MORRO CASTLE FIRE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 233, 14 September 1934, Page 7

MORRO CASTLE FIRE

Delay in Issuing SOS. Order

RADIO OPERATOR’S STORY

By Telegraph—Press Assn -Copyright NEW YORK. Sept. 13. A dramatic story of his efforts to send S.O.S. signals from the burning Morro Castle was told by the chief radio operator at the fire inquiry to-day. An assistant was sent to the bridge for Instructions to signal for help but no order was given until the radio room was ablaze.

George W. Rogers, chief radio operator of the Morri! Castle, said that it was fully 30 minutes after he was awakened because of the lire that he received the order to send an S O.S Rogers said that instructions to send an S U.S. were not available until the lurnishmgs oi the radio rem were ablaze and all bu the emergency send tng equipment out ot commission through the extreme heat Witness and his first assistant, George Alaona, as well as Charles McKay, the second assistant went to the bridgo for instructions. McKay did not return, but Alaona eventually returned saying: “Lets get out of here. They are just running round on the bridge and I can’t get any co-op-eration ”

Meanwhile, the freighter Andrew F Luckenbach could plainly see the bias ing vessel and repeatedly asked over the radio: “What’s the ship’s position? What shall we do?” However, for some reason the SOS. order was still delayed and finally on his own initiative Rogers sent a “Stand by” signal and told Alaona to make a second trip to the bridge He shortly returned with an S.O.S. order, but by that time the power was off and the room in darkness.

With the aid of a pocket flash-light and the emergency storage batteries Rogers flashed an S.O.S. and continued to do so until he collapsed, overcome by smokes and fumes, Alaona dragged him to the deck and somebody pushed him into a lifeboat

Ironically, Bogers was forced to testify that Alaona, the man who saved Ms life, was considered a Radical and trouble-maker by the late skipper, Captain Willmott.

Alaona is now held as a material witness.