Last weekend, I had the great good
fortune to go aboard the SS United States. It is a ship that I have
read about for years as she is indisputably one of the great ships of
history. Indeed, I have a painting of her over my desk along with
the great French ocean liner Normandie. Inasmuch as the ship is
rarely open to the public, it was a privilege to go aboard.
The SS United States is the fastest
ocean liner ever built, a title she has held since 1952. No ocean
liner or cruise ship before or since has come close to her top speed
of nearly 40 knots. She is widely considered the height of American
shipbuilding.
During her 17 years in service, the SS
United States was a popular ship, carrying royalty, statesmen and
celebrities across the Atlantic along with thousands of tourists.
Bill Clinton, on his way to study at Oxford University, was one of
them. She was a more down-to-earth and informal ship than the
Cunard Queens or the French Line ships that were her main
competitors.
The SS United States was a very
American ship. As her confident, flowing lines and technological
prowess suggest, she personified the spirit of America in the post
war era.
She was built, not just for commercial
reasons, but also for national defense. In fact, the United States
government contributed the bulk of the $79 million needed to
construct her in the early 1950s. The idea was that the ship could
be quickly converted into a troopship capable of carrying 15,000
soldiers across the Atlantic in four days. The fact that the United
States could quickly reinforce the NATO troops stationed in Western
Europe with large numbers of soldiers acted as a deterrent to any
notion that the Soviet Union may have had to invade Western Europe
with conventional forces.
The SS United States was prematurely
retired in late 1969. Commercial jet travel had arrived and demand
for Atlantic crossings by ship was declining. At the same time,
labor costs and fuel costs were increasing. Essentially, her owners,
the United States Lines, took the ship down to Virginia and gave her
to the government.
Once it was decided that the SS United
States was no longer of military value, the government sold her to
private interests. Then began came a succession of owners who had
various grand schemes to put the ship back in service. Fortunes were
spent on these dreams but none ever came to fruition.
During one of these episodes the ship
was moved from Virginia to Turkey, then the Ukraine, and then back to
the United States. She has been in Philadelphia since 1996.
Despite all the money that has been
spent on her, the ship looks quite pathetic. She has not been
painted in years, her deck machinery is rusting and there is even
grass growing where some of the lifeboats once stood. Her interior
is empty, stripped down to the metal. Her first owners sold off all
of the moveable contents. Then when she was in the Ukraine, her
interior walls were removed in order to remove the asbestos that was
used to fireproof everything in the 1950s.
Her blemishes, however, are only
cosmetic. Surveys have shown that the ship is still structurally
sound. In addition, her vast expanse of interior space appears to be
full of potential for development.
Finding someone that will realize that
potential is the goal of the SS United States Conservancy. It has
been talking with real estate developers and government agencies in
an effort to preserve the ship. While there is hope for a new
future, time is fleeting. It costs some $60,000 a month just to
maintain the ship where she is and the Conservancy does not have
unlimited resources. Once its money runs out, the SS United States
will probably go to the scrapyard.
What a shame that would be! The SS
United States is not only an important part of maritime history but
is a symbol of the United States. Future generations will condemn us
for our stupidity if we let her go. This is especially so
considering her potential for future use. The Tate Modern in London,
the Musee d'Orsay in Paris and the High Line in New York City are
examples of how new uses can be found for old historic structures
once they are no longer needed for their original purpose.
I have added an SS United States
section to Beyondships with information and photos about the ship.
http://beyondships.com/SSUS-home.html
It includes a feature article outlining the story of the SS United
States. http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-story.html
There is also a photo feature showing the interior of the ship from
my visit to the SS United States.
http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-visit.html
Also, we have a video showing the fine proud lines of the exterior
of the SS United States.
http://www.beyondships2.com/ss-united-states-video.html
Also on Beyondships this week is Part
Two of our update on Adventure of the Seas. It includes an
interview in which the captain, the hotel director and the guest
services manager discuss what the cruise experience on Adventure is
like. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-101.html
In another interview, Hotel Director Gary Davies talks about the
recent changes made to Adventure of the Seas and those planned for
2016. http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-evolves.html
Finally, Captain Olle-Johan Gronhaug explains what is happening when
you see a cruise ship's lifeboats being launched while the ship is in
port.
http://www.beyondships2.com/adventure-of-the-seas-boat-drill.html
No comments:
Post a Comment