The fate of the Olympic

[Neil McRae]

About two or three years ago, a major department store chain in Canada named Eaton's (basically the Canadian equivalent of Macy's) went bankrupt. The downtown store in my city, a lovely old building at least eighty years old, sat vacant for all that time (except for one floor that was kept open because it was part of a skywalk) until finally plans were made to build a new stadium on the site and the Eaton's building was fated to be demolished.

There was quite a fuss for a while by people trying to get the building preserved. It was especially serious because the decision was made only months before a mayoral election. I was sympathetic but it was a lost cause. The top few floor are already cleared and the rest will all be gone by mid-January.

It makes me wonder though. Was there any attempt by ANYONE to save the Olympic from being scrapped? Was there any type of petition or appeal to the public or the press?

I've remarked many times what a spectacular museum piece she would have made, especially today. I'd just hate to think that no one even tried to save the old girl.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

As far as I know, there was no attempt to save the Olympic. Not surprising considering the Great Depession was in full swing. Preserving a ship takes a lot of money, to say nothing of time and labour. While the latter two were available, money was not.

Likely as not...and I could be wrong on this...interest was lacking as well. The idea of preserving historic ships wasn't exactly en vogue back in the 1930's

 

[Mark Chirnside]

It depends what you mean as 'attempt' to save the ship. Certainly we can qualify that by saying that a number of people opined that the Olympic should not be scrapped and disuaded (or tried to disuade) it from happening. In her last month of service passenger bookings rocketed by fifty percent. Aside from publicity in those instances, however, I've not been able to find much more progress.

As an economist (though not a good one), I'd have loved to have been at one of the company's Board Meetingss and driven the point home that there were other better candidates for scrapping.

Regarding WS itself, Bruce Ismay was recalled in autumn 1933 to try to put together a rescue plan, but it was far too late.

Yet as to Olympic there were schemes to turn her into something else without scrapping her -- schemes which everyone seems to have dutifully ignored for years. I am leaving the details to surface in July, but one included the South of France.

Best regards,

Mark.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Cruise ship IOW. I've heard of some of these schemes, but the Mauratania's failure in that couldn't have made anybody comfortable. When you get down to it, liners designed for the chilly North Atlantic were hardly well suited for the beastly heat of more tropical climes.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

IOW? What does IOW mean? (I am terrible with these abbreviations!)

I thought Olympic's future cruise ship operation was reasonably well known, although I can understand the problems involved. Seriously, I wasn't referring to those.

Best regards,

Mark.

 

[Dave Gittins]

Neil, in the hard world of the time, a lot of Scots and Geordies cheered the scrapping. It meant work and food on the table. No time for sentiment.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

IOW = In Other Words. Unfortunately for the Olympic, the owners never tried to operate her as a cruise ship. I doubt she would have fared any better then the Mauratania did, but we'll never know.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

In other words! It's clear when you know it.

I wouldn't say that Mauretania did too badly to be honest, although she was not designed for warmer climates. On her cruises she often carried 600 passengers. Assuming Olympic had received some modifications, perhaps in a refitting, she might have achieved some success. Ventilation is the main problem, but not the only one.

Whilst I appreciate that many unemployed were pleased that the ship was being scrapped to bring them work, I don't accept that -- as Dave *seems* to imply -- 'there was no time for sentiment.' Certainly, this was true for later in 1935, but during the earlier part of the year and summer, it was by no means certain that Olympic would be scrapped, even though she was idle at Southampton.

Best regards,

Mark.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I don't know that there was no time for sentiment, but I don't think that the idea then of preserving the ship in any capacity would have occured to anybody either. Old ships going to the scrapheap was just one of those things one would have taken for granted as inevitable.

There would have been quite a few crocodile tears shed as the ship steamed off to the breakers, but it would have been forgotten soon enough.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Hi Mike!

but I don't think that the idea then of preserving the ship in any capacity would have occured to anybody either

Yes, but my earlier point was that it did. I have the documentation to prove it. Normally I would post it, but I've shared much of my research with many people over the past two years, and having been ignored for eighty years, months will not make any difference.

Best regards,

Mark.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Interesting. I hope you've included that in your book. I'd be looking forward to reading it.

 

[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 31 March 1935

Olympic's Summer Schedule

The Cunard White Star liner Olympic, which has long been teamed with the Majestic and the Homeric as the "big three," will drop out of the transatlantic trade for the Summer season. She is scheduled to sail next Friday for Southampton and after a three months' absence will return to make a series of three cruises to Quebec, Saguenay, Murray Bay, Gaspe, Halifax and Bermuda; one cruise to Halifax and one to Curacao, LaGuayra, Colon and Nassau. The Olympic was built in 1911 and has a registered tonnage of 46,000.

-30-

[MAB Note: As things turned out, of course, Olympic never returned; her departure "next Friday", 5 April 1935, was to be her final appearance in New York.]

 

[Craig Thomas]

The 30's was the era of streamline art deco. At 24 years old in 1935 the Olympic was a relic of the old fashioned Edwardian Era. People were more interested in looking forward because the future was exciting.
In comparison, would anybody today care if a cruise ship built in 1978 was scrapped?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Probably not Craig, but then were talking about a different age so this might not be a very safe comparision. Back then, certain liners were known to attract some very loyal customers and in that light, I think they would have cared a great deal if say the Olympic or Mauritania were going to the breakers.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Hi!

I have to second Michael's well said comments. Those older pre-WWI liners were held in high esteem by many, even in 1935. Many still held them to be the finest vessels afloat -- mainly those who did not want to 'move on with the times,' or were at least slow in doing so.

Best regards,

Mark.