Crossing on Time

Hello,

I’d like to welcome you to Crossing on Time and offer a few thoughts before you embark.

In 1957, my parents made a momentous course correction to the life they knew by deciding to leave England for a new job in a far away place called New Jersey. It was a daring decision, but having both served in and survived a brutal war, they were confident they could make the best of whatever the future might hold. Their primary motive was simple: the possibilities the United States of America would provide their three children.

My sister and brother and I were not overly burdened by the complex emotions of leaving our local friends and scattered family. We simply followed instructions and eventually found ourselves walking the plank that connected British soil to a thousand-foot-long ocean liner called the SS United States—the star of this book. A majestic symbol of American ingenuity and prosperity, and the fastest ship in the world, it was also a testament to one man’s vision and remarkable perseverance.

At ten, I didn’t care about any of that. I just wanted to see the Empire State Building. Sixty years later, here is the rest of the story. Thanks for waiting.

Bon Voyage.

David Macaulay

David Macaulay, co-creator of the international bestseller The Way Things Work, brings his signature curiosity and detailing to the story of the SS United States as the crowning culmination of the centuries-long pursuit of transatlantic travel. In this meticulously researched and stunningly illustrated book, SS United States Conservancy Advisory Council member Macaulay brings his unique artistic and storytelling abilities to the quest for the “perfect ship”. Prior to the 1800s, ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean relied on the wind in their sails to make their journeys. But invention of steam power ushered in a new era of transportation that would change ocean travel forever: the steamship. Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay guides readers through the fascinating history that culminated in the building of the most advanced—and last—of these steamships: the SS United States. This book artfully explores the design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer and engineer, William Francis Gibbs. Framed around the author's own experience steaming across the Atlantic on the very same SS United States, Crossing on Time is a tour de force of the art of explanation and a touching and surprising childhood story. The book can be purchased by visiting Macmillan Publisher's website: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781596434776.

Propeller & Boiler

In this two-page spread, Macaulay examines the interaction between the propeller and the boiler.Gibbs' new ship would be driven by four screw propellers each turned by a pair of turbines producing 60,000 horsepower. High temperature, high pressure boilers would superheat the steam to around 900 degrees. This would spin the blades of a high pressure turbine at 5,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). That same steam would then be piped into a larger low pressure turbine, spinning its blades at 3,500 rpm. A set of double reduction gears would link both turbine shafts to a single propeller shaft creating a ideal speed of around 200 rpm. Under each low pressure turbine was a condenser containing several hundred closely-spaced tubes through which cold water from below the ship was channeled. When exhausted steam passed between the tubes, it was converted back into water, creating a vacuum that drew more steam into the condenser. Water was collected in a hot well below each condenser and then pumped through various tubes for cleaning and reheating on its way back to the boiler. He also compares the Big U's engine to the Queen Mary's.Queen Mary was equipped with single reduction gears. Her engines produced just 40,000 horsepower, she was 30 feet longer, 17 feet wider, 6 feet taller, sat 8 feet deeper in the water, and was 30,000 tons heavier. This was never going to be a fair fight.

David's Reflections on the Ship's Potential Rebirth

For me the most important reason for developing the SS United States is simply to preserve its iconic form. In other words, it's all about the view -- the elegant lines, the breathtaking scale and the bold no-nonsense colors. But this is no trivial matter. Whether she travels the sea or rests at a city pier, this ship still has the power to transport those on board and particularly those who see and approach her from a distance.

Once the fastest ocean liner in the world, built to carry presidents, movie stars and ten-year-old kids like me, just the appearance of the SS United States remains a powerful reminder of American ingenuity, vision, and skill while at the same time sparking imagination and inspiring dreams yet to be realized.In this sketch I returned to the simplicity of the ship's exterior to hint at the juxtaposition of this “horizontal” skyscraper against a dynamic urban context and possible port of call.