Sponsored by Curiosity Stream: Use the link curiositystream.com/BigOldBoats to get Curiosity Stream for only $14.99 for the whole year! Thank you everyone for watching! I had no idea this story was so fascinating when I set out to make this video. What do you think? Did George Rogers do it? Or was it just an unlucky accident?
I was raised on this story. My Father and my Uncle (Who would later become the Chief Engineer on SS United States for most of her service) were on the beach at Sea Girt that night and helped bring people ashore. I have pictures of Morro Castle aground at Asbury Park the next day. Both of them always said that while he still had propulsion Warm should have beached her bow on in the shallow waters. As an aside, the Paramount was a deep-sea fishing party boat out of Brielle NJ. She was big, almost the size of a contemprary Cutter and powerful, easily managing the treacherous Manasquan Inlet when other Party boats couldn't. That night even in the storm she went out and made 20 knots to the Morro Castle, saving many in the water. She went on until the late 70's when she was retired and replaced with Paramount II, still in service. The family that operated them kept them in fine trim at all times and neither ever had an accident.
I pass by the SS United States often in Philly. I have been dying to get on that ship for years after I became friends with a photographer who was allowed aboard to take photos. I was really hoping the SS US and the aircraft the USS JFK would be incorporated into the maritime museum in Philly but unfortunately it looks like the latter is being scrapped and I don’t know what they are doing to the former. They are beautiful ships that are full of history.
I read an account that Theodore Ferris and william Francis Gibbs were the twp prominent American Marine architects before WWII. After the war, when the SS United States was built, the Morro Castle disaster knocked Ferris out of the running, and the contract went to Gibbs. They say the only wood on the SS United States was the chef's butcher-block and the ships Steinway piano.
Wow your family literally raised you on this story? This must have been the only thing you knew that ever happened in the world until you were an adult. That’s strange.
SS Moro Castle was really linked to her captain in a grim way. Most ship would go down taking their captain with them. SS Moro did the opposite and went down with her captain.
I heard about the SS Morro Castle on a fairly regular basis from my grandmother, who saw the ship on fire the night it happened. It obviously made a huge impression on her as she related the horror of what she saw that night. Thank you for telling 'the rest of the story'. Well done!
I don't normally go in for conspiracy theories but I think there's actually a good chance Rogers might've done it, and if he did, it's a staggering act of mass murder. A dark and burning cruise ship without electricity or radio in a nor'easter, I mean holy shit, amazing that many people survived.
@@darryl3422 I don't think they could. Under US law, from what I found in a quick Google search at least, an estate can continue a libel suit filed while someone was alive, but by definition you cannot defame a dead person.
Why, because he was called a "radical" by the captain? Anyone advocating for labor rights in this time period was considered "radical" or "a commie." I haven't heard any other evidence against him.
I mean he probably could live with that since he's been the hero of the wreck. Like that nurse guy intentionally killing people to resuscitate them heroically.
Whether Rogers murdered the captain and/or set the fire or not (and the circumstancial evidence seems very strong), he certainly was a thoroughly reprehensible person, who got WAY too much leniency and more chances to hurt and kill more ppl. When they finally nailed him on the attempted murder, they shouldve thrown away the key and let him rot.
Between the multiple murders/attempted murders, selfish behaviour during the disaster, and the self-aggrandizing tendencies in the aftermath, he honestly sounds like a narcissistic sociopath or psychopath.
I have been researching this disaster, along with my co-author, Gretchen Coyle for decades, and continue to add to the huge collection of documents, photographs and memorabilia related to this event. The NJ Maritime Museum has an entire room dedicated solely to the Morro Castle.
i think this is your best one yet. i was surprised to hear so many of the passengers and crew survived; i had expected it to be the opposite ratio, with only one hundred and some odd surviving
Agree, I was always surprised that so many survived - how, I can’t imagine, between the fire, smoke, and the decks, even away from the fire, being too hot to stand on. Supposedly the oil based paint on the exterior of the ship caused burning chunks of it to fly off into the sea, while the heat made the railings and even steel plates of the ship buckle. And the rain of the N’easter had no effect on controlling the fire. But interesting how the paint on the two funnels seemed to be intact.
@@radamikfunnels run very hot so they need fireproof paint we had it back then for fireplaces etc it was just expensive so they only painted things like funnels with it
It seems to be standard procedure in these incidents that the crew always seem to have a complete communication breakdown when there’s a fire at sea..This has been repeated many many times since on similar ferry’s...
