THE MARINE DISASTER.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 September 1934, Page 7

THE MARINE DISASTER.

Total Loss of Life Under Two Hundred.

Many Believed Trapped in Cabins.

Received Monday, 10.45 p.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 10,

Harrowing Stories Told by

Survivors,

CREW’S ACTIONS CRITICISED AND

DEFENDED.

By Telegraph-Press Assn.-Copyright).

Received Monday, 7 p.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 9,

Stories of fire, panic and death in the burning Morro Castle continued to be told to-day as the survivors recovered from the exhaustion and shock of their experience. With the official inquiry to start tomorrow, most of the officers and members of the crew are Reticent regarding details of the. disaster, but the surviving passengers gave harrowing details of their adventures.

Only one, however, Miss Doris Wacker, whose father perished, could contribute information jegarding -what happened immediately prior to the alarm. Her story indicates that the officers were aware of the conflagration some time before the signal was given to the passengers to stand by. “Some time in the early morning," she said, "I was walking to my cabin from a late party and noticed that a fire was blazing in the library. An officer —I do not know who he was—' asked me not to spread the alarm, because I might create panic among the passengers. ’ ’

Miss Wacker added that she -immediately returned to her cabin and awakened her parents, who had barely dressed before the alarm was giVen and the panic started.

Negligence and Inefficiency Alleged.

Many passengers were inclined to blame the officers and the crew for various types of alleged negligence and inefficiency, but others claimed that they did everything possible, and blamed the hysterical fright of many of the passengers for the large loss of life.

One unidentified member of the crew declared that Chief Officer Warms kept the motors going as long as ho could to keep the vessel directly into the wind and retard the flames spreading. Ho only gave up and ordered the anchor to be dropped when the power failed. Dr. Gouverneur Morris Phelps, a prominent New York surgeon, his wife and their 25-year-old son were all saved, but after- extreme suffering. Dr. Phelps and his wife, with life-preservers, were six hours in the water before they reached shore. Their son said he had clung to a rope with his body halfimmersed in the water six hours before he was rescued.

All three complained bitterly of the manner in which the sailors handled the lifeboats and claimed that some contained a handful of the crew and no, passengers. They insisted that the crew could easily have picked up many in the water, but struck off for the shore.

The crew’s explanation of why so few gained'the boats is that the engers, to roach the boat jfleck, must have dashed through smoke, light and flames in a panic-stricken state. Many insisted on staying on the lower decks, and* they could not- be pushed pr carried upwards. Finally members of the crew say they took what passengers they could and left to save their own lives.

Insured in London

LONDON, Sept. 9

In addition to giving information about the fire. Miss Waeker told a heartrending account of saving herself and her mother while her father perished.' She said she was a good swimmer and alternately aided her. mother and father, who were indifferent swimmers, to reach the shore. "Father had sinus trouble and it was very difficult for him to breathe in the water. The waves kept washing oyer us, although I tried to keep them both up. Finally father said, ‘Let me go; I've had enough.’ I couldn’t do that, but he was soon unconscious and then died. After four hours a fishing boat picked mother and me up, but they y wouldn’t take father ’s body; they said they were only picking up live people.’’

Plucky Eleven-year-old Girl

A sailor told of his effort to save an 11-year-oW girl, whom he identified as Margarita or Martha Saenz, a daughter of the famous Cuban physician. He said the child swam up to him in the Water with her face badly burned, *■' but she didn't whimper while I kept her afloat. After a long time she was getting weaker. She became unconscious

A message from Asbury Park (New Jersey) says that a Press- survey on Saturday night showed 430 passengers and crew of the Morro Castle accounted for, with 130 dead or missing. Ninety-nine bodies were checked at the centra' morgue at Seagirt National Guard headquarters. Two were found in the cabin of the vessel, which was beached off the boardwalk. The Ward Line, owners of the vessel, announced that 162 persons are believed to have lost their lives, with the total rescued at 398.

It is believed that many were trapped in their cabins; also that some bodies were taken to neighbouring towns and have not been reported yet.

and I held on until I was sure she was dead. ”

One of the survivors said he believed that many, particularly women, perished as a result of a sense of modesty; they delayed to fully clothe themselves. Most, however, were wearing either their sleeping garments or evening clothes.

With the Jersey coast lights plainly visible, some of the passengers failed to realise that they were live or six miles away and in confidence returned to their cabins to save jewellery and other valuable possessions, and got cut off by the flames. There was a most touching rescue of a couple tightly bound together who had been married by the skipper, Captain W'ilmot, only a few hours before he died the previous evening. Incidentally Captain Wilmot’s body was probably cremated in his own cabin. Apparently only the ship’s surgeon knew where the body was placed, and he perished in the disaster. Among the survivors are 72-ycar-old twins, Michael Dulk and his sister, Mrs. Katie Noteboom. In the panic she found her elderly brother with a crew detail handling a hose. She forced him to abandon his fire fighting efforts and leave the vessel with her.

Smouldering* Hulk Beached at Asbury

ESTIMATED LOSS Or LIFE. NEW YORK, Sept. 9. Throughout the day the smouldering hulk of the Morro Castle lay beached 200 feet off Asbury Park boardwalk, constantly . menacing the large recreation pier, which was only protected by a rock jetty. Confusion still exists as to the exact casualties. The Ward announced officially that 166 were dead or missing. However, the United Press reports that 186 bodies have been recovered and 27 persons are missing, undoubtedly dead, while 314 'have been rescued. Of these a few are in a serious condition with burns and exposure. With the aid of gas masks the underwriters and coastguard officials boarded the wreck this afternoon and viewed such parts dh are accessible. It is reported that they found two charred bodies. They made no comment regarding possible discoveries of the origin of the fire. The chief officer, Mr. Warms, curtly refused to make a statement to the Press interviewers. “I will make an official report,' 1 he said.

Thousands of curiosity seekers invaded the Jersey coast to-day, creating a serious police problem. Some were relatives and friends, sent to the sad task of identifying the dead in the temporary morgue. Most looked at the wrecked vessel or gazed seaward to watch for bodies.

It is understood the Morro Castle was insured for £750,000, of which at least £600,000 was placed in London. Many brokers carrying insurance reinsured to-day against total doss, pay* ing over 40 per cent, premium.