The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-09-08

incoherent accounts OF ono OF the
worst peace time marine disasters,
they were told by members Of the
crew Of the MORO Castle that more
than 200 passengers died because they
refused to enter lifeboats.
Tales related by passengers and
crew were those of horror and hero
ism-but, in the accounts Of the crew.
tragic overtones were Of passengers
fighting attempts to place them in
the boats.
Out Of the night came news Of the
disaster-mutely incomplete as the
flames spread with terrific rapidly:
"SO6-Morro Castle afire off Scot
land light"
The first frantic "sOS' was picked
up at 1923, eastern standard time. So
swiftly did the roaring flames en-
velope the vessel, with its 3l8 sleeping
passengers en- route home to New
York after q seven-day excursion to
Havana, that the ship soon was aflame
from stem to stern.
Shortly after 10 a. M, eastern
standard time, fewer than $50 sur
vivors had been landed or picked up
by nearby steamers racing to the
rescue.
Bodies were visible in the water off
the beach at Sandy Hook, N. ]. Surf
boats from the coast guard stations
along the Jersey shore pushed through
the heavy seas in search of survivors.
The blaze started apparently in the
library, according to some of the men,
bers Of the crew reaching shore in
q life boat. It spread to the great
tanks Of fuel oil and enveloped the
11,620-ton liner in a pillar Of flame
visible along the Jersey coast.
DR.. Charles Cochrane Of Brooklyn.
who came ashore in boatload Of sur
vivors, gave a graphic description of
the scene which greeted his eyes as
he turned out of his cabin in the
pitch blackness of night.
The front part Of the ship was
all aflame," he said.
Il do not believe any passenger who
got caught in the hold or cabin at
any point in the ship beyond the Ii
brary had q chance Of escaping"
Few Ships Within Reach
Shipping along the Atlantic coast
was stunned by import Of the Moro
Castles broken sos" and though
the liner was in the heart Of the
greatest shipping region in the world
there was not ship nearby.
As coast guards and police battled
in heart breaking failure to beat their
way in launches through the surf and
raging white-capped seas, those men,
bers Of the crew escaping from below
managed to lower life boats from one
side Of the flaming vessel.
In mute and pitiful evidence of the
failure Of many Of those aboard to
reach safety, life boat after life boat
landed with barely crew to fill it.
The MORO Castles boats had ca
pacity Of 70.
The Moro Castle LETT Havana We'd
nesday night. Friday night her COM
mander, Captain Robert Wilmot, died
from q heart attack. leaving the YES
sci in command of Chief Officer w. r.
Warns when she caught fire.
Furness Liner Picks Up 65
First to reach the blazing ship was
the Monarch OF Bermuda, crack Fur
ness liner. She took off IS persons.
Next was the Andrea F. Luckenhach,
which picked up % persons and wire
|lessed ashore to have ambulances
awaiting.
Reaching the scene then were the
President Cleveland and the City Of
Savannah.
Life boats were launched and those
landing along the Jersey coast re-
ported they had drifted beside the
blazing ship for an hour without see
lContinaasd GA pago D