The SS United States and Its Fight to Stay Afloat | The Power of Images
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- The SS United States, known as America's Flagship, was the largest luxury liner ever built but now sits derelict in a Pennsylvania harbor. Take a look inside this magnificent ship and the plans to bring it back to life.
Stephen Mallon is a photographer and filmmaker, specializing in industrial-scale creations, revealing the often desolate landscapes juxtaposed against the inspiring nature of human ingenuity. His work has been featured in major publications, newspapers, and broadcast media outlets (New York Times, NatGeo, WSJ) and in galleries around the world. See his work at artrepreneur.com/p/stephenmallon
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You can find more information on the SS United States Conservancy at www.ssusc.org
CORRECTIONS: The propellers for the SS United States were developed by the Department of Defense, not the CIA, and the swimming pool is not copper but Monel Steel, which is a nickel-copper alloy. - Zábava
I crossed the Atlantic on this ship in November of 1955. Southampton to New York. Remember the wait to board the ship as it was late arriving in Southampton. And a quick turnaround there to get it back on schedule. The increased vibration at night as the ship sped across the Atlantic. And the excitement of the New York shore first coming into view.
Were you visiting the US? Coming back home? That must be an amazing memory.
@@xjcrossx Landed Nov 1955 and still here. Only went back for a visit once.
Instablaster...
I have an old model of this very ship purchased at an estate sale years ago and amazingly the interior lights still work , it is a beautiful ship and the country should come together for the restoration as it represents the best that our country used to be before greedy politicians wrecked it for us all .
There should be a US Marine Painting Corps, tasked with preserving US history.
Sailed in September 1963 and July 1967. Have "cruised" numerous times since but still love this ship so much. Video showed 2 of my 3 favorite areas of the ship, the Promenade and the swimming pool. I hope that plans work out and I can walk aboard her again someday.
The SS United States is the only ocean liner ever crossed Atlantic twice with her engines shut and sailed as far as to the Ukraine and back to US in the 90s. She was still making records after decomissioning.
AHHHH! The SS United States was NOT a CRUISE SHIP! It was never intended or built for "cruising!" It is most properly called an "ocean liner." The term "cruise ship" didn't become a term until the 1970's, after all the ocean liners were retired from service due to the affordability of air travel. Cruise Ships are designed for passenger pleasure cruising on short hops not too far from land going from port to port. SS United States, and all her sisters (Queen Mary, from whom she stole away the Blue Ribband) the Queen Elizabeth, the SS American and all those other ocean going vessels prior to 1969 were specifically engineered for trans-Atlantic and ocean crossings carrying both passengers and cargo intercontinentally and requiring a rigor of design needed for high speed travel in rough seas. Cruise ships are designed for slower speeds in calmer, closer to shore waters. The only true ocean liner in existence today would be the Queen Mary 2. I wish everyone would stop calling these great old ocean liners "cruise ships." They were not. Period! You sound stupid when you call Big-U a "cruise ship."
Absolutely. I sailed on this ship and two other ocean liners. There is nothing that can get me to set foot on a cruise ship, a very different vessel.
Absolutely, this was a ship. It did what ships were supposed to do, carry passengers across a large body of water for the purpose of transportation. Another truth, thanks to the reality of the jet airplane as well as the very high cost of fuel, we likely won't see ships in this role again, what a shame. Back in the 60's there was a gasoline ad for Exxon I think, and they used to say we'll put a tiger in your tank. With today's price of gas they should have a picture of "Joe the Boss" Biden with a caption that reads, we'll put a Biden in your tank. Oh no, the car would forget. Where to go. You'd be picked up for driving around in circles.
Beautiful pictures! I pray she can be saved.
You wanna know why the SSUS stays afloat? Because we, here in Philly, are a whole 'nother breed of animal. We're just that tough!
Another fabulous story and project by Steve Mallon. Great job with the photographs and video
Thank you Denis!
I love this ship, she is my favorite oceanliner! Amazing photographs, you brought out the beauty that the big u still has, thank you.
Titanic is my fav
@@dakotabeshears5586 mine as well too
Queen Mary for the win
@@heyitshuttz3705 what?
Awesome! Great work Steve!
Finally, I get to know what ship it is that was shown near the Philadelphia Parking Authority impound lot on Parking Wars. I couldn’t find any passenger ship berthed in Philadelphia listed on the internet, but I just stumbled across this, and another conservancy video and finally have my curiosity satisfied.
Philadelphias Largest Abandoned Vehicle,... right under Garfields Nose....it doesnt even have a yellow boot on it.....
@@interstellaraxeman4468, it would take one Hell of a boot for that majestic old lady! Garfield would wet himself if he ever came across anything that big. The CocaCola delivery truck he brought booted in one episode got him pretty excited.
