The SS United States was the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but it might have the slowest time of any vessel intentionally sunk. The once-modern marvel of American nautical engineering sank to its final resting place on Wednesday off the coast of Destin, Florida, in the Gulf of America. It was an hourslong process to complete its final voyage that should have included the playing of Celine Dion’s 1997 smash hit “My Heart Will Go On.”
The SS United States was deployed at approximately 2:40 p.m. Eastern time. The process of sinking the ocean liner began around 5 p.m., as openings cut into its hull allowed water to pour in and slowly submerge the historic vessel. It finally reached the ocean floor around 10 p.m. and is now the world’s largest artificial reef. It was a sad end to a once-glorious and revered product of American engineering ingenuity.
