logo
Historic ship completes first leg of journey to become world's largest artificial reef

Historic ship completes first leg of journey to become world's largest artificial reef

Independent03-03-2025

The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world's largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage.
The SS United States, a 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel that shattered the trans- Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, arrived early Monday in Mobile, Alabama, nearly two weeks after departing from south Philadelphia's Delaware River.
The ship was due to arrive at a repair facility in Mobile later Monday. Crews will spend about six months cleaning and preparing the ship before it is eventually sunk off Florida's Gulf Coast.
The 1,800-mile (2,897-kilometer) move south started on Feb. 19, about four months after a years-old rent dispute was resolved between the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord. Plans to move the vessel last November were delayed over U.S. Coast Guard concerns about whether the ship was stable enough to make the trip.
Officials in Okaloosa County on Florida's coastal Panhandle hope the ship will become a barnacle-encrusted standout among the county's more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars annually in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.
Officials have said the deal to buy the ship could eventually cost more than $10 million.
The SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. Its maiden voyage broke the trans-Atlantic speed record in both directions when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph), The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship. The ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the trans-Atlantic speed record for an ocean liner.
The SS United States became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced between various private owners who hoped to redevelop it. They eventually found their plans too expensive or poorly timed, leaving the vessel looming for years on south Philadelphia's Delaware River waterfront.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell
It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell

Time Out

time5 hours ago

  • Time Out

It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell

Going for dinner at a hotel is A Very American Thing To Do. Most Brits will only eat at a hotel if they are actually staying there and can't be arsed to leave the building in order to get fed. It's fitting then, that the NoMad's newly revamped in-house restaurant is a high-octane tribute to the big, ballsy American brasserie. Previously known as the slightly more descriptive 'Atrium', the roomy, well, hotel atrium's rebrand as Twenty8 NoMad also reeks of flashy New York, utilising the kind of chaotic jumble of letters and numbers that brings to mind Manhattan staples Bungalow 8 and Eleven Madison Park. It's brash, even grating, but we'll give it a pass, as it fits the aesthetic bang on, which is all Manhattan-by-way-of-the-Marais, an extravagant Yank take on the French brassiere, complete with excessively high ceilings, balustrades and balconies. 'Intimate' it is not, but cosy is overrated, and we're struggling to think of anywhere else in London that seems at once like peak Studio 54 and the ideal date spot for Romeo and Juliet. Into this truly special space steps a lavish 'raw bar', supersized-steak frites and an entire menu devoted to the martini. Our dirty vodka offering comes with a whole second helping, courtesy of a sidecar on ice, as well as three blue-cheese stuffed olives. It's the first in a carnival of oversized (read: American) offerings. A starter of crispy artichokes, which, though deep fried, are surprisingly light, and also very big boys. It's easy to see why our prawn cocktail doesn't arrive in a bowl; it's their sheer size. Veritable baby arms of seafood (even with the heads taken off), and served with a pot of humming horseradish cocktail sauce. Then comes a bowl of mussels (all of them fastidiously turned face up), in a creamy green curry sauce accessorised with bubbly, burnished roti. It might seem inconspicuous on a menu dedicated to brassiere classics, but it works through sheer dint of its deliciousness - and yes, they also seem larger than your average bivalve. Mains too are mighty, and a glossy lobster pasta is almost demonic in its execution. Using what we can only assume is an entire block of butter, a hearty grind of black pepper, smattering of chives and huge lumps of lurid lobster, the chef has created a dish worthy of beelzebub's own dinner party. It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell, is what we're saying. Did we have room for dessert? Did we heck. A minty grasshopper cocktail stood in for an actual pudding, and, in true bountiful American style, we were packed off with a small box of chocolate bon-bons. Bigger isn't always better, but it certainly seems to be when you're at Twenty8 NoMad. The vibe A very good-looking hotel restaurant. The food Epic portions of French/American bistro classics. The drink There's a whole martini menu as well as classic cocktails and high-end, high-price wine. Time Out tip Far be it from us to intentionally undercut a restaurant, but the starters here are sizable. If there's two of you, it wouldn't be out of the question to order one each and then a main to share along with a side.

