forward technology at the time but readily available machinery in time of war, when diesel engine manufacturers were tasked to capacity. Many vessels have become of personal interest to individuals, the very individuals who have worked to save so many from the scrapyard. I am an unabashed supporter of New York City-based legacy vessels, such as the steamship Lilac, tugboat Pegasus, fireboat john J Harvey, tanker Mary A. Whalen, and the Lehigh Valley barge. While on a recent trip to Philadelphia, where I was photographing the world-class dance artist Desmond Richardson aboard the forlorn SS United States for a project designed to bring new constituencies to legacy vessels (www.heroproject.us), I also toured the Olympia. She represents an exquisite vessel by all counts, her interiors of polished wood bristling in pride and craftsmanship. Capt. Rybka's observation that William F. Gibbs's SS United States is now merely a shell, devoid of her original craftsmanship is correct; but what a shell, indeed.
member the 534 Victories that went forth in the greatest conflict the world has ever known. CHARLES
Fuss
St. Pete Beach, Florida Having grown up in a fire-service family in Baltimore, I wanted to add the New York City fireboat Firefighter, now being restored at Greenport, Long Island, to Walter Rybka's historic ship preservation list. My four brothers and I marvel at the powerful fireboats in Baltimore's harbor.
The largest Baltimore fireboat pumps 12,000 gallons per minute, whereas Firefighter can pump twice as much at 24,000 GPM (equal to 24 land-based fire engines). The powerful streams can rip a roof off a pier to get access to a fire, provide additional water supply to the land-based fire engines, and of course welcome visiting ships in port-most memorable was to welcome the tall ships visiting New York during the bicentennial in 1976. ANTHONY O'NEILL
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
JONATHAN ATKIN
Bronx, New York We aboard SS American Victory welcomed Capt. Walter Rybka's article "Ranking of Historical American Ships." He rightly declares that all proponents of historic ships would react to his list of vessels with their own ranking and not necessarily according to his. Capt Rybka has included the Liberty ships as necessary to our victory in WWII. No one with any knowledge of maritime history would dispute this conclusion, but not to be overlooked was that our victory in the wide Pacific owed, perhaps, more to the Victory ships with their five- or sixknot speed advantage and more efficient cargo handling gear for the rapid discharge of combat supplies and ammunition. The Victories paid a high price at Okinawa, where the ammo-carrying Logan, Hobbs, and Canada Victories were hit by kamikaze planes and vaporized with no survivors. Our own beloved ship was combat-loaded for the invasion of Japan, but the atom bomb intervened. She was sent instead to Shanghai and was the first American vessel to arrive in that port after the Japanese surrendered. All we ask is that those who note the passing of historic American ships re-
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SEAHISTORY 149, WINTER2014- 15