Larry
Driscoll 99 The Race for the Blue Riband
Larry
Driscoll 99
Luxury Liner Row lies along the Hudson River, on the West Side of New York. It’s where the great ocean liners dock, the major league of passenger shipping. And on the morning of July 3, 1952, the new ship on the pier was the SS United States. It was described by Life Magazine as "a proud present for the Nation on her anniversary of independence". Weighing in at 53,290 tons and 990 feet long, it was the first US built liner designed to compete with the speed and luxury of the great European liners that had dominated the Atlantic. When ocean liners race the course in the Atlantic Ocean from Ambrose Lightship in the US to Bishop’s Rock in England, the prize is the coveted "Blue Riband", a trophy emblematic of supremacy and speed on the Atlantic. For the past 100 years, the Europeans had owned the trophy. The last American ship to win it was in 1852, when the Collins’ liner Baltic crossed the Atlantic in 9 days, 19 hours, and 25 minutes. The current champion was the Queen Mary, with a time of 3 days, 20 hours, and 42 minutes.
The betting crowd was convinced that the SS United States was going to go for the record on its maiden voyage. Company officials weren’t saying much. When asked how fast the new ship could go " over 30 knots". Asked about steam pressure, " very high". Captain Harry Manning told reporters, "I have been ordered to observe the schedule. The main thing is a safe passage". However there were subtle signs that this was the ship that was going for the trophy. Privately it was known to a few that Commodore Manning was hoping to "cut corners", and steer closer to the Coast Guard iceberg patrol ships, thus reducing the distance. Water tanks were topped off with 200,000 gallons of city water. The ship was capable of distilling sea water. On this trip every ounce of engine power was being saved to drive the propellers. The previous day, passengers with reservations for cabins located over the screws, had been moved to more vibration free quarters.
In the early morning hours, the engine room crew was busy firing up the boilers and warming up the four giant turbines. ( Go to the engine room 360. Click on mouse for tour) The last of the provisions were being loaded. There would be enough to feed 1,660 passengers and 1,000 crew members a total of 8,000 meals a day. Over 123,000 pounds of meat and 59,450 pounds of poultry were taken on board. The fish alone tipped the scales at 24,458 pounds, including 550 pounds of caviar. Over 58,595 pounds of fruits were loaded. The vegetable stock totaled 65,932 pounds of fresh and frozen vegetables, including 48,000 pounds of potatoes.
No one would go thirsty. The wine cellar was stocked with 7,000 bottles. On hand for the ship’s bars were with 5,000 bottles of whisky, rums, gin and liqueurs. For the beer drinkers, 16,000 bottles of beer and ale were in supply.
At 8 A.M.,
the first passengers started boarding, and by 10 A.M., the ship was packed with 1,660
passengers and 8,000 friends who came to see them off. The bon voyage parties kept
stewards busy delivering ice, champagne, flowers, and messages. On the celebrity list was
President Truman’s daughter Margaret, the ship’s creator, William Francis Gibbs,
and an assortment of senators, congressmen and Cabinet secretaries. A crowd of 13,000 came
to see the ship off, creating a major traffic jam in front of the terminal. At 12:07 P.M.,
with flags and streamers flying and the band playing " Anchors Aweight", the
ship slipped into the Hudson River and pointed its bow towards the Atlantic Ocean.
As the ship passed the starting line of Ambrose Lightship at 2:36 P.M., a "full speed ahead" order was sent down to the engine room. Passengers immediately noticed the buildup in speed. In the engine room, unused equipment was secured. Larger sprayer plates were inserted into the boilers. Additional burners were lit. Bypasses closed. Feed pumps were set to increase fuel delivery. The four main turbines were brought up to speed, moaning in a soft, low sound. By 5 P.M., they were pushing 30 knots. At nightfall, the ship was still gaining speed as the engines worked up to "good running heat ". The plan was to continue moving up the speed gradually.
The run for the speed record was front-page news, and the news was good. At noon, Commodore Manning
announced that
the ship had traveled 696 nautical miles at an average speed of 34.11 knots, the
equivalent of 39.8 land miles per hour. He indicated that the liner had been
"cruising along ". No other merchant vessel had ever traveled so fast. There
were some complaints of vibrations in the aft cabin spaces, but otherwise the main problem
in the passenger area was an abundance of men in First Class, and of women in Cabin Class.
That situation was expected to be corrected by the time the 4th of July festivities got
underway..
In the evening hours of the second day, a new danger arose-fog. It blindfolds a ship, forcing it to reduce speed and feel its way by listening for the foghorns of oncoming ships. In the 1950’s, ships were being outfitted with a new technology, radar. It improved navigation, but was no guarantee against a collision in fog. In 1956 the Andrea Doria and Stockholm would collide in fog with the loss of 46 lives and the sinking of the Doria. Both ships were using radar. With zero visibility, but out of the main shipping lanes, Captain Manning made the decision to keep up the blistering speed, and to rely on his two sets of radar to navigate.
The Captain kept watch through the night, navigating his ship through the fog. When the fog broke the following morning, the ship was reported to be hitting 36 knots.