My grand parents sailed once on the SS America and the sister ship, the Big U twice. We went to their Bon Voyage parties held on the ships. I was floored when I found out the Big U was still afloat in Philly. I live in FL and used to drive up the east coast to visit family in PA and upstate NY.; I made it a point to visit her in Philly about 10 years ago. I was nearly in tears seeing her as a rust bucket but somehow her beauty reached out to me. Thank you for this video.
been talking about restoring it for like 20 years and nothing has happend yet
Sadly it's too expensive to be repaired by one company. It was gutted decades ago and auctioned off. Drydocking and rebuilding would cost hundreds of millions.
The lazy leftists who run the conservancy are more interested in empowering feminism than manning up to save the ship from doom.
Those propellars are unique, and MUST NOT be replaced. Together with the unique shape of the hull hold the key for the speed record.
THANK YOU !! VERY SAD,, TO SEE IT RUSTING SO BAD HOPE TO SEE IT COME BACK TO LIFE ..GREAT VIDEO!!
I got to see this ship a few years ago during a school trip and it was one of the most amazing and exciting things ever. Just a couple of facts to brush you up on in regards to the Big U.
1. She was launched on June 23, 1951, but her maiden voyage was on July 3, 1952.
2. She is not a cruise ship; she's an ocean liner. These are ships which are designed to transport passengers from Point A to Point B - ex. England to America - as fast and as safely as possible, regardless of the weather or delays. They predate today's jet aircraft which can fly long-haul. Cruise ships on the other hand are built to pack as many people and amenities as possible in order to make as much money as possible, and travel at a more leisurely pace in more tropical locations. Thus, there are many structural differences between an ocean liner and a cruise ship, differences which I will encourage you to look up, as it will save me the trouble of writing an essay.
3. While she was and still is the largest passenger ship built in the US, she was not the largest ship in the world; that title belonged to the Cunard Line's RMS Queen Elizabeth. This was a deliberate move, however. While the Elizabeth and her more famous running mate, the RMS Queen Mary, were in excess of 80,000 gross registered tons (a measurement of internal volume, not necessarily weight), the United States 53,330 grt. This was primarily due to her superstructure and funnels being made out of aluminum. This makes her the largest structure ever constructed with aluminum, and thus allowed her to be a vastly lighter ship in comparison to her rivals, and even to the biggest liners of the previous Golden Age.
4. Her lighter size, in addition to her hull and propeller design and immense horsepower, helped greatly benefit her speed. On her sea trials, she achieved an official speed of 38.32 knots (44 mph) in choppy conditions, and averaged 34-35 knots in both directions on her maiden voyage. This was only 2/3s of her power, to which simple math points to her top speed being at least 45 knots (52 mph). While never officially confirmed, she was reported to have achieved this and even greater speeds during her trials. She could indeed go faster in reverse than many ships beforehand - including Titanic - and today could go forward.
All in all, it was really cool seeing you upload a video on her. It gives a very unique look at the ship through the eyes of a skilled photographer, and helps spread awareness about her. The fact that Nat Geo commissioned you to do this makes me all the more confident that she will one day be restored. :D
In May of 1958 I made the voyage from Southampton to New York on the United States. Fortunately I have some photos as well as my memories.
Sometimes "it's better to burn out then fade or decay away" think it applies to this grand lady.....
She can't burn.
Very good use of light inside the ship. What camera equipment did you use?
The SS France was dismantled in India. Don' t let the SS United States suffer the same fate.
Wonderful pictures. It's highly unfortunate that the reality of maintaining these permanently docked ships requires heavy subsidies. The Queen Mary in Long Beach is a prime example. They cannot generate enough revenue to sustain themselves. Even the docked warships are problematic. The Texas is constantly in peril of sinking. The history is important but oh what a struggle.
I love this ship because of the history and I just love ships. It won't be around much longer. I think because how it looks. Yes, it's still in very good shape, but it needs to be cleaned up, and painted. Paint is what protects a ship from the elements. Also, someone is more likely to purchase it if it looks nice. It sits at a dock in Philadelphia, enduring the harsh weather of the northeast. Also, the mismanagement of the current owners not taking advantage of the love of this ship. There's enough people who love this ship who would gladly volunteer to clean it up. make it safe enough to conduct guided tours. Have people sign wavers. Charge a nice amount for it. This way it's making some type of income instead of just relying on donations. People donate thousands, and get nothing but empty promises. They keep donating because they love the ship so much.
That is a fantastic idea, and while they do a few select tours, obviously they need to step their game up. Get some volunteers to come aboard and start working on her, similar to what we do over here in Mass with the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young. Once she's restored to a good enough condition, start offering tours around her to the general public but with a fee, while still keeping the special tours as a thing. As the money starts coming in and more efficiently than just relying on donations, the chances this ship can soon be restored may jump up tenfold. You need to share this idea with the Conservancy. I'll shoot them an early heads up and we'll see what happens. :D
@@Kaidhicksii I told the conservatory about this years ago. They shot down the idea. They give special tours only to the people who donate thousands. They claimed tours for the public are too dangerous and their insurance won't allow it for liability purposes yet they give it to special people? I think it's been in the same spot since 95 or 96. That's insane!