@@potato1907 the crew of the Moby Prince evacuated almost everybody to the fire safe room… but they were not found in time. And the miscommunication was on the part of the fucker that hit her, if I remember correctly. You are right about the rest though.
Well done. I had read a book on this disaster, but I forgot how badly botched it all was. My mom was taken to Asbury by her dad to see the ship. She said it was a horrible sight. RIP
Fantastic work. You really have a knack for bringing out the most interesting details. It still amazes me there hasn't been a movie made about this disaster.
Thank you for another wonderful video!! My grandmother was a passenger on Prinsendam when that ship burned and sank off of Alaska in 1980. I know that ship is neither that Big nor that Old a Boat, but I hope you might get to it at some point! Thank you for what you do!
Never knew the City of Savannah helped in the rescue. The wreck of the City of Savannah is in my home town of Beaufort, SC, the ship ran aground during a storm breaking its back. The wreck was used for target practice during WW2 and salvaged by locals. What’s left of the wreck is covered by sand.
Not the same ship. The City of Savannah wreck that’s near Beaufort was lost in August 1893 during the Great Sea Island storm. (A category 3 hurricane. Remarkably all 30 people on board survived) The City of Savannah that assisted the Morrow Castle saw service as a merchant ship during WWII, and was sold for scrap in 1947.
You did a really nice job on this. I didn't remember about the rough weather. I saw a documentary on the Morro Castle when I was a kid back in the late 70s, but it's mostly lost from my memory. Thanks!
My mother saw it when it beached on Asbury park, we don't live far from Asbury park so her mother my grandmother and grandfather drove to see it, she also saw the Hindenburg after it burned.
A lot of suspicious activity seemed to be brewing under the surface onboard, accident or crime, many things can be learned. Safe procedures and practice of them and decent if not good morale is critical aboard ship, seems anything is possible on this boat.
In the book about this disaster simply called, "Shipwreck", it said that the Ward Line experienced extensive turnover of employees, even though this was the middle of the Great Depression and the living conditions and food served to them was appalling. There was also a problem with one of the fuel oil injection nozzles on one of the boilers, which is what Chief Engineer Abbott was trying to alert the captain about. This led to less steam pressure and power that later initially affected the fire hydrant pressure available when the fire broke out before the crew opened too many fire hoses that also made the pressure drop to zero.
my mom’s family lives in new jersey, so we go up there very often. we go to asbury park every summer and there’s a memorial for the morro castle. it is also said the area where the morro castle beached is haunted.
I found it amazing how everyone at the coast try to help when they see the ship in the morning, they turn on siren, calling, word of mouth, jump into the sea, use boats, use planes, call ship, get ambulance, all of them.
I've been researching this topic for an upcoming video, and I'm always impressed by your level of detail. I am also reading the book you reference, "Inferno at Sea." So many shady characters involved!
Thank you so much! Yeah, there's A LOT going on with this one. Tough to fit it all in one reasonable length video but a fascinating story. 'Inferno at Sea' is a fantastic resource!
another winning video. Thanks! A pretty tragic event, with such a fascinating background... Fire was(is) always the biggest concern on liners, and in the Morro's case, design flaws which spread the fire, and brain dead crew, sealed the fate of so many in such a graphic way for all of America to see. this was a BIG deal in the day.
Your videos just keep getting better and better! There is so much shady stuff going on with this story, I don't really buy that the captain died of just a heart attack and suspect he was poisoned, possibly by something like antifreeze. The fire could have been intentional but poorly executed and quickly spiraled out of control, OR it just happened incidentally from faulty wiring or something to make a bad day even worse. That one guy on the crew was super sketchy as well, Rogers I think his name was? If he was the one that set the fire he clearly didn't think everything through at best, and at worst a total monster for willingly putting so many lives at risk to cover up any evidence of wrongdoing. He doesn't give off a good impression either way.
I didn't know much about this ship excepting that it caught fire. Your story has filled in many of the gaps as to it's history. Very well done, your best yet.
