Save the USS Olympia!

Dear Readers,
As you may know, the famous USS Olympia, a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War, is now a museum ship at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the world's oldest steel warship still afloat. Thus she is the unique and priceless historic and technical artefact. But, accordingly to the media reports, in October 2010 she it is to be taken apart and sunk of the New Jersey Coast - due to lack of funding to restore her deteriorating hull and lack of funds for restoration.

I really found it hard to believe.
The USS Olympia is an absolutely unique, valuable and priceless part of the US Naval History, Glory and Heritage, no bit of exaggeration here. This ship was a witness of the days when the United States became a World Power - known and respected as such one; and not just a witness but key participant.
In a sense, she is quite analogous to the Admiral Nelsons HMS Victory. Can somebody imagine the HMS Victory to be scuttled because of lack of some pounds for her preservation???....

The USS Olympia is respected, known and famous not only in the USA but worldwide. Many people around the world, even the Navy fans and admirers, are still not well aware about how many other deserved and historic warships are preserved in the United States but about the USS Olympia - they knows. I can claim this because of being one of such persons. I was born in the Soviet Union and knew very little about the USA and the US Navy until 1990s; still, I knew even then that the famous USS Olympia is preserved in Philadelphia!

If this ship will be just scraped or sunk, it will not be only the loss of priceless historic artifact and a crime against the History.
At the face of all the world, it will be an incredible, grandiose and infamous humiliation of the US Naval History, Heritage, and national pride.

Very few people (if any) will accept any kind of explanations about HOW it could happen that the most powerful nation of the world, having a largest economy in the world, still having a greatest worlds science and technologies, allowed such a humiliation of themselves and their history - and not even somewhere far away aborad but at home, on the US Land...

Nobody will ever be able (or even willing) to listen and accept any smart explanation about how it could happen that something like 10 millions of USD couldnt be found to save this unique part of National Pride and Heritage.

I firmly believe that this infamous fate for the USS Olympia can be avoided and must be avoided.
So please, pass this to everybody you know and who in your opinion may not be deaf to the common sense, national pride and historical memory. Please, dont think you are just a small ordinary private individual who cant change a big thing: it is NOT SO. Everything starts from somebody's personal effort, involvement and will to do something!
If you want to change or achieve something you CAN do it, if really willing to do it.
So PLEASE, DONT LET THE USS OLYMPIA TO DIE!!!
Sincerely, Alex V. Mandel, PhD, Odessa, Ukraine