Is the United States really fireproof?
There is, of course, no such thing as “fireproof”. Mattresses, clothing and other items aboard could still have caught fire, but she came as close to the mark as possible. This was achieved primarily through the elimination of wood. The use of alumni mum and other materials also had the advantage of making the ship lighter. With the advent of radar fire became the greatest hazard to ships at sea. Designer William Frances Gibbs was so set on making the United States as resistant to fire as possible that he reportedly asked Steinway & Sons to make an aluminum piano. For obvious reasons, they declined.