Free Pair of Wristbands to M&D's Scotland's Theme Park
Free Pair of Wristbands to M&D's Scotland's Theme Park

Edinburgh Live

time13 hours ago

  • Edinburgh Live

Free Pair of Wristbands to M&D's Scotland's Theme Park

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Take up this offer and you will enjoy a fun family day out. That's not all – you will also be taken on a Jurassic adventure into the world of dinosaurs. To claim your two FREE 'ride all day' wristbands, simply fill in the form below. You will recieve an email with a code to claim your free wristbands at M&D's Scotland's Theme Park. Please check your junk or spam folder if you don't see the email in your inbox right away. If you cannot see the form please click here. Featuring life-like dinosaurs it will feel like you've stepped into another time. The Theme Park will host free interactive daily shows plus you will have the chance to meet the baby dinosaurs too! From 28 June to 10 August 2025 the exclusive 'Train Your Velociraptor' street show will take place at 12:30pm, 3:30pm and 5:30pm where you will see prehistoric creatures come to life in front of your very own eyes. Located next to Strathclyde Country Park, M&D's Scotland's Theme Park is one of Scotland's top visitor attractions. The Theme Park has up to 40 rides and attractions to suit every age – from toddler-friendly rides to white-knuckle thrill rides. There's also Amazonia, Scotland's only indoor tropical rainforest packed with exotic animals and plants, Devil's Island Adventure Golf, Cosmic Bowl, a ten-pin bowling alley, and Krazy Congo Soft Play. There are also many food outlets to enjoy, from snacks to restaurant meals, including the award-winning American-themed diner, Monterey Jack's. Car parking and entry into the Theme Park are completely free and there is also a range of ticket options to suit everyone's budget. Terms and conditions apply, please see voucher for details. The voucher is for two free 'ride all day' wristbands only on the following dates: June 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30. July 1-6 2025. The wristbands allow all day access to over 40 theme park rides. Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Photocopies will not be accepted. Voucher must be presented at Ticket Office at M&D's Scotland's Theme Park. Terms & conditions apply. Visit for more information. New bus service introduced to M&D's Scotland's Theme Park M&D's Scotland's Theme Park has teamed up with First Bus to provide a dedicated local bus service to and from the Theme Park this summer! Lanarkshire residents can take advantage of a new First Bus service 247 to the Theme Park which will pick up and drop off at various points including Hamilton Bus Station, Motherwell and Bellshill. The 247 First Bus service will run from 28th June until 12th August daily. For the full service and up-to-date information click here.

Trump travel ban hits immigrant family coming to U.S. amid bloody civil war in Myanmar
Trump travel ban hits immigrant family coming to U.S. amid bloody civil war in Myanmar

NBC News

timea day ago

  • NBC News

Trump travel ban hits immigrant family coming to U.S. amid bloody civil war in Myanmar

