 | | Photo by Christine D. Hower |
A Rare Opportunity
to Own a Unique Piece of History
Redevelopment plans for the SS United States continue to move forward, and the Conservancy has taken important steps toward securing a long-term pier and teeing up developers and investors committed to converting the historic ship into a museum and mixed-use complex. To cover the ship's expenses in the coming months during these negotiations, we have made the difficult decision to sell the ship's two remaining spare propellers. Four additional propellers are currently preserved and displayed in New York and Virginia, as shown HERE.
The Conservancy is offering this unique piece of American history to the highest offer over and above the propeller's scrap value of approximately $100,000. That price includes the removal of the prop from its current location on the ship's Promenade Deck. The purchaser will be responsible for shipping. An agreement was recently signed with a recycler for the other spare propeller.
Made from a composite of nickel, aluminum, and bronze, all of the ship's massive propellers were removed from the vessel's shafts decades ago. At 18 feet in diameter and weighing more than 60,000 lbs, the propellers' unique design helped make the SS United States an engineering marvel.
While the Conservancy has raised crucial funds from thousands of private donors, the organization has not received any government assistance -- for either its curatorial programs or to help harness the ship's economic potential. A range of creative fundraising strategies have enabled us to keep the vessel afloat and well cared for since the Conservancy purchased the vessel in February 2011.
In so many ways, we've never been closer to realizing our vision of saving and restoring America's Flagship. However, our time has grown perilously short. While we agonized over this decision, we are committed to doing everything possible to repurpose the entire vessel. The proceeds from the sale of the propellers will buy us some essential time needed while we move forward with promising redevelopment negotiations and curatorial plans.
Anyone interested in purchasing the propeller from the SS United States should email Media@SSUSC.org. In addition, we welcome your contributions of any amount to the Conservancy. There are many ways to help Save Our Ship, and we are so grateful for your continued support and involvement. Tax-deductible donations may be made at http://www.ssusc.org or http://www.savetheunitedstates.org.
We invite you to watch the YouTube video of one of the propellers being installed at the Mariner's Museum, below.
 | | SS U.S. propeller on display at Mariners Museum In Newport News, VA |
Support our efforts now to
help save and redevelop the SS United States
Also in this Issue:
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 Memorial Day: Honoring Those Who Gave Their Lives
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This weekend we celebrate the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S., honoring and remembering those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Although she never saw active duty, the SS United States was designed in conjunction with the U.S. Navy to be used as a troop ship, if needed in time of war. Her first-class cabins could be transformed into barracks in just two days, and she boasted classified high-pressure, high-temperature propulsion systems; 2-inch hull plating; dual torpedo-survivable engine rooms; and a top-secret propeller design.
On Memorial Day, SiriusXM Patriot Radio host David Webb, who recently visited the ship, will host an hour-long special featuring the plight of the SS United States. The special will also feature Jean Michel -- father of Brigadier General John Michel, our commander in Afghanistan. Jean Michel, who himself has served the military for the past 52 years, came to the US aboard the SS United States. The show will also be re-aired during the week.
You can hear an audio clip of Brigadier General John Michel introducing his father HERE. |
A Word of Thanks
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The Conservancy would like to thank Park Davis for renewing his membership with a $1,000 donation for the third consecutive year. It is through the generosity of our supporters that has enabled us to thus-far save our historic ship from an unfortunate fate.
Does your employer sponsor a matching gift program? Many companies will match your donation dollar-for-dollar, thus doubling your gift and helping us to reach our goals much more quickly.
In addition, many "shopping" sites will donate a portion of sales to your favorite worthy cause with no additional fees or cost to you. For example, iGive allows you to shop at over 1,400 stores and will donate between 3% and 12% of your purchase price. You can also raise money each time you do an online search through iGive, and can receive a statement of your charitable giving for tax purposes . |
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In the News
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Midshore Bureau Chief Tyler Butler from Delmarva's Fox affiliate WBOC-16 recently visited America's Flagship. In addition to being a ship enthusiast, he had spoken with several individuals who had traveled on the ship in her glory days. In a video and article titled " Efforts to Save the SS United States," Tyler shares his experiences and interviews. He begins:
"Just north of Delmarva, an American icon is sitting forgotten and forlorn along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Her story has faded from the public consciousness, but the story of this record-breaking American ocean liner lives on in the memories of many here on the peninsula..."
See the television clip and read the full article HERE.
 | | photo courtesy of Tom Rickert |
Tom Rickert, program director and executive producer for "Hear Philly" on CBS affiliate KYW, covers our exhibit on the SS United States at the Independence Seaport Museum in his May 2nd article. In "Discover America's Flagship at The Seaport Museum," Rickert tells his readers: "This ship has a lot of stories to tell."
