SS United States in her glory days
The storied SS United States that has been rusting at Pier 82 in Philadelphia since 1996 has receive a shot of life from businessman Jim Pollin, who has given a $220,000 check to the SS United States Conservancy, the non-profit dedicated to is preservation.
The ship, built in 1952, still holds the speed record for a westbound trip from the Britain to the United States at 34.51 knots which is 40 m.p.h.
It also continues to hold the Blue Riband, which is given to fastest passenger liner crossing the Atlantic in regular service.
The United States, would be an excellent tourist attraction for the area. It would make a great floating hotel or a place to watch fireworks on the Delaware River. It certainly would be a more interesting casino than the existing ones in these environs.
The eastbound Atlantic speed record, by the way, is now held by Hoverspeed Great Britain, an ocean-going catamaran, which set it in 1990 with a speed of 36.6 knots.
Thank you again, Mr. Pollin. Hopefully, someone with a similar interest in our heritage can be found to help save the USS Olympia.
We Philadelphians should be very proud to have Sidney Kimmel and Jim Polling among us. They have both made fortunes through their own efforts and are willing to share their bounty with the rest of us.
They are proud to be called Philadelphians. Perhaps they would be even more proud if our USS Olympia and the SS United States could be situated on the Delaware River somewhere between Race and Locust Sts., within easy distance of the Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin’s Grave and Independence Hall–in the heart of the historical tourist district.
I know I’m speaking for all Phialdelphians when I says:”we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
I love your idea of consolidating the historical Philadelphia area, especially waterfront. If Mayor Nutter could accomplish that, he would probably go down as one the greatest mayors in Philadelphia history.
I’d love to see the Philadelphia Orchestra , in formal dress, playing the beautiful Star Spangled Banner, — then followed by Old Lang Syne in the completely refurbished S.S. United States’ ballroom. Just thinking about it brings tears to this old marines eyes.
Yes Frank, what a wonderful New Year’s Eve that would be!
My dream for New Years Eve calls for the South Philadelphia String Band to take over the entire front deck of the rebuilt USS Olympia, play a spine-tingling version of the Star Spangled Banner exactly at midnight stream down the gangplank to march down Second Street to Oregon Ave., to Broad Street. The string band, dressed in blue, depicted the Battle of Yorktown, where they won our country’s independence.
I think Sydney Kimmel and Jim Pollin would be proud to march with them.