Luxury liner SS United States departs South Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon

Yahoo

20-02-2025

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The luxury liner SS United States departed South Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon to begin a two-week journey to its eventual destination as the world's largest artificial reef off Florida's Gulf Coast.
Several tugs are towing the luxury liner along the Atlantic Coast and around the southern tip of Florida to Mobile, Ala., where it will be prepared for its eventual sinking in waters located about 20 miles south of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Its final voyage will take significantly longer than the same route would have taken for the vessel that once held the transatlantic speed record in both directions from the United States to Europe at an average speed exceeding 41 mph.
The final voyage of the SS United States is so significant that local officials closed the Walt Whitman Bridge from 12:45 p.m.EST to 1 and the Commodore Barry Bridge from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 to prevent driver distractions as it traverses the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean.
The liner spent the last 29 years docked on the Delaware River in South Philadelphia but has fallen into disrepair with rust and peeling paint affirming it has lived out its intended service life.
Those interested can track its final voyage in real time online, although the tracking site has proven to be so popular that online visitors occasionally encounter delays.
The "SS" in the vessels name stands for "steam ship,"and its two large funnels require the vessel to be towed during low tide on the Delaware River to ensure it safely passes beneath bridges spanning the river.
The two smoke stacks are the world's tallest at 65 feet each, which is about equal in height to a six-story building. The ship measures 990 feet in length and could carry up to 1,984 passengers.
Designed for safety and grandeur
William Francis Gibbs designed the luxury liner to be completely fireproof by preventing the use of wood in the vessel other than the wood contained in grand pianos and for butcher's blocks, according to the SS United States Conservancy.
The ship contained no wood in its public restrooms,crew quarters or passenger accommodations. Even all of its textiles and fabrics were treated to be non-flammable.
Gibbs ensured the vessel was virtually fireproof by creating a mock-up cabin at the National Bureau of Standards' test facility and equipped it with non-flammable furniture designed by the ships interior designer Dorothy Marckwald and included room furnishings and typical passenger belongings.
Attempts to set the mock-up cabin alight only resulted in typical passenger clothing, perfumes, paper and luggage burning up without setting the cabin fittings on fired despite scorching them.
The SS United States included 23 public rooms, 395 staterooms and 14 first-class suites that featured colorful hues of reds, blues, greens and golds that contrasted with oyster-white walls and deep black linoleum flooring in its passageways.
The ship contained artwork that mostly was made from glass and other spun fibers and featured patriotic themes while its Observation Lounge contained murals depicting ocean currents and constellations.
World's fastest luxury liner
Initial sea trials in June 1952 demonstrated the SS United States could travel at up to 44 mph, and its maiden voyage departed on July 3, 1952, to coincide with the nation's Independence Day celebrations.
The vessel's first commander was Commodore Harry Manning, who previously was a co-pilot for pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart.
During the ship's maiden voyage, it encountered a strong gale and heavy seas but did not result in vibration that commonly affected other luxury liners at the time.
Billed as the world's fastest ship, the SS United States was very popular among the world's elite throughout the 1950s.
Among its esteemed passengers were comedian Bob Hope, actor John Wayne, Princess Grace of Monaco, artist Salvadore Dali, actress Rita Hayworth, former President Harry Truman, jazz composer and pianist Duke Ellington and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The vessel also on occasion served a movie sets for films like "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes," Walt Disney's "Bon Voyage" and "Munster, Go Home!"
The SS United States' popularity continued even as the jet age greatly changed the way in which people traveled long distances across the world's oceans.
Unfortunately, labor disputes, continual negotiations regarding federal operating subsidies and a general decline in demand for luxury liners among the general public led to the vessel's retirement in November 1969.
Preparations planned prior to final sinking
After it arrives at Mobile, the ship's new owner, the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department, will have contractors remove harmful substances and ensure it complies with local, state and federal safety requirements.
Many items, including its two iconic funnels, will be removed for eventual use at an onshore museum dedicated to the SS United States.
Once it has been sunk in Gulf Coast waters near Destin, Fla., it will become the world's largest artificial reef and will support diverse marine life.
Recreational divers will be able to visit the ship, making it a likely popular attracting for divers around the globe.