Read the full article HERE.
Dan McSweeney, Managing Director of the SS United States Redevelopment Project, was a member of the panel discussing the redevelopment of the waterfront during WaterWeek 2014 in New York City. You can read more about his talk and the event HERE.
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From Our Chapters
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We've had a lot of recent activity from our Chapters!
North Carolina resident Jordon Morris has taken leadership of a new chapter in the Southeast region of the US. More information will follow in the next edition of our newsletter, but if you'd like to help in the mean time Jordan can be reached at southeast@ssusc.org.
The Washington, DC, Chapter has started up again and Brad Sokol has taken the helm. The first meeting of the "new" DC Chapter will be held on Thursday, June 26, at 5pm. For more information or to become involved, you can reach Brad at washington@ssusc.org.
Did you know we also have dedicated supporters in Europe? Our European Outreach Chair is Mario Alvarez-Garcill�n. Mario is working to gather supporters who are "across the ocean" and plans to have a gathering in September. Despite being spread out geographically, he expects the group can be just as effective by utilizing the internet to stay connected. Mario can be reached at europe@ssusc.org. FLORIDA
Our Florida Chapter recently met on May 3rd in Palm Beach. In addition to brainstorming ideas to help spread the word about Big U, they decided to distribute a short survey to Chapter members to determine the future direction of the Chapter. Among the ideas discussed at the meeting was the possibility of splitting the Chapter into two regions. If you live in the Florida area and would like to share your input, the Chapter would appreciate your feedback. Please click here to take the brief survey.
HAMPTON ROADS
The Hampton Roads Chapter met on Tuesday, April 29, and Conservancy Executive Director Susan Gibbs was able to join them to share the latest information regarding the ship. Interest in this chapter is growing, and attendance increases with each meeting. If you're in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and would like more information, contact Keith Harper at kharper@gibbscox.com.
NEW YORK
Hello All,
To get summer kicked off, reconnect with familiar faces and acquaint ourselves with fresh faces, we will conduct a Lower Manhattan Maritime Heritage walking tour on Saturday, June 7.
We will begin our tour at the former Gibbs & Cox headquarters at 21 West Street and then proceed along the route which will include stops at One Broadway, the former United States Lines headquarters, the U.S. Customs House and more. Approximate time of tour is 2 - 3 hours.
- When: Saturday, June 7, 2014 - 11 AM
- Where: 21 West Street, Lower Manhattan (at Morris and West Streets - we will meet at the Northeast corner of the building) For a sneak peak at our meeting spot, visit: http://newyorkitecture.com/2014/01/23/21-west-street/
- Bring: A sense of adventure, camera, bottle of water, comfortable walking shoes (and an umbrella in the event that it rains).
- Cost: No cost, however, donations to the Conservancy are strongly encouraged and the hat will be passed around at the end of the tour. The ship is still with us and needs our help to secure her long-term future.
- RSVP: Please let us know if you can make our walking tour by emailing us at NYCSSUSC@gmail.com.
Depending on interest, we may find a watering hole or lunch venue following the walk to quench our thirst and raise a glass to the SS United States and everyone, past and present, who has contributed to her building, operation and hopeful salvation.
We hope you can join us on this tour and look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Carl Weber
Chapter Co-Chair
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Dates in SS United States History
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May 25, 1927: SS Malolo, designed by William Francis Gibbs, collides with a freighter during her sea trials. Despite extensive damage, the ship's safety features kept her afloat and she returned to New York carrying 7,000 tons of seawater.
May 26, 1955: Actress Joan Crawford and her husband, Pepsi-Cola CEO Alfred Steele, depart on the SS United States for their honeymoon.
May 27, 1936: RMS Queen Mary makes her maiden voyage. In August, she would win the Blue Riband. She would later lose to the Normandie, but win again in 1938, holding it until 1952 when she was bested by the SS United States.
May 28, 1968: William Kaiser, Chief Engineer of the SS United States since her maiden voyage, retires.
June 1, 1941: The SS America is requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for use as a troop transport. She is renamed USS West Point.
June 3, 1935: The French liner SS Normandie arrives in New York on her maiden voyage. William Francis Gibbs goes on board to conduct design research.
June 9, 1952: The SS United States begins a second set of builder's sea trials.
June 10, 1952: During her sea trials, the SS United States reaches 38.32 knots (approx. 44 mph) at 241,758 shaft horsepower, her fastest recorded speed ever and the fastest speed ever recorded by a liner.
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Keep up-to-date and help us reach more people
in our quest to save America's Flagship.
The support and enthusiasm of our fans is one of the many things that
keeps us in the fight to save the United States. Thank you!
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SS United States Conservancy
P.O. Box 32115
Washington, DC 20007
(888)-488-7787
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