The Washington times., 1934-09-08
SHIP TOLL NEAR $40;
BODIES LITTER SHORE

and swinging the Moro Castles
liftboatS out on the davitS, the
blaze ate its way steadily through
the hull.
SOS Sent Out
An SOS was flashed immedi-
ately, reporting:
Cant work much longer.
Fire directly under radio room.
Need assistance"
Another call to all nearby ships
was flashed, and while the radio
cracked out it's plea for aid, Off
GERS and crew worked frantically
to get the passengers into the
boats and get the boats away.
Fishermen See Flares
Launching of the lifeboatS was
hampered considerably by heavy
sea running off-shore. A stiff
northeast wind pounded the sea,
and the lifeboats, crews pulling
franticalIy, bobbled around like
corks.
Fearful there were no ships near
enough to reach the blazing liner
in time, officers ordered distress
flares sent up in the hope OF rous-
ing seashore points.
Fishermen along the coast saw
the flares, but it was thought at
first they came from a fishing
smack or small boat. The Coast
Guard stations here and at Bel
mar were notified and boats were
launched Immediately.
A few minutes after the flares
went up, the heavy fog which
shrouded shore and sea lifted for
a few minutes and fishing crews =
along the shore saw the Morrc
Castle, her hull ablaze from enc
to end.
Police headquarters were noti-
fled Immediately and word was
flashed along the coast to all
Coast Guard and life-saVlng sta
tions. .,
Shortly after a. M, a fitful
dawn broke over the heaving sea.
From the shore. it was seen that
the blazing ship, her engines
stilled, was drifting southwesterly
under the pounding wind and seas.
Coast Guardsmen from Sandy
Hook to Bay Head were ordered 10
stations to aid in landing boats
from the liner.
Coast Guard headquarters were
notified by radio shortly after 8
o'clock that a small group Of pas
sengerS were huddled on the fore
ward deck of the burning vessel
and that every effort was being
made to rescue them.
The message, from the Coast
Guard vessel Tampa, stated that
the sea was extremely choppy and
it would be difficult to run along
side Moro Castle.
Local headquarters of the Red
Cross mustered all its facilities to
care for survivors and arranged
with all North Jersey hospitals to
aid the injured.
Twenty-four of the first batch
of survivors were taken to Fftkin
Hospital at Neptune, most of them
suffering from burns and shock
and several more were reported at
the Monmouth Memorial Hospital
at Long Branch.
Most of the passengers were on
the return leg of a round trip
Journey from New York, but the
original complement had been
swelled by an additional so who
bought passages from Havana for
the disastrous northern journey.
The list included 35 Americans.
The remainder of the so were
Cubans and other foreigners.
Capt. r. E. Carey, of the
President Cleveland, wired the
Dollar Steamship lines he had
brought back no survivors of the
fire, upon arriving at Quaran-
tine today. His message read:
Survivors all on Luckenbach
and Bermuda. None here.
Quarantine 1O:4O a. m. Carey"
Main offices of Dollar Lines in
New York earlier had reported
receipt of a wireless saying the
boat had rescued part of the
Moro Castles crew.
A radiogram from Capt. Henry
Hull to the Luckenbach Line
stated:
"Arrive 1880 a. m. Have 20
survivors from Moro Castle.
Have ambulances ready"
Two police amblances and two
police emergency squads were sent
to meet the Andrea Luckenbach
when she docked.
The burned-out Moro Castle
has been taken in tow by the
U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa,
and an effort is being made to
tow her into New York, Coast
Guard Headquarters at Washing
ton were advised today.
The dispatch said that an un
named tug also had a line aboard
the MORO Castle and was assist
ing in the steering of the burned
ship.