Anger as ocean liner inspired by Titanic to be deliberately sunk off Florida coast: ‘every bit as important as the Statue of Liberty’

Anger has erupted after officials confirmed that the historic former ocean liner SS United States is to be deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida. What was once a luxury vessel will now become what’s billed as the world’s largest artificial reef.

Per The Daily Mail, the SS United States will make its doomed final voyage sometime during the second week of November, when the Army Corps of Engineers will consign the vessel to the briny deep. It marks a sad end for a ship that was once one of the most opulent in the world, was touted as the nation’s fastest liner, and hosted the likes of John F. Kennedy, Walt Disney, Marlon Brando, and Debbie Reynolds.

The SS United States also has direct links to the RMS Titanic. The ship was designed with Titanic in mind, with United States Line CEO John Franklin the son of Titanic company White Star Line’s office manager Philip Franklin, and USL company director Vincent Astor having lost his father John Jacob Astor in the 1912 disaster.

Why can’t it be saved?

Franklin was reportedly so concerned about the similarities between Titanic and United States that he wrote a sealed message that was only to be released to the public if there was a Titanic-style disaster during the maiden voyage. But there wasn’t, and it operated from 1952 to 1970 without major incident.

The news that the United States will belatedly join the Titanic on the sea floor has left historians and preservationists outraged. They launched a petition to stop the sinking, proposing: “We also present an opportunity to avoid this scenario by offering to return the ship to New York in our esteemed care and restore her as a jewel in the crown of a 13-acre green technology waterfront redevelopment, bringing native plant life back to Brooklyn, New York and investing millions into the economy – a 250th birthday gift to her namesake if ever there was one.” Signatories agree:

“The SS United States is an irreplaceable piece of American maritime history and a National Historic Landmark. Turning this engineering marvel into an underwater reef without exhaustive public hearings disregards its cultural and historical significance.”

Another said, ‘This ship is every bit as important as the Statue of Liberty! Please don’t lose your history.”

But it appears the ship’s days are numbered. Per The Daily Mail, there are “no viable options” to renovate the ship, so it seems it’s about to get one last voyage from Florida out to sea, where it’ll slip beneath the waves and the staterooms that once hosted America’s finest will be occupied by crabs, octopuses, and various other marine life.