Wow, can’t believe this is real. First of RIP to all the victims but it almost seems like a plot of some thriller novel! I hadn’t heard of this story before. Did the Ward Line operate afterwards or did it, much like White Star, disappear fairly quickly? The ship looked stunning, particularly the interiors. Many people must have had great cruises on it prior to the tragic final voyage. That radio operator is a really dubious character to the say the least. I guess the alleged poisoning of the captain necessitated a fire aboard to cover up the evidence. A shame whoever it was, if it was murder, probably got away with it as the captain was never properly autopsied and no conclusion was reached. RÍP once again to all those who lost their lives aboard her.
The white star operated afterwards for a while? In 1934 it was forced into a merger with Cunard to form Cunard white star and in 1947 cunard brought out white stars share and dropper the name by 49. Yet ships in her fleet that were originally white star flew the flag until they were retired. Cunard ships every year on the day the titanic sank fly the flags out of respect and Cunard still uses the white star line name in some of its services
Imagine your ship catches fire & almost all the crew sail away in the only functioning lifeboats! Oh, actually, didn't that happen with Schettino & Costa Concordia in 2012?
I have some personal input Brad on this most excellent Video., some of which may have influenced parts of it most specifically the Paramount which I have commented on before. My Father, then 18 and my Uncle 21, were on the beach that night. My father in Pre-med at Columbia rendered first aid to to the victims brought ashore. My uncle, a strong swimmer, helped bring them ashore. He would later become the Chief Engineer on SS United States for most of her service and my Father was a Ships Doctor on the South America run prior to WWII. Like most Jersey Shore people my age we were raised on the story of the Morro Castle. Dad never could pass the spots in Asbury Park and Sea Girt without telling us the story of that night again, of the severity of some of the burn injuries. Both of them, to their dyeing days agreed that if the ship, still under propulsion, had had adequate Command she would have been run aground saving many lives. I think that is widely accepted. As to the Paramount, she was a Party Fishing Boat based in Brielle, NJ. Much larger than most all party boats she could transit the very treacherous Manasquan Inlet, infamous to this day. I know I was raised on it and have some stories to tell (Engines screaming max astern to stay on the good side of a huge roller). Her Family took her out in the face of a huge storm to aid the Morrow Castle making 31 kts! I was on her many times and her replacement Paramount II. I think that deserves a Big Smaller Old Boats!
The production quality of your documentaries completely captures the viewer. The excellent writing and narration convey the particulars in an almost spell-binding fashion. Well done, sir!
Beautifully done video! My grandparents had many photographs of the ship that also included ones of the ocean facing side. I've always been fascinated by this story, and I've read many articles and books, but your video shows some different things that I've never seen before. Again, great video. Thank you!
An amazingly well done video as usual!! Still waiting patiently for the re upload of the Normandie video……..I remember when I first watched that video and at the ending I got literal goosebumps and chills. Great job man keep it up!
Rogers looks pretty good for this. He had a history of arson and later tried to kill and did kill at least 3 other people. But the 130+ victims taken out on the Morro Castle that night are by far the worst. Imagine the damage this guy could have done if the Navy hadn’t said, “Hell no!” and this SOB had gotten pissed at his superior officers during the war. He already had shown a willingness to kill.
I wish you had been my history teacher in when I was in high school with these types of presentations. You make all of your videos so interesting. Thank you much!!
I can’t even state how GOOD this channel is at storytelling, “art direction”, the picking up of footage and afairs to talk about. Undoubtedly the best representation of civil sharing of knowledge, and one of the best channels i’ve encountered, that talk about maritime history, along with Ocean Liner Designs!!! Keep it up with this excellent channel!!! And the video was also great! Thanks for showing the passengers’ point of view, and how they were so courageous at handling such situation … RIP to all the people that died that morning…
I'm really finding your videos, quite compelling. Your choices of music, video, and your own narration, is in my opinion, professional quality. You should be making documentaries like this for the history channel. Your just Brilliant at doing these videos.
personally, I think a lot of the blame is on the acting captain, who, in a misguided attempt to reach help sooner, was pushing the ship at full power even as she burned... the high wind is what made the fire grow, and given the turbulent wake she created, also what made abandoning the ship near impossible except for the strongest swimmer... as far as I understand Rogers had also previously been convicted for attempted arson.... which adds weight to the idea he was indeed the one who set the ship ablaze in the first place... he is also one of the few who, by call of duty, had an unrestricted access to the room where the fire started... but, I am also somewhat suspicious that he was the one people tried to make a scapegoat, since, the deficiencies of wiring, storage, paint and gasoline use as well as a list of other failures in fire hazard management could easily have caused spontaneous ignition too...
