USS Glacier ( AF - 4 ) USS Glacier ( AF - 4 ) was a " Glacier " - class stores ship acquired by the U . S . Navy for use in the Spanish - American War . She served again during World War I in the dangerous North Atlantic Ocean , delivering general goods and ammunition to American Expeditionary Force troops in Europe . Acquisition for Spanish - American War service . The first Navy ship to be named " Glacier " was built as the merchant ship , SS " Port Chalmers " in 1891 by J . L . Thompson & Son , Sunderland , England ; purchased from the Federal Line , London , July 1898 ; commissioned at New York 5 July 1898 , Comdr . J . P . Merrill , USN , commanding ; had her name changed to USS " Delmonico " 6 July 1898 , and to USS " Glacier " 6 days later . " Glacier " departed Hampton Roads 15 August , and for the following 5 months she supplied ice , meat , and stores to ships of the North Atlantic Fleet operating in the West Indies during the Spanish - American War . Sailing from San Juan , Puerto Rico , 3 January 1899 , she arrived at New York 1 week later , and decommissioned there 6 March . Philippine Islands support operations . " Glacier " recommissioned at New York 31 March 1899 , assigned to the Asiatic Station , she stood out of Hampton Roads 24 May and arrived 15 July at Manila Bay via the Mediterranean and Suez Canal . Operating in the Philippines during these troubled years , she supplied U . S . Army and Navy forces with ice , meat , and stores ; delivered stores to reconstructed gunboats at Hong Kong ; and transported large quantities of meat and provisions from Australia to Manila . Sailing out of Manila Bay 22 April 1903 , " Glacier " arrived at Norfolk , Virginia , 29 June , and decommissioned there 1 August . Additional turn - of - the - century assignments . Recommissioning there 15 December , she loaded supplies and provisions at New York and delivered her cargo to ships at Guantanamo , Pensacola , Florida , and the Panama Canal Zone ( 14 February - 7 July 1904 ) . Arriving at Boston , Massachusetts , 17 July , " Glacier " decommissioned there on the 30th and , following repairs , recommissioned 15 September and fitted out for special duty . Continued Philippine Islands assignment . " Glacier " became a unit of the Special Service Squadron composed of " Brutus " ( AC - 15 ) , " Caesar " ( AC - 16 ) , and " Potomac " ( AT - 50 ) , assigned to tow the floating dry dock " Dewey " ( YFD - 1 ) from Sparrows Point , Maryland , to the Philippine Islands . Departing Solomons , Maryland , on the Patuxent River 28 December 1905 , the squadron arrived at Olongapo , Philippines , via Las Palmas in the Canaries , Port Said , Suez , and Singapore , 10 July 1906 . Following delivery of the dock , " Glacier " proceeded to Cavite for discharge of cargo and repairs . She stood out of Cavite 16 August , and arrived at Boston , Massachusetts , 14 November via the Suez Canal , the Mediterranean , and New York . Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet . Departing Boston 4 January 1907 , " Glacier " became a unit of the Atlantic Fleet , and engaged in supplying fresh provisions to ships operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean area until returning to New York 14 October . Transferred to the Pacific Fleet . As a storeship , she departed New York 5 December and accompanied the Atlantic Fleet on its good will and training cruise to the Pacific , stopping at various ports in the Caribbean , South America , and Mexico en route . Arriving 14 April 1908 at San Francisco , " Glacier " cruised with the fleet on the California coast until departing San Francisco , California , 29 June . She continued as supply ship to the Atlantic Fleet on its famous voyage around the world , visiting Honolulu , the Fiji Islands , New Zealand , Australia , and the Philippines . On 21 October , while at Cavite , she became detached from the Atlantic Fleet and assigned to the Pacific Fleet in her former capacity . The Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Fleet reports in 1908 : Loading provisions at Manila and Sydney , Australia ( 10 November - 5 December ) , " Glacier " joined the U . S . Pacific Fleet at Talcahuano , Chile , 1 January 1909 , and accompanied the fleet on a cruise to South and Central American ports and to Magdalena Bay . They arrived at Mare Island 2 June for repairs . World War I operations . Continuing in her service as supply ship to the Pacific Fleet until 1918 , " Glacier " was employed in delivering fresh provisions , stores , ammunition , target material , and mail ; transporting personnel ; and towing target rafts and coal barges . Her principal area of operations was on the U . S . West Coast , Mexico , and Central America . She made two trips to Asiatic waters ( 22 September 1909 – 14 February 1910 and 8 April - 17 August 1912 ) to supply ships operating in the Hawaiian area , the Philippines , and the China and Japan coasts . From 1913 to 1917 she operated between California and Mexico and Nicaragua , delivering stores , mail and men to the Fleet , investigating conditions at Mexican ports , and giving refuge to United States and other foreign citizens during the unsettled conditions in Mexico . She loaded stores , fresh meats , and ammunition at San Francisco 9 to 14 May 1917 , arrived 30 June at Rio de Janeiro and , through March 1918 , delivered her cargo to ships operating on the east coast of South America . Delivering food and stores to U . S . troops in Europe . Departing Rio de Janeiro 2 April , " Glacier " arrived at New York on the 24th , and became assigned to NOTS . As a Naval Overseas Transport Ship , she made three trips to Europe carrying fresh meats and general stores to naval forces operating in European waters . The first two trips were made from New York to the British Isles , 2 June - 26July 1918 and 13 August - 20 October 1918 , and the third trip from New York to Brest , 4 November 1918 – 4 January 1919 , returning to Norfolk , Virginia , with a cargo of aviation material and high explosives for New York . Standing in at New York 10 January 1919 , she was detached from NOTS and assigned to the Train Squadron , Atlantic Fleet . From 6 May to 25 June 1919 , she issued stores to the Atlantic Fleet and engaged in target practice with the fleet on the East Coast . Reassigned back to the Pacific . " Glacier " departed New York 24 July , arrived 17 August at San Pedro , California , and became attached to the Train Squadron , Pacific Fleet . Until 1921 she was engaged in transporting stores , ammunition , and personnel to ships operating off the California coast and Panama Canal Zone area . Final decommissioning . Arriving 31 October 1921 at Mare Island , " Glacier " decommissioned there 6 March 1922 and was sold 17 August to Barde Steel & Machinery Co . , Seattle , Washington , for $ 22 , 000 .