"BUILDING NEW SUPERLINER UNITED STATES" 1950s SS UNITED STATES NEWSREEL XD49234

[@michaelcallahan5358]

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 !

[@SomeRandomHuman717]

Thanks for posting this newsreel. On 9/3/24 the Okaloosa FL County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet to approve a contract to purchase SS United States, tow her offshore of the Destin, FL vicinity and sink her to become an artificial reef and tourist/dive attraction.

[@johngrisanti547]

American pride and skill, this ship must be preserved!!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@jerrymarlow5453]

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.

[@Dav385]

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.

[@glennevans5824]

I worked for United States lines sad to see the glory our country once was…

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

She still holds the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner - in both directions - 70 years later!

[@jerrycallender9927]

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.

[@thomasm9139]

Just awesome that we can revisit the past with these videos. Still today most of the shipbuilding is like it was back then.

[@skipsassy1]

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.

[@kevinjhonson5925]

When we actually made things and had pride.

[@kef103]

Not just the USA but anyplace in the world.

[@richarddeason1845]

Too bad we no longer have ships like this one

[@andrewnelson3681]

That’s exactly what they’ve been deliberately working to undermine for the last 75 years.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

The most awesome ship ever built! NQA!

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

Not even by far it would be the "most awesome" ship...

[@achatcueilleur5746]

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.

[@Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu]

Beautiful ship from the USA #1 days!

[@slartybarfastb3648]

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.

[@TrapperAaron]

The Constitution is a tall ship ( wood and sails) she's a beautiful boat but never gunna match cruising speed of a 40 knots

[@frankrizzo367]

Would have done it if I won. Maybe next time

[@slartybarfastb3648]

@@TrapperAaron SS United States could always slow down from 40 knots to Constitution's speed. I don't think Constitution ever leaves Baltimore Harbor.

[@1JamesMayToGoPlease]

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 :)

[@buster177win]

I can't exactly explain it but I would so love to see her under power once again!!!!

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Fantastic very boaty

[@danielhutchinson6604]

Like all the lovely transportation Artwork, this one got neglected.

[@matthewscopelite5303]

Post WW2 (1945-1955) America. "The Masters Of The Universe Era"

[@mikedrown2721]

Built in Virginia 👍😊♥️🇺🇸

[@keithammleter3824]

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.

[@brober]

When USA ruled the waves!

[@MIKES0029]

Awesome

[@dannycurtis1744]

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

[@kay9549]

@dannycurtis1744 she is still beautiful !! Not cared for many years unfortunately. Perhaps it may be best for her to become a reef; rather than scrapped. Indeed, she will not go quietly into the night w/o a good fight. She is the united states flagship; still holds blue riband for transatlantic travel since 1952.

[@user-cf1se1kk5x]

They should have seen that iceberg known as AirTravel coming.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

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.

[@andreferro4618]

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.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

@@andreferro4618 And I humbly disagree as I fail to see any relation and It's time for her to be recycled.

[@andreferro4618]

@@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.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

@@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.

[@R32R38]

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.

[@JugSouthgate]

Sadly, yes.

[@thomasfuller5932]

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.

[@jrthetravelingsalesman6357]

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.

[@JugSouthgate]

@@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?

[@dzonikg]

@Chris101 Gray SS America is not sister ship either..SS America was launched in 1939 and it was much smaller ship

[@darkmath100]

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.

[@indigohammer5732]

Marinite, is an Amosite, brown Asbestos insulating board. I think Johns Manville made it.

[@darkmath100]

@@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.

[@indigohammer5732]

@@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.

[@andreferro4618]

@@darkmath100 All that stuff was removed many years ago...

[@markJaggi]

Sadly it looks as though she will be sunk for an artificial reef off the Florida coast. I guess it's better than being cut up for scrap but still a sad end for such a majestic ship.

[@marklogsdon4735]

And it's a crime what has happened to her.

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

A crime is what they did to CV-6 Enterprise.

[@blacktim3376]

How can we be looking at reefing this ship?

[@chrisjeffries2322]

It will be better the scaping, she will be home to sea life and the Queen of the Gulf of Mexico

[@frankgonzalezofficial3010]

As the flagship of the United States has legislation ever been introduced to save her?

[@JL-lg8tk]

Sad they couldn't raise the money to restore this ship and repurpose it into a hotel/museum. At least it won't be unceremoniously scrapped but sunk as an artificial reef.

[@Modeltnick]

In real danger of becoming an artificial reef. She just lost her berth.

[@jimbennett3788]

Design and engineered by naval architectural firm Gibbs & Cox, Inc.

[@jerrycallender9927]

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!

[@trevorn9381]

This magnificent vessel was a ship of WAR thinly disguised as an ocean liner. During the height of the Cold War the Pentagon wanted a fast troopship that could quickly move thousands of US soldiers to Europe if the Soviets invaded. That is the only reason for its existence.

[@Lowrider2905]

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?

[@keithmoore5306]

the biggest white elephant ever to sail out of newport news!!

[@keithmoore5306]

@@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!

[@dzonikg]

@@keithmoore5306 max speed off Nimic class nuclear carrier is 56 km/h ,SS United States was 71 km/h.

[@keithmoore5306]

@@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!!

[@scottspilis1940]

@@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.

[@keithmoore5306]

@@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!!!

[@MrMartime2009]

10:28

[@randomrazr]

so how mnay workers got cancer from asbestos?

[@paulw4310]

And now, sadly, rotting at a pier in Philly. From Blue Riband to white elephant. Very sad.

[@charlesferebee263]

🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🍺

[@08232401]

One thing they conveniently left out. The US Navy rejected this ship for service because it listed too far to port.

[@jimbennett3788]

Are you able to provide some detail information on this? I worked for the firm (1973 / 1980) that did the design and engineering and am always interested in learning.

[@DouglasUrantia]

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.

[@thomasfuller5932]

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.

[@jrthetravelingsalesman6357]

This ship doesn’t sit in salt water , it stays in the Delaware river in Phila which is fresh water

[@DouglasUrantia]

@@jrthetravelingsalesman6357 Fresh water can also do huge rust damage.

[@jrthetravelingsalesman6357]

@@DouglasUrantia nothing like salt. Not even close. Salt will corrode and rust the ship away a lot quicker

[@notlisted-cl5ls]

lololo. that ship now looks like a true reflection of Muika!