Another fantastic video. I really appreciate your thoroughness, and the respectful way you handle disasters like this. Thanks for the great content. Also, it's true that Americans are suckers for English accents. Unfortunately, several English people have confirmed to me that my American accent is not considered charming or hot or attractive in any way in any part of the British isles. Sad day.
@Jens Nobel First paragraph in and I'm already amazed by your ability to distill differences in individual mannerisms into a generalization of the entire people group. That is not the "American way of asking." It varies person to person. And I know for a fact 100% of Brits don't phrase a request as extremely respectfully as you claimed they all do. Either you are using a single interaction to generalize the entire populace in each case, or you're just a racist.
It’s always enjoyable to see videos on the more obscure wrecks, and the amount of information there is and simultaneously isn’t has now resulted in a milestone for your channel. These are effectively unofficial documentaries, which are now becoming less sensationalized and more sincere than many “actual” documentaries that try to push a theory rather than tell the story. … And to answer the question in the video’s title, it was all Ryan’s fault.
Man what a sight it would’ve been to see her on the beach!! Thanks for bringing this story to light brother! You’re one of the best! Can’t wait to see what you have for us next time!
Mr. Anderson, Your boats, or ships, are huge. The ones here in Ohio I see aren't built for as many passengers, as pleasure boats. You mention beach. With the ocean, what size boat can be beached on Jersey Shore, a byrdingr, smaller decked vessel where passengers lack comfory in the interest of safety ? With those new flexible rollers, round fence posts, can a 8 ton boat be pushed up a beach far enough and anchored there? Electric heavy windlass carried on bow with sufficient strength tow cable, ?
Dear Bradley, Luckily, now I watched the titles and can call you by name! Thanks for this masterpiece! Perfect timing, captivating narration and breathtaking atmosphere by sound! I'm happy to see another great part of ocean liners history brought to life! Thanks and wish you good luck and further success! PS Would love to see the story of La Bourgogne or Elba or Norge or whatever! Can't wait to see more!
My father was a career Air Force NCO who retired in 1968 at 26 years of active duty service. One of the assignments was to Ramey AFB (Puerto Rico) 1956/ 57/ 58, a Strategic Air Command (SAC). We had traveled to Puerto Rico on one of the Navy’s re-fitted Liberty Ships for a great 4-day cruise and sight-seeing trip. At least it was for me. Apparently not so good for my mother who was a young woman from hill country. She must have had a rough time never having been on a ship. My father had to convince her to go aboard. She made a comment before boarding that I never thought about until seeing this video. Now I feel a bit guilty for not realizing how concerned she was and what she meant meant by: ‘This better not be the Morro Castle!’ We left that duty station for the next one at Offutt AFB. That time instead of going by ship, we flew on a Constellation prop aircraft for a wonderful, but shorter trip. Regards
They say the side of the ship glowed red from the fire in the coal bunker. Also the only thing left of the captain was his belt buckle; totally incinerated his remains.
I've finally made the time to watch this, and it sounds like I've found my next mystery to solve. Before I start though, a quick shoutout to that Franz fella. He's not the only one who's a champion swimmer and track runner (😌👍). Most of all of course, though, is his heroism. Must've taken a lot of courage to remove what almost surely would've saved him and give it to the girl, but at the same time, I have a strong feeling that his doing so was instinctual. God rest his soul. As for the Morro Castle. The burning of this ship was one of several reasons why William Francis Gibbs had an obsession with fire safety and saw to it that the United States could never burn. From I can gather so far, this definitely smells of arson. The company was much beloved by its customers, but for its employees, they apparently didn't treat them as well. Understandably the crew would be mad, but either someone like that one guy was a radical and took things too far, or the mistreatment of the crew was severe. I'm inclined to believe it was moreso the former, as this was yet another one of those stories where the crew basically deserts the passengers, does nothing to help them, and in some cases keeps them away from rescue as with the radio operator, who I will get to in a bit. Not to discredit the crew who stayed of course: a salute to them. My theory is the following. Someone most definitely killed the captain. If from what it sounds like, he never had any health issues in his time serving with the line, why did he have any now, and why was it so severe? I can all but guarantee you that someone poisoned him sometime before dinner, maybe even before that night. After he was found dead, he was replaced with quite the incompetent crew member it sounds like. The fact he was that incompetent yet put on the job further speaks to me that this wasn't one man's job, but an inside job conspired among who knows how many of the crew. Afterwards, someone must have gone to that room and either lit a spark or dropped a very hot object on the ground, which if I am correct, was directly above the one boiler that was having problems. That boiler would then cause the object to ignite, but not that fast so as to not give the plot away. I'm willing to guess it was the radical who saw to it that the boiler's temperature was never fixed, and that it was the radio operator who left the hot object above it. Listening to how he fought passengers away from him when in the water, and given his criminal record, this isn't hard for me to imagine. Knowing about how the crew hated the line for that matter, none of this sounds impossible to me, and I think I'm pretty spot on with what we know. Rest in peace to the 137 people (including the captain if he wasn't part of that number) who died that night.
