Luxury liner Morro Castle disaster, 75 years later

[Story]

Anniversary of the Morro Castle sinking
http://www.app.com/article/99999999/SPECIAL/90904139&template=periodic&theme=MORROCASTLE


Home movie footage of the luxury liner Morro Castle disaster
Rob Alsberg's grandfather filmed the charred remains of the luxury liner Morro Castle off the beach in Asbury Park 75 years ago. The footage was kept for years in a canister in the basement and recently discovered that it was one of the longest known pieces of footage of the maritime disaster. This is a two minute segment from the 10 minutes original.

http://www.app.com/article/20090905/NEWS/909050319/1004/NEWS01

In early September 1934, about 150 soldiers from the battalion* arrived at the National Guard camp in Sea Girt from Atlantic City and Newark for training. They had been there just a few days when the Morro Castle went up in flames off the town's shore.

Just before Moore took off in a plane from the camp's parade grounds to circle the wreck in near hurricane-force winds, "he orders the First Separate Battalion to fan out along the beaches and start preparing for a rescue operation," Bilby said.

From Point Pleasant to Manasquan, the militiamen were among the first to dive into the churning surf to save survivors.
http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2009/09/ship705.html

* the First Separate Battalion, a segregated unit of the New Jersey Militia created in 1931.

 

[Shangas]

The fire on the S.S. Morro Castle was one of the less well-known maritime disasters of the 20th century, I think. It's nice to see that some people have remembered it. At least, unlike the Titanic, help arrived in time.

 

[Fletch]

That must be why it wasn't so well known. Instead of a national event, it's more of a regional one.