Last Hurrah for the SS United States on the Delaware River?

Jim Pollin, cruise executive and son of the late Abe Pollin, recently pledged $120,000 to save the famed (and at one time, top secret) five-blade propeller of the SS United States. This is awesome news, for sure, but will this kick start a drive that actually saves the historic cruise liner that still holds the record for fastest trans-Atlantic voyage? The doomsday scenario has the ships' funds running out by summer's end, at which point it could be sold for scrap. Pollin, who placed its historical importance in the same ilk as the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial, has also pledged a matching contribution of $100,000 to help generate more interest in saving the ship. We asked not too long ago, is the luxury ship simply impossible to preserve? In order to fully wrap your head around what a feat the SS United States was in context of American engineering, check out how Steven Ufijusa described it in an article for Plan Philly back in 2012, a year after Gerry Lenfest pledged nearly $6 million to breathe new hope into conservation efforts:
How best to describe the SS United States? Take the Chrysler Building, install engines powerful enough to drive an aircraft carrier, and outfit the inside with furnishings fit for John F. Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco. Then turn the skyscraper on its side, and push it through the rough waters of the North Atlantic at over forty miles per hour. This was the phenomenal American achievement of Philadelphia native William Francis Gibbs, docked on our city's Delaware waterfront since 1996.
Susan Gibbs, Executive Director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the aforementioned William Francis Gibbs, briefly described the possibilities for the future developments of the ship. "Our team continues to have encouraging discussions with developers in the New York area, and we've advanced plans for a dynamic shipboard SS United States Center for Design and Discovery," said Gibbs. "However, this good news comes as we are issuing our final SOS for America's Flagship. Without additional support from public officials and private donors, we're only months away from the unthinkable." And so it goes with the SS United States. Hopefully, the donation pledged by Jim Pollin raises the necessary awareness to keep the luxury ship afloat until it can be saved in earnest. Until that comes to fruition, you might want to snap a few more pictures from dining area of IKEA's restaurant, just in case.
· Jim Pollin Pledges Total of $220,00 to Help Save American's Flagship - The SS United States [Press Release]
· Jim Pollin throws lifeline to the crumbling '50s ocean liner SS United States [WaPo]
· Despite Generous Donation, Little of SS United States May Be Saved [CBS 3]
· The SS United States: Until the first blows fall [Plan Philly]
· The Slow Decay Show: Is Pennsport's Looming Historic Luxury Ship Impossible to Preserve? [Curbed Philly]