She set a new Transatlantic crossing speed record on her maiden voyage in 1951. It remains unbroken.
Now, traveling from her port of 30 years after retiring and deteriorating in Philadelphia, she is again traveling faster than anyone expected.
The retired liner SS United States is expected to arrive in the Port of Mobile overnight, either Sunday night, March 2, or, more likely, in the early morning hours of Monday, March 3.
She departed Philadelphia on Wednesday, February 19. She was expected to take two weeks to be towed to Mobile. Then, it is expected on Friday, March 7. Then Thursday, March 6. Then March 5, Ash Wednesday, a celebrated and quiet day in Mobile. Then on Mardi Gras Day, March 4 – a boisterous day with hundreds of thousands of parade watchers in Mobile.
She has exceeded all those expectations and is now projected to reach her destination in the Mobile River overnight, March 2 or 3.
Viewers along the western side of Mobile Bay, in Mobile County, can watch the ship as she slows to enter the narrow Mobile Bay ship channel and the Mobile River. With good eyesight or binoculars, viewers can see her from the Eastern Shore in Baldwin County.
Viewing is not good from the USS Alabama Battleship Park as trees and buildings obstruct the view.
1819 News is not aware of any observance of her arrival.
One reason the ship traveled so fast was to get ahead of the foul weather forecast for Tuesday-Wednesday.
The ship is scheduled to be in Mobile for the next twelve months with 200 workers doing remediation.
If things go unchallenged, the SS United States will be transitioned into an artificial reef. That means it will be sunk in the Gulf of America, with holes cut into its hull to allow water to flow into the vessel. The ship must be re-engineered so that it would sit upright on the Gulf floor. Notably, the SS United States was designed with the intention of not sinking or catching fire, making its proposed fate as an artificial reef all the more ironic.
Concerns have been raised about the fate of the historic artifacts onboard. Plans are for the workers in Mobile to remove the remaining historically significant artifacts, including the iconic funnels, radar mast and bridge equipment, prior to the ship's sinking.
Environmental concerns have been raised about the potential impact of the ship's sinking on marine life and water quality in the Gulf.
The plan is for contractors in Mobile to remove from the ship all non-metal and materials potentially hazardous to the Gulf of America.
Okaloosa County, Florida, paid $1 million for ownership of the ship and is expected to spend about $10 million more on the conversion work in Mobile.
The plan does not sit well with members of the community and preservationists who want to see the ship preserved and docked where it can become a museum, historical attraction, or a vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The 'SS United States Conservancy,' the ship's previous owner, sold the vessel to Okaloosa County and has publicly encouraged the community to support the ship's transition to an artificial reef, calling it the "Next Chapter for America's Flagship." That chapter would be on the bottom of the Gulf.
The Conservancy failed in its efforts to raise half a million dollars for the costs of preservation and relocation from its pier in Philadelphia, which had been virtually abandoned for decades.
It was built in 1950-51 as the largest ocean liner ever constructed in the United States. On its maiden voyage, it set the transatlantic speed record using only about two-thirds of its power, and the record still stands.
One alternative plan is similar to what has been done at the USS Alabama Battleship Park on Mobile Bay.
The New York Coalition to Save the SS United States, along with other preservation groups and community members, is fighting to prevent the ship from being dismantled and sunk. The request to President Trump is the latest effort.
The Coalition is a last-ditch effort to save the ship. Their legal arguments include that Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act precludes the historic vessel from being destroyed without a public hearing and consideration of alternatives.
The ship transported notables — presidents, Congress members, Hollywood stars, heads of state—as well as tourists, members of the armed forces and immigrants between New York City and Southampton, England.
Supporters of the alternative plans cite similar ships, such as the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, and the Queen Elizabeth II in Dubai, and the Rotterdam in the Netherlands. These ships have been successfully repurposed as floating hotels or tourist and historical attractions.
Research by 1819 News indicates that there are three ways that the ship could be saved and restored:
1. The Coalition or other plaintiffs could obtain a federal injunction against the dismantling and sinking.
2. The Coalition or others could negotiate with Okaloosa County to acquire the ship and preserve it.
3. The Trump administration could take executive action.
The SS United States has been recognized as a National Registered Historic Place since 1999.
1819 News will cover the continuing story of efforts to preserve the ship or the progress of the transition to an artificial reef.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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