A Burmese American woman was eager to bring her siblings over to the U.S. from Myanmar amid a more than 15-year wait for visas. She'd been hoping to reunite with them since the 1990s, during military rule in her home country, so her brother's family could start a life in the U.S. But a day after she bought the plane tickets, President Donald Trump ordered a travel ban that included Myanmar. The woman, 51, and her husband, who were granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, had sponsored her brother and sister-in-law to immigrate to the U.S. The siblings were then were hoping to bring their own adult kids, too, so that they wouldn't have to fulfill mandatory military service in the country's active civil war. With the travel ban in effect Monday, they said the policy has a heightened impact on people from war-torn countries like Myanmar who had hopes of finding sanctuary in the U.S. 'It's really frustrating because we were on the cusp of securing their safety to leave that situation,' said her husband, 57, adding he felt like a 'rug got pulled out from under us in an instant.' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump's policy is in the 'best interest of the American people and their safety.' 'His commonsense, country-specific travel restrictions include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information,' Jackson said. 'The restrictions fulfill the President's day one promise to protect American citizens from dangerous foreign actors who may come to the United States and cause us harm.' The travel restrictions, announced on Wednesday, completely bar entry to the U.S. for people from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in addition to those from Afghanistan, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Other countries, including Cuba, Laos and Venezuela, are under partial travel restrictions. According to Trump's proclamation, several of the countries on the list had declined to accept the repatriation of their nationals while others had visa overstay rates that the administration deemed 'unacceptable.' A few countries lacked 'the competence of the central authority' for issuing passports, the proclamation said. Jackson also pointed out a section in the proclamation that allows for applications for refugee status. 'Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the [international Convention Against Torture], consistent with the laws of the United States,' the proclamation said. However, after he took office, Trump limited refugee admissions for almost all countries including Myanmar. And in May, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to revoke the temporary legal status of more than 500,000 immigrants that was granted by the Biden administration. Those immigrants came from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela and are now subject to deportation. Myanmar was among the nine countries in the latest proclamation that Trump also targeted during his first term. In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. issued 13,284 visas to the country, with business and tourism permits making up the most common types of visas. Myanmar recorded 1,384 overstays that fiscal year, equating to an overstay rate of almost 30%. The new travel ban comes as Myanmar's violent military regime fights to hold on to power after it seized control from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup. Since then, violence has escalated across the region as the military clashes with ethnic minority rebel groups and pro-democracy militias. 'Junta forces have slaughtered thousands of civilians, bombed and burned villages, and displaced millions of people,' Tom Andrews, United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, said in a press release earlier this year. 'More than 20,000 political prisoners remain behind bars. The economy and public services have collapsed. Famine and starvation loom over large parts of the population.' Under the new travel ban, anyone who obtained a visa prior to the policy is still able to come to the U.S. But there's confusion over how the restrictions will be implemented and enforced. The Burmese American woman and her husband are among those with concerns, particularly as there have been several cases of lawful permanent residents and citizens being swept up in the dragnet of Trump's immigration policies. 'It's terrifying to think that they could be randomly picked up because somebody had a bad day at the office, or somebody didn't do their job or didn't believe that their visa was true,' the woman's husband said. 'It's quite frankly terrifying.' For the woman, reunification with her brother has been a long time coming. She became a citizen in the late 1990s and began the process to help bring her sibling over a few years later. At the time, Myanmar had been under the control of a strict military junta that held power from the 1960s until 2011, and for decades had kept the country in a state of extreme isolation and deprivation. She said her brother, whose children were just a few years old then, hoped to come over and root his family in more stability. 'Their circumstances in Myanmar at that time were very, very bad. That was the system that I grew up in. There was no future for them, no prosperity,' the woman said. 'My brother was concerned for his children's future and education.' Amid moves and address changes, the couple said they never received the standard letter notifying them that the woman's brother had been able to progress in his visa process. They assumed the wait was a product of notorious immigration backlogs. It wasn't until the situation in Myanmar intensified again in recent years that the couple found out that the brother was close to finally being able to immigrate. But by then, the woman said, her brother's kids had aged out of the system. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, those who turn 21 before being approved for legal permanent resident status are no longer considered a child for immigration purposes and need to file an entirely new application, prolonging the green card process. At this point, the woman said, her brother and sister-in-law said they were willing to risk possible detention to come to the U.S., particularly if it meant easier access to the American immigration system that would enable them to fight to get their children to come over as well. However, with Myanmar's military draft in effect, the family is particularly concerned for their safety now that the travel ban adds another barrier to leaving. 'The reason they wanted to come here was for their kids,' the woman said of her brother and sister-in-law. 'Now, it's really hard to bring my nephews here to save their lives.' Quyen Dinh, executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, said the bans are ultimately another part of 'the engine of Trump's mass deportation machine.' 'It's focused on demonizing immigrant families and communities by denying them family reunification, that we all rightfully deserve to be whole — especially now, when the world is more dangerous than ever,' Dinh said. Rather than protecting individuals' safety, Dinh said, she believes Trump's policy punishes those who need an escape from dangerous conditions. 'It perpetuates the violence that is happening across the world, as opposed to creating conditions for peace or humanitarian relief, and for these families who've been separated,' Dinh said. She also said she views the ban as evidence that the U.S. is misunderstanding its role as a humanitarian leader. 'We've got people who are legitimately trying to escape a civil war,' the woman's husband said. 'Now, because of some arbitrary decision by the Trump administration to pick a certain number of countries … without consideration of the actual cases, without an exception policy, it hurts them. They've done nothing wrong.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store