Cooper Lewis ‘26, Copy Editor
Since 1996, a giant towered over the city of Philadelphia, slowly rusting away, its fate unknown. Nearly 30 years earlier, the man-made creation was the first of its kind, but also its last. Setting records that would never be broken, and put out of commission by something brand new, the jet engine. Launched in 1952 and over 900 feet long, the United States was the largest and fastest ocean liner ever constructed in America crossing the Atlantic in three days, a record that remains unbroken to this day. But how did this large, towering structure, popular in its time, become a rusting grave at a pier in Philadelphia? And why, of all decisions, is she to be sunk off the coast of Florida as an artificial reef?
Designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs in 1945, the United States was a first for many maritime accomplishments. The largest ship built in America and the fastest to cross the Atlantic, but also housed some of the first at-sea interior to be designed by a woman, as well as a brand new hull design that allowed for a sleek and clean cut through the ocean, aiding her fast speed, powered by her quadruple set of propellers. Despite the United States’s groundbreaking speeds and luxurious interior spaces, ticket sales still declined in the late 1960s, as passengers preferred the new jet-propeller transatlantic flights.
After ticket sales continued its rapid decline, the United States Lines—owner of the United States and her sister ship, the ill-fated America—went under, and all future cruises were cancelled. Over the next decade, the United States was passed around to various different owners, all of whom attempted to make the ship profitable, but to no avail. Finally, in 1994, all interior furnishings were stripped and sold to private collectors, and in 1996 she was towed to Philadelphia, where she would remain for the next 30 years.
After years of rusting away, with the United States’ fate continuing to be unclear, the maritime community finally received news in September 2024. Okaloosa County, Florida approved a $10.1 million plan to relocate the liner from its berth in Philadelphia to Destin-Fort Walton beach, where she will be sunk and turned into an artificial reef. On top of that, the county approved the building of a $1 million museum dedicated to the liner’s life and service.
Captain Joseph Farrell, head of the operation, said, “This is the best ending for the ship. Serving as an artificial reef, means the United States will live on to nurture generations of marine life.” Despite this, preservationists online still express concerns over the plan, saying the loss of the ship means the loss of something with major historical significance and undermines the worth of such a precious and historical artifact. Farrell, who works with Resolve Marine, the same dredging company that helped to remove the debris of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge in early 2024, explained to Action News how the operation to move the ship will work: “Three tugboats will tow the 900-foot-long, 53,000-ton ship more than 1800 nautical miles, at five knots per hour, from Philadelphia, under three bridges that cross the Delaware River, through Delaware Bay, into the Atlantic Ocean, around the Florida peninsula, into the Gulf of Mexico, and onto the Bay of Mobile.” The whole process, he predicts, should take about three weeks.
After the ship reaches the Bay of Mobile, Farrell explained further, the ship will be stripped of any and all interior, as well as cleaned for toxins or asbestos. Afterwards, it will be brought back out to the Gulf, where it will travel a further 20 miles southeast to the shores of Destin-Fort Walton, where it will be sunk. According to Farrell, about 30 panels will be cut into the hull of the ship, to act as holes for water to flood the ship. “On the sinkings we have performed, we strategically place C-4 explosives on a vessel,” Farrell said. “In this case, 800-1,000 pounds of C-4 will be needed for the United States.” The ship of this size, he believes, may take as long as five hours to sink.
Farrell expressed that he is aware of the pain the operation will bring to the maritime community and those connected to the ship; however, he still believes this to be the best end for a testament to America’s maritime might and engineering ingenuity. Rather than being turned into scrap metal, the United States will have an afterlife for divers to visit and explore for years to come, something of which she is well deserving.
Lyon Life 