"BUILDING NEW SUPERLINER UNITED STATES" 1950s SS UNITED STATES NEWSREEL XD49234
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2022
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This 1950s black and white newsreel style film produced by William Ganz is titled “Building New Superliner United States” details, as the title suggests, the process behind designing and building the Superliner United States or SS United States as it was also known. The building of the ship was sponsored by the Maritime Commission as part of their post-war program that sought to establish a new passenger liner for North Atlantic Service docking in New York, Southampton, England, and Le Havre, France. The contract for constructing the ship, which was described as being larger than “the 70-story Rockefeller Center,” was signed in 1949 and the ship was ultimately designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs of the firm Gibbs and Cox Naval Architects. The ship was designed to be converted into a troopship in time of war, and featured many safety innovations. The ship took about a year to complete and the interior design was conscious of fire safety (including use of a lot of asbestos products) keeping in mind maritime accidents on other liners such as the SS Morro Castle and the SS Normandie.
Opening credits (0:13). Members of the Maritime Commission and General John M. Franklin President of the United States Lines gather around a model of the Superliner United States ship (30:00). Signing of the contract for the building of the ship by General Franklin, Vice Chairman Grenville Mellon and JB Woodward Jr. president of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (1:02). Bare bones of the ship known as Hull number 488 (1:17). Scenes of workers assembling the ship (1:33-6:15). Strips of neotechs being laid on the ship to keep the work (6:19). Shot of ship near completion (6:32). Production of the beds that would be in all of the ship's sleeping quarters and lab testing of all furnishings to ensure safety requirements (7:12). Electrical engineers at work (7:45). Installation of marinite into the ceilings which is a lightweight incombustible material (8:00). Painting of the ship (8:12). Men who worked on the ship flooding out of the ship onto the dock as production nears its end (8:29). Workmen smash battering rams against supporting shores (8:54). Waters of the James River in Virginia flood in to touch the keel of the ship for the first time (9:11). Shot of the finishing ship at the dock (9:31). Big reveal of finished ship at Newport News, Virginia (10:10). Mrs. Tom Connolly, wife of senior senator from Texas, and other guests look on at the ship in awe (10:14). Large crowd gathered as the finished product is christened (10:25). Superliner United States at first trial launch (10:39). Aerial shot of the streamliner heading for Hampton Roads, the Virginia Capes, then to the open sea of the Atlantic Ocean (10:50). Commodore Harry Manning Dean on the bridge adjusting settings of the ship (11:18). Aerial view of the United States Stream Liner (11:28). American flag and maritime flags featuring the nautical alphabet wave in the wind (12:25).
SS United States cost of $79.4 million and still exists today, although it is in desperate need of renovation. It remains the largest ocean liner constructed entirely in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction, retaining the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952. The ship is currently docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River, in Philadelphia.
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When we actually made things and had pride.
To the highest quality and standards, funded by the US Navy, and kept on record as a navy ship until 1978 ! She was magnificent, nothing in the world 🌎 like her !
I worked for United States lines sad to see the glory our country once was…
Anyone who is interested should check out the website for the SS United States Conservancy. Lord knows they need all the help they can get.
She still holds the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner - in both directions - 70 years later!
She was fitted with aircraft carrier engines and Her speed, estimated at 56mph, is still classified.
I still have a few towels, dinner and luncheon napkins (framed) and ash trays.
Beautiful ship from the USA #1 days!
When I was driving trucks I'd pick up freight in Chester PA right next to where she was berthed at a pier.
Even with all the rust, pealing paint and streaks of bird crap, she's still a beautiful sight.
I hope someone is able to refurbish that liner. It feels like standing beside the Titanic when you're there in person. Maybe whoever hits the Billion dollar MegaMillions jackpot could be kind enough to donate a small portion. Or, some of our Big Tech oligarchs could spare some 'pocket change'? Once she's gone it's too late to ever get her back.
I'd love to see her parade alongide USS Constitution some day.
