Historic cruise ship to be given a new life  Historic cruise
shipIt was and still is the largest ocean liner constructed
entirely in the U.S. The 53,330 ton SS United States that ran
transatlantic sailings until 1969, setting speed records that
have still not been broken today. Still, the ships fate seemed
doomed with her next stop being the scrap yard.  Built from
1950-52, the SS United States operated uninterrupted
transatlantic passenger service until 1969. But the ship was
withdrawn from service and bounced around from one idea to
another. At one point there was talk of making it into a
floating time share-like ship. Later it was stripped of its
fittings that that would become furniture in a North Carolina
restaurant. Most recently the ship was slated to become part of
Norwegian Cruise Lines American-flagged Hawaii fleet.  The SS
United States Conservancy announced Tuesday it has purchased the
legendary ocean liner, berthed in Philadelphia since 1996, from
Norwegian Cruise Line and its parent company for