@@jonathanlee7355 Indeed. For comparison I helped give tours aboard the USS Cassin Young, which is still very much in the same condition it was in when serving on the frontlines, no modifications made for public safety. All we have to tell people are to watch their heads, their steps and to not run, and I cannot recall hearing of anyone getting hurt on board to date. I understand the Conservancy's thinking with their strategy, but they should seriously reconsider, as again, I think your idea could be their best bet at raising enough funds and public awareness to save this ship. RXR Realty are great, but they can't do it all I don't think.
Please save this ship . Historic . I care . Mary Babiec
Sadly I think it's days are numbered!
I go write letter to government. I ask them to fund the restoration of it as it is a shop with our countries name with a good history.
It was never a cruise ship. But after spending probably a billion dollars to restore her, she would have to complete with the modern cruise ships, lacking casinos, high end restaurants, go cart tracks, balconies, large theaters and who knows what else. You might as well give that billion dollars to Atilla the Hun to expect any return on the investment. It is tired, rusty and obsolete along with point and shoot cameras, disco and 8 track tapes. Let her rest in peace.
modern cruise ships doomed
Hi, Airliner ?
This is Ocean Liner.
You win.
So sad it would be worth saving it
For the cost of 1 mars rocket it could be transformed & 2 more built - Think about that .
A soon as you called her a cruise ship I turned off the sound and watched the slide show only.
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Upon further research, I discovered this great news: With support from our generous donors, the Conservancy will create an exciting immersive experience for visitors to the ship that will recreate some of the most iconic shipboard locations. We will also continue to expand our permanent collections, develop additional traveling and temporary exhibitions, launch an oral history initiative and design educational modules that explore the role of the SS United States in the context of Cold War history, labor relations, maritime transportation, immigration, race and ethnicity, and other themes.
Thank you for helping us celebrate and preserve the SS United States’ unique cultural, historical, and technological legacy.
That's not news, it's the same hopeful rhetoric they have been saying for years.
There is a realtor who said they would supposedly turn it into something in the way of the Queen Mary, but no ports anywhere are showing any interest. And this has been going on since last year.
I read just a few days ago that it appears its fate will be scrapping.
They have no money.
I prefer scuttling it. It's long overdue.
@Paris Smith it was LAST year that they signed a preliminary deal to TRY to do something. ...
Since then they have tried to strike a deal with a port in a state and no one has shown interest.
I read and follow.
She is not a "cruise ship" as the narrator says. She is an Ocean Liner.
Hermoso cuanto costará en esas condiciones repararlo ?
Debe ser caro porque no lo tienen en dique seco hay se ahorrarían el dinero que usan para mantenerlo a flote.
Such a shame the shape in which the boat is today.
Help save this ship Mary Babiec
The speed record was lost in 1990.
Going by Blue Riband standards, she's still the official holder, as no passenger liner carrying paying passengers has beaten her time. Only completely different ships going for the similar yet different Hales Trophy.
Awesome ( cruise ship) . 😁
Great job. I’d visit if restored
Ocean liner not cruise ship😀
If i am Elon musk, i will buy this and restore it again hehe but for floating hotel only, like the Rms Queen Mary in Long beach
Y conservarlas la máquina de vapor porque yo lo compraría para restaurarlo y volver a hacer viajes eso se puede no.
Why doesn't time start a campaign to save her like the school kids did .
For the sailing ship old iron sides
What I don’t understand is how come the queen Mary was made into a hotel, but yet this ship is just sitting and rotting away? It makes me mad how wasteful the American government is
The Queen Mary ,...yeah, that entity just went bankrupt....
What this project will take is something that nobody is currently considering, and it will be the only long term self sustaining solution that virtually assures a successful productive restoration and repurposing.
How that will be done is a truly unique way, as the current holding pattern is just treading water,....a self fulfilling prophecy of stagnation with good intent, but no headway in waters rougher by the decade,...
It is NOT the government, it is the leftist SS US conservancy who are happy to manage her to her doom.
I stayed on the Queen Mary about 6 yrs ago, it was a marvelous experience. Sad they could not have done that with the U before they stripped it.
There is a reason why Diesel killed Steam: Man Hours. Steam requires a lot of labor. Labor is expensive today. We get nostalgic, so we like to restore old things. Before the USS United States sails again, it will require lots of money. Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos kind of money. Crazy cubic money. Would have to expect to operate it at a loss.
it's not a cruise ship is action ocean matteris especially used for cutting waves that is even bigger than the shop
She’s in rusted out condition, inoperable. Even ships breakers in India and Bangladesh might not accept her. The Queen Elizabeth II has been saved as a stationary hotel ship at Dubai.
I love the photography, but I just could not sit through the entire thing because of the narration. Your narration constantly sounds as if you’re asking a question, or you sound unsure of what you are saying. Sorry, can’t stand the unsure tone in your narration.
I had the same problem. I made it through the entire video, but the narration was very distracting. Try turning the sound off and just enjoying the beautiful images
Scrap it. It's long overdue.
I don't think she's beautiful sorry, I never did come to terms with the large funnels and somehow the bow just missed the mark.