I still remember my grandfather, telling us stories abaut The Morro Castle, because at The time, he used to work on a merchant ship "Savannah" , as a deckhand, And was on board the ship when they received a call to help, with The ship passengers. He told us some pretty grimm things, that he witness , specialy for me And my brothers. (We were 11,7 And 4 years old at The time he told us, abaut 45 years ago). Because of those stories, the name "Morro Castle" got stuck in my mind, until today.
26:20 this guy? Tell me you don't look at this guy and go "ok so he has a track record of attempted murder, arson, people he owes money to die, etc" this is the dude. Like without a doubt. Also, that's a face not even a mother would, or could,, love.
Makes one wonder if this tragedy was squarely on the mind of William Gibbs who designed the S.S. United States a few years later. He would not allow any wood used in construction or finish of the vessel save the Steinway piano.
And even that he tried to get Steinway to custom-build pianos for the ship from aluminum; the company refused, but did make a set from flame retardant treated mahogany, if I recall correctly, demonstrating their resistance to flame by dousing some of the wood in petrol and lighting it afire - the wood remaining unharmed as the vapors burned harmlessly away. I believe at least one remaining example of a piano from that build order still exists, somewhere.
Was it known that the captain & the crew didn't get along, & the crew in discontent over ships living conditions, did the captain fear for his life & for the Safety of his ship that caused his heart attack? Did his crew know he had a weak heart?
Those lowbellies among the crew who jumped into the lifeboats and abandoned their charges are a collective disgrace to the title of seamen. Absolutely cowardly, reprehensible behavior.
In Beach Haven, New Jersey, which is at the southern end of Long Beach Island, the is a museum called the Maritime museum. In it, there is a dedicated room- The Morro Castle room. It has pictures, artifacts, video stories about the Morro Castle and the fire.
I also grew up, on this 'seatale' (from my father). Living on an island, at the bottom tip of south Jersey, this disaster has always been relevant (especially years ago) in the proximity, of this part of the state. How can you forget, it? One of the deadliest ship fires, ever to happen in maritime history, just off our shores. Although no one was officially indicted, it's more than obvious, George Rogers, WAS the culprit!! Having a questionable history/record with violence and yes, later with an explosive device, and double murder, it's easy to put it together. He had knowledge of incendiary devices, and was known to highly dislike, Captain Wilmont . It wouldn't of been difficult to poison him (hence the stomach, pain), and later the fire to cover it up, with. I read somewhere years back, that while in prison (just before dying), he had admitted to setting the ship fire🔥(there's much information, and books on the subject, to unofficially confirm this)!!!
I personally think based on what I heard on this video, that the captain was probably murdered. If he was having stomach issues then found dead, isn’t it possible that he was poisoned by the crew since tensions were already high?
I guess I am a bit nieve when I think that a ship’s crew will ensure all passengers are evacuated first…..but the Costa Concordia proves (yet again) that it’s everyone for themselves. Hola from Ecuador!
The whole thing was a botch and Warms seemed much more interested in having his captaincy accepted than in fighting the fire. The hydrants had been turned off because a passenger had sprained an ankle on a previous voyage. To say the very least, Radioman Rogers was a sketchy character. Later in life he attempted to kill a Bayonne, NJ police detective after explaining how he thought the Morro Castle fire started. Later he murdered a father and daughter to whom he owed money. FWIW, I think Rogers started the fire after he learned that the radio company who had posted him to the ship was going to fire him. As for the crew, they were a disgrace. At least, in general crew on the Titanic worked to get people into lifeboats and the lifeboats away. RIP TO all those who died that stormy September.
