MORRO CASTLE FIRE

Evening Star, Issue 21824, 13 September 1934, Page 9

MORRO CASTLE FIRE

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY HO ALARM SOUNDED Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright V NEW YORK, September 11. At the Federal investigation into the 3lorro Castle disaster, Eben Abbott, chief engineer, stated that he never visited the engine room during the conflagration, and within half an hour of being awakened he left the burning vessel in a lifeboat with thirty members of the crew and two passengers. He said he looked at the fire and decided that it was every man for himself. ; A number of passengers gave evidence, and all agreed that there was a lack of organised effort to evacuate them. In a newspaper interview, the assistant radio operator charged Acting Captain Warms with deliberately having delayed the ordering of the S.O.S. Several passengers gave evidence that no fire alarm was sounded. The passengers were awakened either by the smoke or by room stewards. BELATED S.O.S. CHIEF RADIO OPERATOR'S EVIDENCE NEW YORK, September 12. (Received September 13, at 9.10 a.m.) George W. Rogers, chief radio operator of the Morro Castle, told the Board of Inquiry to-day that it was fully thirty minutes after he was awakened because of the fire that u he received the order to send the S.O.S. Rogers further testified that some time ago his first assistant (George Alaona) and another operator “ tried to instigate discontent on the ship.” Alaona is now held as a material witness.