The engine room crew blew tubes in all boilers to increase efficiency. Fuel pumps increased delivery. Larger sprayer plates were inserted in the burners for greater firing capacity. Air dampers were opened up to provide more air for combustion. As the steam pressure increased, so did the tension in the engine room. The instruments showed the combustion units staggering under the load. A few months earlier in sea trials, two of the reduction gear bearings of the main propulsion had heated up, resulting in a return to the shipyard for repairs. What other element subject to the continued strain of a long run at high speeds might show a defect? The engineers believed the ship could take the strain; if they were wrong, they would be branded as the group that forced the ship beyond its capacity. They would face the failure of having lost the opportunity for the Blue Ribband. Temperatures were climbing, as the oilier struggled to keep the machinery lubricated. Into the night they sped; the plant continued to carry the load, although they never knew if somewhere the unknown, mechanical disaster was building up.
On the morning of the third day, a stiff Northeast wind and the ship began to roll. The SS United States pressed on, making a record run in the previous 22 hours of 814 miles at a speed of 36.17 knots. The engines were moving 53,500 tons of ship at 41.64 land miles per hour! Bishop’s Rock was only 631 miles away.
Just before noon, the big French liner Liberte left her New York bound course to get a close look at the new fast US ship. By late afternoon, a smudge of smoke appeared on the distant horizon to the south. It was a large liner and it was moving at great speed. The two ships closed in on parallel courses at a combined speed of almost 80 land miles an hour. The approaching ship was the current record holder, the Queen Mary. Passengers rushed to the rails to see the two fastest ships in the world pass each other at a combined speed of almost 80 miles an hour. The British Liner lowered her colors in courtesy and the SS United States replied in kind.
As the ship sped on, the atmosphere in the engine room was improving. The SS United States was responding well. No bearing had overheated; the boilers were taking the firing intensity well; and a steady flow of super heated steam was being delivered to the turbines. The engine room crew was becoming more confident in themselves and their ship. Chief Engineer William Kaiser’s recollection was that "We were Americans trying to do something that had not been done by our country in a hundred years. It wasn’t only confidence in the United States we were gaining as we whipped into the home stretch, but also confidence in ourselves. The foreign flags had had a monopoly on this sea-queen business entirely too damned long. We could build ships to beat them, and we had men smart enough to run the ships too! Every man jack down in those engine holds was fighting for something, just as Manning had fought and was fighting in the bridge".
The excitement of the passenger and crew mounted as the SS United States headed into the home stretch. At its current speed, the ship was expected to pass Bishop’s Rock by dawn Monday morning. The Captain promised them he would blow the whistle if they broke the record.
At 11 P.M., bad weather set in. Rain pelted the ship; gale force winds wiped up the seas. No order for easing, however, came from the bridge. The SS United States cut through the darkness and the heavy seas. It was miserable outside, but inside, the party had started. Passengers had begun what was to be a continuous all night celebration, in anticipation of the historic event. Others, including Mr. Gibbs, rested before the big event. The Captain had invited Margaret Truman to the bridge for the climax of the voyage. She was told to dress warmly as 60mph winds and rain continued to hit the ship.
At 5:16 A.M., the SS United States streaked past the finish line at Bishop’s Rock. The time of the record crossing was 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. The average speed was 35.59 knots. The SS United States had beaten the Queen Mary’s time by a decisive margin of 10 hours and 2 minutes. The President’s daughter pulled the ships horn and let out a deep booming sound of triumph. Pandemonium broke out from stem to stern. The ship’s band played the "Star-Spangled Banner". Champagne corks popped, and the band followed with a happy Conga line through the ship. There was a great sense of pride by all on board, that after 100 years, an American ship had regained the coveted Blue Ribband. Margaret Truman recalled the event as the greatest thrill of her life. Commodore Manning said "I feel like a pitcher who has a no-hit game". To William F Gibbs, it was a moment of personal triumph, the achievement of a life long dream. A flood of congratulatory telegrams flooded into the radio room, including one from President Truman. The Captain of the Queen Mary cabled, " Welcome to the family of big Liners on the Atlantic". Editorials on both sides of the Atlantic praised the new liner.
The SS United States and her crew went on to triumphant receptions in France and England. On July 15, 1952, after breaking the westbound speed record, the SS United States proudly sailed into the New York Harbor, flying a 40 foot blue banner from her mast.
The SS United States continued to sail the Atlantic for the next 17 years, transporting 1,002,936 passengers in speed and style. In November 1969, the largest and fastest moving object ever created was retired, the victim of faster jet planes and labor strife. No other ocean liner ever came close to beating her record.
The SS United States still exists, although she now lies stripped and rusting at a pier in Philadelphia. The ship once described by Life Magazine as an object of national pride, faces an uncertain future. She is for sale; however, there have been no buyers. This ship She deserves more than going to scrap. We need to preserve her so that future generations can see and appreciate a ship that made history, and put the US on the map as a country that could build fast beautiful ships.
| The 'Hales Trophy'. Presented to the holder of the Atlantic speed record. Recipients. Rex, Italy. Europa, Germany. Normandie, France. Queen Mary (declined) England. United States, US. |  |
Ed Note: Compiled from New York Times articles & magazine article Power for a winner by W Kaiser. Edited by Fay Richards
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