS Wisconsin

These four cards are also from the M. R. Battey collection and show additional views from the harbor and canal entrance.