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Feature Article SDM staffer joins effort to save ship from wrecker's ball
By Hope Green Richard Rabbett has an unusual obsession for a 32-year-old. In a culture hooked on the latest computer innovations and impatient for the future, he is determined to preserve a relic of the nation's technological heritage. The focus of Rabbett's concern is the SS United States, a weathered 900-foot hulk languishing at a dormant navy yard in Philadelphia. The ship, considered a marvel of nautical engineering at the time of its maiden voyage in 1952, is the fastest passenger liner ever to cross the Atlantic and the largest one built in the United States. But the advent of the jumbo jet forced the ship's decommissioning in 1969, and all subsequent attempts to return the "Big U" to service have foundered. Three decades later, a grassroots restoration campaign has caught the attention of Rabbett (MET'01), faculty administrative coordinator at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine. A longtime ocean liner history buff, he recently established the Boston chapter of the SS United States Foundation, a national nonprofit group dedicated to saving the vessel from the scrap heap. "The ship is an amazing symbol of patriotism and to see it rusting on a pier is a shame," Rabbett says. "It's one thing to throw away a coffee cup, and another to discard a ship that cost taxpayers millions of dollars to build." Surprisingly, Rabbett has never stepped foot on an ocean liner in his life. He hasn't even been on a cruise. As for the SS United States, he has seen it only in pictures. "People think that's odd, but I've never seen a space shuttle up close, either, and that doesn't mean I can't be fascinated with its science and technology." Rabbett's fascination with old passenger liners began in high school when he read an account of the Titanic disaster. For 15 years, he tracked down out-of-print books and other obscure reference materials, determined to understand what combination of ego, avarice, and technological miscalculation had caused such an immense human tragedy.
Rabbett first saw photographs of the SS United States on the Internet two years ago and was enchanted by the stately vessel with its fading red, white, and blue funnels. He learned that it was built at the request of the U.S. Navy, which wanted a civilian ship that was easily convertible for troop transport in the event of war. The federal government underwrote most of the $79 million construction cost and the Big U became the flagship of United States Lines, a prominent passenger shipping company. As it turned out, the ship never saw wartime service, but did complete 400 transatlantic crossings, reaching top speeds of 43 knots, or almost 50 m.p.h. Scores of celebrities, including Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Ginger Rogers, and several U.S. presidents, made the voyage. While the hull was constructed of steel, designer William Francis Gibbs' pioneering design used 2,000 tons of aluminum in the craft's upper structure and furnishings to reduce weight. "He was also known for being paranoid about fire," Rabbett says, "so there was very little wood in the construction." The ship became the prototype for the nation's first super aircraft carriers. Now the hulk stands idle while its owner, a New Jersey real estate developer, mulls his options. The year-old SS United States Foundation is attempting to publicize the vessel's plight and attract either a cruise company willing to restore it as a flagship or a port city that could work with developers and convert it to a floating harborside hotel. The first triumph for the organization was getting the ship listed on the National Historic Register. The foundation's chairman, a former Marine, reacted warmly when Rabbett asked to launch a Boston chapter, and in the past month Rabbett has been writing to politicians hoping to enlist their support. He is also establishing an Internet chat room devoted to the Big U, and plans to draft a proposal for a 2002 U.S. postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ship's first voyage. Fellow ocean liner enthusiasts and former passengers living in New England were thrilled to hear of the new regional campaign. One of a barrage of e-mail messages Rabbett has received was from a woman whose parents met on the ship and decided to marry after only three days on board. The daughter has offered to help spread the word about the restoration effort. Rabbett is heartened to see so much support for the project. "A lot of people have become jaded and less patriotic since I was in grade school," he says. "But for all its flaws, this country is a place where you can get a grassroots effort like this together and do some good work. I think that's essential."
For more information on the ship, visit www.ssunitedstates.org. |
