She sailed 1,800 miles from Philadelphia, where she was idle and deteriorating for 30 years.
SS United States ended her 12-day voyage at the Port of Mobile on Lundi Gras on Monday, the day before the huge annual celebration of Mardi Gras.
She was greeted like thousands of ships before her by the welcoming point of Alabama, the Sand Island Lighthouse.
Dozens watched her enter Mobile Bay between Dauphin Island’s Fort Gaines and Baldwin County’s Fort Morgan.
Thousands more lined both sides of Mobile Bay as she passed the Grand Hotel and Fairhope on Mobile Bay’s Eastern Shore and Dog River and Brookley Field on the west.
She entered the narrow Mobile Bay Ship Channel. Then, into the Mobile River and the ship basin.
Finally, she docked at Modern American Recycling Service (M.A.R.S.). There, she will be stripped of non-metal and potentially hazardous materials. The plan is for her to be made environmentally safe for a new life on the floor of the Gulf of America where she would become the world’s largest artificial reef.
While passengers would no longer be able to enjoy her – they haven’t since 1969 – she would be used by Gulf fishermen, divers and museum-goers at a nearby tribute to her in Okaloosa County, Florida.
The ship is scheduled to be at M.A.R.S. in Mobile for the next six to 12 months, where 200 workers will be 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.
Okaloosa County, Fla., paid $1 million for ownership of the ship and is expected to pay about $9.1 million more for the towing and conversion work in Mobile.
The plan does not sit well with historical 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.
One alternative plan is similar to what has been done at the USS Alabama Battleship Park nearby on Mobile Bay. The old ship has been fully restored and hosts tourists daily – thousands a year. It also serves as the flagship for dozens of other former military planes, ships and submarines. It is a major tourist attraction and quickly earned back the funds put up by private donors and the government for infrastructure.
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 1950-1951 as the largest ocean liner ever constructed in the United States. It set the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage using only about two-thirds of its power. The record still stands.
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 latest effort involves a request to President Donald Trump.
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, Calif., 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.
"In the spirit of her record-breaking history, America's Flagship concluded her journey from Philadelphia to Mobile faster than anticipated. As she moved through the waves for the first time in 28 years, countless onlookers and admirers along the country's eastern seaboard were inspired by her majesty and beauty." - SS United States Conservancy president Susan Gibbs
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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