The Constitution is a tall ship ( wood and sails) she's a beautiful boat but never gunna match cruising speed of a 40 knots
Would have done it if I won. Maybe next time
@@TrapperAaron SS United States could always slow down from 40 knots to Constitution's speed. I don't think Constitution ever leaves Baltimore Harbor.
Just awesome that we can revisit the past with these videos. Still today most of the shipbuilding is like it was back then.
My father tried to save her in the 1960s with Title XI Ship Financing Contracts - Congress said no. Aviation took over where ocean liners once took the Atlantic Service routes. Sorry. I thought she was scrapped decades ago. Found this upload today. My father passed in 1997.
She is the most unique vessel by any dimension as well as her history. She is the only Transatlantic Ocean Liner which crossed Atlantic twice with her engines shut after decommissioning and reached Northern shores of Black Sea.
Her funnels, though - they look like they belong on a modern cruise ship, and we all know they're not exactly exemplars of beauty, as were all of the great ocean liners. Thank you for sharing this :)
They don't build them like that anymore. What a beautiful national treasure. For shame to the nation of its namesake to leave her rusting and rotting away in the river. There is no excuse for abandoning her the way they did.
The most awesome ship ever built! NQA!
Not even by far it would be the "most awesome" ship...
Fantastic very boaty
I can't exactly explain it but I would so love to see her under power once again!!!!
Built in Virginia 👍😊♥️🇺🇸
All that talk about fire-proofing and not allowing wood - but they built it of aluminium - the one structural metal that burns really good and hot!
Building it for the trans-Atlantic run at the beginning of the jumbo airliner era was much like building steam locomotives at the beginning of the diesel electric era. Somebody had more money than brains.
It's been rusting away at a dock in Philadelphia for many years. All plans for renovating it have fallen through and its likely next stop is the scrapyard.
Sadly, yes.
The US conservancy has said that if it comes to that, they would rather scuttle her so she can become a artificial reef. Still a sad fate, but better than the scrapyard.
It’s a shame bc the sister ship which has nowhere near the history is still an attraction/hotel in CA, the queen mary. They should do the same on the Philly waterfront, it would be beautiful if redone.
@@jrthetravelingsalesman6357 RMS Queen Mary is NOT a "sister ship" in any way. RMS Queen Mary entered service in 1936, and is of very different design.
Before RMS Queen Mary was retired from service, arrangements were made for the ship to become a hotel. She sailed to Long Beach in 1967, underwent conversion to a hotel (much of her machinery was removed) and opened in 1971. She is now in need of major repairs after a half-century, due to hull corrosion.
The SS United States entered service in 1952 and sailed until 1969, when she was abruptly pulled from service during a scheduled overhaul. This termination of service was due to skyrocketing costs of operation, loss of passengers, and most of all due to the end of Federal operating subsidies.
Over the years SS United States has had many owners, each with plans that never came to anything. All of her furniture and interior fittings were removed and sold to pay off creditors; the insides are bare metal. She has been tied up in South Philadelphia for since 1996, and her condition is not good.
The Big Problem is that restoring SS United States would cost much more than building a whole new ship. Conversion to a floating hotel would be very costly too, and none of the interior would be original.
SS United States was built for speed, and set records that are still unbroken 70 years later. But that speed came at a cost; the engines consumed enormous amounts of fuel, which is a BIG reason she was removed from service.
Anything made by people can be fixed if you replace enough parts. The question is: Who's going to pay the bill?
@Chris101 Gray SS America is not sister ship either..SS America was launched in 1939 and it was much smaller ship
They should have seen that iceberg known as AirTravel coming.
I think they were blinded by wanting to have a ship better than what the rest of the world had to offer, the architects in particular pushed for it.
I'm Brazilian, sir but I would like to humbly say that this magnificent vessel was the testbench for all those very powerful US aircraft carriers we saw being built after her.
@@andreferro4618 And I humbly disagree as I fail to see any relation and It's time for her to be recycled.
@@anthonyxuereb792 Maybe it's time for me to be recycled too...
