NATION IN BRIEF : VIRGINIA : S.S. United States Gets a Tow to Turkey
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The auctioned luxury liner S.S. United States left for a refurbishing in Turkey after 23 years of sitting idle at a Newport News, Va., dock. The ship, which set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, was towed from a downtown pier as several thousand people watched. A Turkish-backed group bought the vessel for $2.6 million at a public auction in April. The group plans to restore the vessel and make it a cruise ship. The liner was taken out of service in 1969.
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