Well done, professional. I have a crude model of this ship at work. I knew it burned then drifted ashore to Asbury park. It's nice to know her history. Thank you, new subscriber. (I build model ships for a living, 28 years now.)
I find what little evidence there is seems to point to Rogers. But in none of the books I've read on this horrific disaster and this documentary video, nothing is said where Rogers was seen before the fire broke out. Someone must have seen him, and what was the time line from seeing him to the start of the fire? While Rogers had a shady and mysterious past, in this case you can't use those facts to say he was responsible for the destruction of the Morro Castle. So to me, today, this still remains a mystery that will never be solved. I also find the inaction of the USCG appalling!!
An outstanding video! Very well researched and produced. Such a terrible event, a terrible story yet engrossing. I've read that after the horror on the Morro Castle no changes were made to her sister ship Oriente. My reaction or impression is that the Ward Line and the Morro Castle, and maybe the Oriente and other ships of the line, were permeated with evil. Something to learn from this catastrophe is to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and know how to get out and without necessarily waiting for direction to do so. I would suggest to people to make it a habit to have a small flashlight with your or near you. Also it appears very possible to me that the George Rogers started the fire. I'd be surprised he did not do so. I know that the evidence is circumstantial but there's so much of that evidence. Arson mixed with a highly flammable ship that was poorly maintained and operated is a combination for catastrophe, maybe even more than was anticipated by a possible arsonist. I'd like to recommend the book "When the Dancing Stopped---The Real Story of the Morro Castle and Its Deadly Wake" by Brian Hicks. This also presents evidence that George Rogers was responsible. The book is fascinating but does not dwell on the gruesome deaths of those who perished and is also a book about the treatment of American workers during the Depression.
Never heard about this, so it’s interesting to see comments from older people talking about how it was common knowledge years ago. It’s not mentioned at all any more. I was born in ‘76 myself but was never into “big old boats”, so all I knew about was Titanic. But the interweb tubes has shown me that Titanic was merely one example of many tragic maritime disasters, some of which were even worse than Titanic’s demise. It’s also shown me how easy it is for history to be forgotten. If it’s so easy to forget something from less than 100 years ago, how much have we lost over the span of 2000+ years?
Indeed. I read lots of shipwreck books in my teens; Titanic, Morro Castle and Andrea Doria were my favorite wrecks. Fascinating to dig into these stories, among many others. You do have to go back to the older books; that's where all the details are.
I remember this story being shown on a 1960’s TV show called, “SURVIVAL”. I do not know how many details were given, because I was so young-8 to 10 years old, and it was a 30 minute show. I have always wondered what happened. The arson theory seems most likely. It makes sense. Thank you for all you do.
An interesting and well-made video. I'm the proud owner of a flea-market-find picture of the Morro Castle on fire. It's very obviously a black-and-white picture of the ship before the fire, with colorful flames luridly and clumsily painted on. Handmade Photoshop from before the days of computers.
Why do these boat people never get water from the ocean to put out the flames? I am sure I am missing something, but it seems so obvious- use bucket lines and put put the fire. Why did all of those crewmen have a "save myself fist" mentality?!!! They left the passengers to fend for themselves!! Since when does any passenger know how to launch a lifeboat? Titantic reminders!!
The lessons taught were never learned as the disaster of the Laconia in 1963 proved. Laconia's captain was cited for failure to insure the life boat davits worked correctly, and again, the fire alarms were not loud enough. Today's cruise liners are virtual fire traps, with artificial materials like plastics and aluminum replacing the wood paneling of the older ships. Today too many ships depend on the use of one engine and one propeller. There are cruise ships with atrium's that rise though several decks that will act as chimneys in a fire and decorated with flimsy, flammable plastic do-dads. It's only a matter of time before one of these massive ships catch fire and their thousands of passengers die needlessly.
Considering Rogers’s actions both before and after the burning of the Morro, I think it’s a safe bet to say he might very well be responsible. “You will know them by their works”
Sparks Rogers had been investigated for starting a fire at the radio equipment company where he worked before joining the Radiomarine Co. (his employer while on _Morro Castle)._ They couldn't pin it on him.
The whole thing seems extremely suspicious; the Captain’s sudden illness and death and then the ship just happens to catch fire? The fire mysteriously starts in a location that is almost ideal for delayed detection and maximum speed of destruction? Of course, then there’s the crew member who was later discovered to be a serial arsonist and murderer…it’s hard not to think that maybe the crew decided to air their grievances once and for all.