I'm 62 and I have done some stuff in my life.
But of course, you have the right to disagree and I respect that.
Greetings from Brazil.
@@andreferro4618 We don't get recycled Andre, our Maker is awaiting our return, just be ready. There best is yet to come. I like your corned beef, very tasty and versatile.
I just can't understand why the United States government doesn't protect such a beautiful piece of history. Its in great condition and the last of its kind in the world. Very sad
Awesome
And it's a crime what has happened to her.
A crime is what they did to CV-6 Enterprise.
One thing they conveniently left out. The US Navy rejected this ship for service because it listed too far to port.
I was on the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to bid farewell the morning this magnificent ship left the Chesapeake Bay,
unceremoniously towed by an ocean-going tug on her way to Turkey for 'rehabilitation'.
It is a travesty and a sad commentary that OUR Nation has NO flag vessel other than ships of WAR!
Design and engineered by naval architectural firm Gibbs & Cox, Inc.
7:55 What's "maronite" made of?
9:35 "How powerful is she?" If she were made today would she get a more efficient mode of propulsion, besides nuclear that is? I've heard combined cycle power plants are the way to go these days, a turbine acting as the "boiler" to create steam.
Marinite, is an Amosite, brown Asbestos insulating board. I think Johns Manville made
it.
@@indigohammer5732 That's what I suspected. Kind of explains why no one wants to rehab the USS United States to the point she could become an working ocean liner again instead of floating hotel in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego.
@@darkmath100 Marinite is an unusual material. There was a Marinite factory in Glasgow, which only used Brown Asbestos. There are very few facilities worldwide which solely processed Amosite. I think the Marinite in the US was made in Tyler Texas. The same as the QE2.
@@darkmath100 All that stuff was removed many years ago...
10:28
so how mnay workers got cancer from asbestos?
When America was the boss. A time when American stuff was the best. A ship so awesome in design. Saw an other docu about it, about the speed. That was stunning!!! When was the time, it went downwards?
As the flagship of the United States has legislation ever been introduced to save her?
Today that ship is extremely dated. All museum ships must be profitable....slight chance that will ever happen with this historic ship. One of the main enemies of all steel ships is salt water. Her days are numbered.
Well she’s held up extremely well, she’s in even better shape than the Queen Mary structurally, that’s what military grade steel gets you.
This ship doesn’t sit in salt water , it stays in the Delaware river in Phila which is fresh water
@@jrthetravelingsalesman6357 Fresh water can also do huge rust damage.
@@DouglasUrantia nothing like salt. Not even close. Salt will corrode and rust the ship away a lot quicker
the biggest white elephant ever to sail out of newport news!!
@@andreferro4618 the only thing it has in common with a carrier is size it ain;t nuclear and it's at least 10 knots slower than the closest carrier! it couldn't even keep a Nimitz in sight let alone keep up!! it never made a profit and it never carried full capacity when it was built is was crystal clear the passenger liner days were over and had been dead and gone for a decade and the airliner had taken it's place! the only reason it was built was to keep newport news busy til congress approved the new carriers!
@@keithmoore5306 max speed off Nimic class nuclear carrier is 56 km/h ,SS United States was 71 km/h.
@@dzonikg not sustained!! Nimitz can run full out for weeks at a time that tub's machinery maybe 48 hours, 72 at the outside before they have to throttle back or tear something up!!
@@keithmoore5306 The United States crossed the Atlantic on her record run at an average speed of 35.59 knots and completed the run in three days and ten hours; that's a total of 82 hours. For an encore performance she made the westbound passage home at over 34 .5 knots which took three days and 12 hours which sums to 84 hours. The only limit to her high speed sustained operation was fuel.
@@scottspilis1940 that really don't matter! the only demand for it was from the shipyard workforce not the passenger load! the fact is building it in the dying days of liners was a fools errand and a waste of money and effort! nobody was going to take the better part of 4 days to travel when they could do the same distance in way less than 24 hours flying!!!
lololo. that ship now looks like a true reflection of Muika!