The Chilling Tale Of The Ill Fated Ss Morro Castle New Jersey S Ghost Ship

On September 8, 1934, the SS Morro Castle (an American ocean liner) caught fire and was beached along the shore of Asbury Park. Over 130 passengers and crew members died on that fateful day but there’s more to the story than a fire on a boat.

The Morro Castle, a popular luxury liner able to maintain a steady clientele during the Great Depression, was traveling between Cuba and New York when disaster struck.

Library of Congress/Wikipe

Upon departing Havana, a nor’easter began to build. The crew had to deal with increasing wind speeds and intermittent rain…

NOAA/Wikipedia

As the storm grew more severe, the captain grew ill. Captain Robert Willmott complained of stomach pains and hours later died of an apparent heart attack. Some believe he was poisoned.

Brecht Bug/Wikipedia

When things couldn’t get worse, they did. A fire was discovered in a storage locker or a writing room - reports vary. Within 30 minutes, the ship was engulfed in flames. The cause of the fire has never been determined.

International News Photos/Wikipedia

As the boat burned, power was lost, the wheelhouse lost the ability to steer the ship, and only half of the lifeboats were deployed. The boat, and bodies, washed ashore just yards from the Asbury Park Convention Center.

Wikijazz/Wikipedia

The crew was slow to send out an SOS and rescuers were slow to respond. As news spread, locals flocked to the shore to help. Sadly, it was too late for many.

Anne/Flickr

The charred boat remained for months until finally being hauled away in March of 1935. It became something of a morbid tourist attraction. It drew significant attention for several reasons. First, the series of tragedies surrounding the ship. Second, the mysterious circumstances behind the captain’s death and the fire. Third, the fact that the ship beached in nearly the exact same spot as the New Era wrecked in 1854. Hundreds also died in that disaster. Today, visitors still flock to the spot where the ship hit the shore. Some report hearing screams, shadowy figures in the sand, and spotting a ghost ship in the water. If you want to learn more about the SS Morro Castle, visit the New Jersey Maritime Museum. It offers the largest collection of Morro Castle information and memorabilia, among other unique artifacts.