When built, the S.S. United States was the largest and fastest ocean liner in the world.
At 990 feet long, the giant vessel was built in 1950, and immediately set speed records, able to travel across the Atlantic less than 4 day.
Indeed, the maiden crossing from New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK took 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 kn (65.91 km/h; 40.96 mph).
The New York Times reported in 1968 that the ship could make 42 kn (78 km/h) at a maximum power output of 240,000 hp (180,000 kW).
Inside, the massive ship could carry 1,928 passengers, and had modern amenities, including extensive mid-century modern decor.
This superlative ship would have likely gone on for decades, carrying passengers across the Atlantic Ocean, had airlines not started to compete for travelers.
In the 1960s, the demand for the ship’s services declined dramatically, with the ship routinely canceling voyages due to lack of passengers.
Over the ensuing decades, the ship went to various harbors, as buyers toyed with the idea of restoring the S.S. United States. The ship’s condition continued to deteriorate during this period, and parts were sold off, leaving the once storied ship to rust unceremoniously.
For the last several years, it’s been docked in Philadelphia.
Now, the ship is set to be purchased by Florida’s Okaloosa County, and sunk off of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. It will become the world’s largest artificial reef, creating habitat for sea life.
It’s a strange yet perhaps fitting end to this ship’s unique past. It once again will go down (literally) as one of the largest of its kind.
