the conversion, her rig was changed to bark to allow her handling by a smaller crew. Monongahela continued her duty in the Pacific Squadron as storeship at Callao, Peru in 1890, and then sailed around Cape Horn to Portsmouth Navy Yard to be fitted out as an apprentice training ship. Emerging from the refit a full-rigged ship, the old converted sloop joined the Training Squadron in 1891, serving in that capacity until relieving on May 15, 1894, as U.S. Naval Academy Practice Ship. Making annual cruises each year except for 1898, when the war with Spain intervened, the ship conducted her last Academy cruise from June 6 – September 4, 1899, sailing to England and Portugal. Upon completion of this cruise, the Monongahela became a training ship for apprentices at the Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island. She served for three years in that capacity and cruised to ports throughout Europe's Atlantic coast and the Caribbean. Finally detached from the Atlantic Training Squadron on May 9, 1904, the old warship served as a storeship at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until totally destroyed by fire on March 17, 1908. A 4-inch breech-loading gun was salvaged from Monongahela's wreck and put on display at the Naval Station. Since the gun was slightly deformed by the heat from the fire, it was nicknamed "Ole Droopy". This gun is now on display on Deer Point near the Bay Club. See also List of sloops of war of the United States Navy References External links USS Monongahela (1863-1908) Ships of the Union Navy Sloops of the United States Navy Steamships of the United States Navy Training ships of the United States Navy United States Naval Academy Ships built in Philadelphia 1862 ships Stores ships of the United States Navy Spanish–American War auxiliary ships of the United States Ship fires Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea Maritime incidents in November 1867 Maritime incidents in 1908