Shipwreck of the Morro Castle
I found these photos among my grandfather's (Millard Koehler) photos and documents. I didn't know what they were of until I happened to see the same photos in a lecture about shipwrecks in New Jersey and was able to identify the ship as the Morro Castle. Below is a condensed version of what I've learned about the shipwreck from the New Jersey History's Mysteries site and other sources:
The SS Morro Castle was a luxury cruise ship of the 1930's that was built for the Ward Line for runs between New York City and Havana, Cuba. The Morro Castle was named for the Morro Castle fortress that guards the entrance to Havana Bay. In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 8, 1934, en route from Havana to New York, the ship caught fire and burned, killing a total of 137 passengers and crew members. Today, the use of fire retardant materials, automatic fire doors, ship-wide fire alarms and greater attention to fire drills and procedures resulted directly from the Morro Castle disaster... With the unexpected death of Captain Robert Wilmott, First Officer Warms assumed command and each officer below him advanced one grade. This may have been customary, but it put each man in a position he was unfamiliar with, a liability if an emergency situation occurred. Just prior to 3:00am a crew member thought he smelled smoke near the passenger lounge. Upon further investigation he found smoke coming from the writing room (a small lounge used by passengers for writing messages or letters, or just to relax) adjacent to it. He notified the bridge and an officer was immediately dispatched to find the source of he smoke. A few moments later he opened a closet and found the interior engulfed in flames. the crew made the first of many mistakes. Instead of seizing all available nearby fire extinguishers and immediately fighting the fire, they reported back to the bridge and wasted precious seconds. By the time they began attacking the fire, it had spread too far. They then made their second mistake by not closing the fire proof doors to isolate and at least slow down the fire's spread. The bridge was notified of the crew at hand's lack of progress with the flames and the fire alarm was sounded. What they did not know, but would have had they been properly drilled, is that the ship was designed to provide maximum water pressure to only six hoses at a time. When the crew opened more hoses (some by accident), the water pressure dropped and the hoses proved useless in fighting the spreading conflagration. Warms, believing the fire was being brought under control, proceeded at top speed through the gale force winds which only helped to fan the flames and spread the fire which was being fed by the wood paneling, carpets and the flammable décor throughout the passenger areas... Most of the crew abandoned their posts when they saw that continuing to fight the fire was useless. Instead of aiding the passengers and seeing to their safety, they either manned and lowered the lifeboats or donned lifejackets and jumped overboard. However, other crew members gave up their lifejackets and belts to elderly passengers and children so that they had a chance for rescue. Other crew members sought items that would float and tossed them in the water in case the passengers had to abandon ship. Many passengers lost precious minutes searching for loved ones, either their own or on behalf of tearful strangers. Some lost their lives... Only six of the Morro Castle's twelve lifeboats made it into the ocean, and with a total capacity of 408, only eighty-five seats were filled, most by crew members. The unfortunate people left to founder for themselves waited helplessly for aid to arrive. For many it never would... The disaster was a media sensation as every newspaper and radio station rushed reporters, cameramen and soundmen to the scene. Radio led the coverage and thousands of people drove to the area after listening to the reports and followed the smoking wreck north along the old Shore Highway as it drifted... Serious consideration was given to staking a claim to the once great liner to keep the remains in Asbury Park as a tourist attraction, but more judicious and sober thoughts prevailed. Eventually she was towed south and converted to scrap. |
Unrelated People
I think John Hiza was a friend of my grandmother, Catherine "Kitty" Cummings (later West). These are pictures of John and his family in her album. These are pics of John Hiza and his family.