Union Iron Works also built USS Olympia (C-6) which was Adm. Dewey's flagship at Manila Bay and later carried the Unknown Soldier of WWI back from France. The Navy decided to keep Olympia as the SAW memorial ship, and kept her at the Philadelphia Navy Yard through WWII. She is now preserved at Penns Landing in Philadelphia.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

> Union Iron Works also built USS Olympia
> (C-6) which was Adm. Dewey's flagship at
> Manila Bay and later carried the Unknown
> Soldier of WWI back from France. The Navy
> decided to keep Olympia as the SAW memorial
> ship, and kept her at the Philadelphia Navy
> Yard through WWII. She is now preserved at
> Penns Landing in Philadelphia.

It's a shame, the Olympia is in pretty rough shape. A local channel around here said that she hasn't been worked on since she was docked in the Navy Yard during WW2. I don't know how true this is, but they said that she springs leaks fairly often.


jtjjtb@aol.com

The Cruiser was taken over by the Independence Seaport a few years ago and is in much more professional hands than she has seen since the US Navy loaned her out in 1957. She is the oldest steel warship in the world.

Current project is repairing deck leaks and filling holes to make the water tight bulkheads in the hull tight again.

Hope you will excuse a non-rail report; but this is important National preservation work. Check out the Independence Seaport web site: indsm.org for more on the ship. There is also a new book length history of the ship; USS OLYMPIA Herald of Empire



ted_miles@nps.gov

And while in the city of brotherly love, may we suggest you locate the "S.S. United States", at one time the fastest ocean liner in the world. This beautiful piece of American heritage should be towed up to NYC and docked as a permanent floating convention center, alongside the "S.S. France" (now "Norway") when she is retired. Of course, maintaining a static ship exhibit makes steam locomotive preservation look easy!


glueck@saturn.caps.maine.edu

There are several websites out there concerning the S.S.United States and the preservation of this fine old ocean liner.This is an important cause and worthy of the attention of preservationists all over our country.She was the only ocean liner ever completely owned by an American company, she carries the name of our nation, and is a proud symbol of our heritage and her time.This is not rail related but, once again, a cause far too important to ignore. As she sits, from the last time I looked into the matter, she was still floating in Philadelphia and awaiting her fate, whatever it may be. If we have learned anything in the preservation comunity it is that gone is gone forever. Look at the M10000 series locomotive, gone to the scrappers without so much as one being saved.There's still time for the "United States", but it could only be borrowed time unless something is done to care for this important piece of history.
-Angie

Ladypardus@cs.com

I believe that the SS United States was built by Newport News Shipbuilding. What about giving this ship a home at Hampton Roads?

tmanz@afo.net

It's fascinating to have SS United States and USS New Jersey (BB-62) on the same river, albeit on opposite shores. They are each the fastest of their kind ever built. From Delaware Ave. in Philly you see the SS US head-on where her rakish lines are best appreciated, and the "Big J" from the side where her long and low silhouette looks best.

SS US is in private ownership, who pays the rent on the pier.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

I have long been interested in the preservation of this singlularly historic man of war. She is one of only 4 ships of her era left in the world. The others are Russia's Aurora (which fired the first shot of the October, 1917 Revolution) at St. Petersburg, Japan's IJN Mikasa (Admiral Togo's flagship at the Battle of Tsushima), and a Greek pre-Dreadnought whose name escapes me at Piraeus.

She represents the evolution of the United States as a premier world naval power. Her survival has remained perilous. She was last drydocked in 1957, and springs leaks regularly. She was managed by the Cruiser Olympia Association for almost 40 years on a shoestring budget. The Independence Seaport Museum is doing their best with her, but she needs to be drydocked before she can be properly restored. If anyone reading this board is in the Philadelphia, I strongly urge a visit to her.

Whoever said that ship preservation makes railroad preservation look cheap is right. However, this ship is a priceless link to a vitally important era in our nation's history.

For more information on her history, check out the web site below.

Spanish American War Website
kevin.r.gillespie@verizon.net

The one in Greece is the "Georgios Averoff", a cruiser built in 1911 and preserved at Marina Trokadero, Faliron Bay, Athens, Greece.

There is also the remains of the "Komintern" (1905) in a breakwater in the Khobi River, Georgia. Hopefully, you will see the image of it below. The webpage I found it on; http://www.museum.navy.ru/memorship.htm, has a photograph of "Aurora" as well.

There are also some surviving monitor battleships, including the hulk of "Monoceros" (?) (1865) in the harbor in Kronstadt, Russia; the "Huascar" (1865) at the Navel Base, Talcahuano, Chile (fantastic condition), the "HR MS Buffel" (1868) at the Maritime Museum Rotterdam, Leuvehaven 1, Rotterdam, Netherlands; the "HNMLS Schorpioen" (1868) at the Dutch Naval Museum Dutch Naval Museum , Hoofdgracht 3, Den Helder, Netherlands; and the derelict remains of the "HMVS Cerberus" in a breakwater in Half Moon Bay, VIC, Australia.

While we are off-topic, does anyone have photograph of any of these warships or the S.S. United States that I can use in "Surviving World Steamships"? Thanks in advance.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steamships

james1@pernet.net

If somebody wanted to restore this one.........

You might find some information on those vessels on Andrew Toppan's "Haze Gray and Underway" naval history webpage:

> While we are off-topic, does anyone have
> photograph of any of these warships or the
> S.S. United States that I can use in
> "Surviving World Steamships"?
> Thanks in advance.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a


Haze Gray and Underway
johni@warwick.net

> The others are
> Russia's Aurora (which fired the first shot
> of the October, 1917 Revolution) at St.
> Petersburg,

The Aurora also was part of the Fleet that sailed from St. Petersburg to fight the Japanese in 1905. However, it did not participate in the Battle of Tsushima.

The story of the sailing of the fleet is told in the new book "The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima," by Constantine Pleshakov and published by Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-05791-8.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

> I believe that the SS United States was
> built by Newport News Shipbuilding. What
> about giving this ship a home at Hampton
> Roads?
She sat in Norfolk so long that it took torches to cut her away when they were going to move her. She moved all the way across Hampton Roads only to be tied up at the old C&O coal piers. CSX had to threaten a law suit to get her moved so they could take down the coal loading gear before it fell down. Sad to say, but I don't think Hampton Roads wants her! You should have heard the stink when Nauticus (Spelling?) was picked to get a BB. (NIMBY went crazy).
CHESSIEMIKE