The Washington times., 1934-09-08
(Continued from Page ~

a scene of horror on the port
side.
There scores Of passengers
were fighting for their lives, sep
arated from the sailors by a
roar of crimson flame. 1t was
useless to attempt to go to their
aid.
And in all that frightful panic,
with the flames spreading so
rapidly that in a few moments the
ship was one massive glare OF red
against the horizon, with passen-
gers leaping into the sea as panic
gripped them, with heroic reScueS
vieing with selfish cowardice IN
the struggle for safety, the SKIP
per of the Moro Castle lay help
less in his cabin.
He was dead-struck down by a
heart attack which killed him only
little while before the MOTTO
Castle plunged into its last storm
and the greatest task that comes
to any sailor was deput1zed TO MS
first officer.
Ships that sped to the Moro
Castles aid, the Monarch OF Ber-
muda and the Andrea LucKen-
bach, picked up some survivors.
Ninety-four Taken From Sea
The Monarch of Bermuda lift
ed "a from the turbulent seas
and the Lugenbach %.
Eighty-five others who were
able to cast loose in SeaWorthy
nfeboats that escaped the flames
landed safely on the New jersey
coast, tumbnng into the arms OF
rescuers when their frail open
craft bumped on to the shore
on the crest of a wave.
These were the auckland the
few-but the dead were many
more. u~
Only five lifeboat loads bore
living burdens to safety.
Bodies Cast on Beach
throughout the morning, bodies
of young, old and middle-ageo
floated lifelessly on the tossing
waters. Some were cast up on
the shore like flotsam. Some
! were dragged in by Coast GUARDS
men patrolling the scene with
boathooks. ,.,,
A few hung Imply, but still
alive, in the armpits Of their LIE
belts.
scorched and burned, half SUI
focated from smoke, and Su11er'
ing from immersion, these were
rushed to hospitals to re-Ilve tneir
night of horror in delrlouS
dreams. H..
At noon, some nine hours after
the tragedy struck, there were
MANY stiIl struggling with the ele-
mentS.
-Four lifeboats were sighted tar
out to sea, with some 80 persons
aboard. How many were alive
and how many dead could not be
estimated.
Plane Surveys Scene
Gov. A. Harry Moore, of New
Jersey, taking personal part IN
the rescue attempts, flew out over
the scene late in the morning IN
an airplane. He reported back
that he had seen approximately
100 persons in the water.
Some were obviously dead.
Some may still be alive. All
the resources of the New Jersey
coastal service were pressed into
the attempt to snatch these vic
tins from the deep before I'M.
mersion and exhaustion could add
them to the death-toll.
Cause Is Mystery
The cause of the disaster re-
mained shrouded in mystery.
Reported complaints that econ
omv in the Naval radio service
had caused a serious delay in for
warding the so S call from the i'll
fated Morro Castle to proper au-
thorities were ridiculed today by
Navy Department officials.
The complaints were reported to
have come from maritime officials.
At Navy Department is was SAID
the original distress message nao
heen picked up as sent at 1927 a.,
m. and Immediately relayed 10 al
coastal stations.
Even if lightning was respon-
sible, it was difficult for OBJ
servers to understand how the
fire gained such rapid headway
and there was some criticism
among the passengers of the act
ing captains alleged failure TO
beach his stricken ship at the
earliest possible moment.
But those that spoke in his favor
told how the flames spread SO
quickly that the crew had no time
to arouse all the passengers
Alarms that rang in the crews
quarters enabled them to go above
and they made valiant effort tc
quell the fire.
No Time For Rescues
But there was not time to rouse
all the passengers. Stateroom win