Can you imagine what is was like back in the day when accidents like this happened close to shore giving the locals a free bounty..The One Whiskey Galore comes to mind..Thanks for the upload dude
Great video! In future, it’d be nice if you could mention something about your footage you use, I never know if it’s real, from some film or documentary, or what! It’d be nice to know!
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Thank you everyone for watching! I had no idea this story was so fascinating when I set out to make this video. What do you think? Did George Rogers do it? Or was it just an unlucky accident?
Good god. Can you imagine the last thing you do before you die is to get an enema?
No such things as accidents
Accidents are caused
"Did George Rogers do it? Or was it just an unlucky accident?"
Who knows?
Adtastic narrative ,did not make the end but fortunately no buyers remorse .Respects to the disaffected
Obviously the initial insurance fraud went norks up
I was raised on this story. My Father and my Uncle (Who would later become the Chief Engineer on SS United States for most of her service) were on the beach at Sea Girt that night and helped bring people ashore. I have pictures of Morro Castle aground at Asbury Park the next day. Both of them always said that while he still had propulsion Warm should have beached her bow on in the shallow waters. As an aside, the Paramount was a deep-sea fishing party boat out of Brielle NJ. She was big, almost the size of a contemprary Cutter and powerful, easily managing the treacherous Manasquan Inlet when other Party boats couldn't. That night even in the storm she went out and made 20 knots to the Morro Castle, saving many in the water. She went on until the late 70's when she was retired and replaced with Paramount II, still in service. The family that operated them kept them in fine trim at all times and neither ever had an accident.
God bless your father and uncle and the rest of the heroes who risked their lives to save others'.
I pass by the SS United States often in Philly. I have been dying to get on that ship for years after I became friends with a photographer who was allowed aboard to take photos. I was really hoping the SS US and the aircraft the USS JFK would be incorporated into the maritime museum in Philly but unfortunately it looks like the latter is being scrapped and I don’t know what they are doing to the former. They are beautiful ships that are full of history.
I read an account that Theodore Ferris and william Francis Gibbs were the twp prominent American Marine architects before WWII. After the war, when the SS United States was built, the Morro Castle disaster knocked Ferris out of the running, and the contract went to Gibbs. They say the only wood on the SS United States was the chef's butcher-block and the ships Steinway piano.
This greatly enriches the video.
Wow your family literally raised you on this story? This must have been the only thing you knew that ever happened in the world until you were an adult. That’s strange.
SS Moro Castle was really linked to her captain in a grim way. Most ship would go down taking their captain with them. SS Moro did the opposite and went down with her captain.
The ship's doctor, DeWitte Van Zile perished in the fire, so he also couldn't be questioned about the captain's death. How convenient?
I heard about the SS Morro Castle on a fairly regular basis from my grandmother, who saw the ship on fire the night it happened. It obviously made a huge impression on her as she related the horror of what she saw that night. Thank you for telling 'the rest of the story'. Well done!
I don't normally go in for conspiracy theories but I think there's actually a good chance Rogers might've done it, and if he did, it's a staggering act of mass murder. A dark and burning cruise ship without electricity or radio in a nor'easter, I mean holy shit, amazing that many people survived.
To be fair... If only one guy did it, by definition it isn't a conspiracy. So rest assured you aren't going in for a conspiracy theory on this. 😊
Make a great movie with Roger's as the villian of course his family would probably sue
@@darryl3422 I don't think they could. Under US law, from what I found in a quick Google search at least, an estate can continue a libel suit filed while someone was alive, but by definition you cannot defame a dead person.
Why, because he was called a "radical" by the captain? Anyone advocating for labor rights in this time period was considered "radical" or "a commie." I haven't heard any other evidence against him.
I mean he probably could live with that since he's been the hero of the wreck. Like that nurse guy intentionally killing people to resuscitate them heroically.
Whether Rogers murdered the captain and/or set the fire or not (and the circumstancial evidence seems very strong), he certainly was a thoroughly reprehensible person, who got WAY too much leniency and more chances to hurt and kill more ppl. When they finally nailed him on the attempted murder, they shouldve thrown away the key and let him rot.
Yeah I thought guys like that werent given second chances back then. He was insane
Good intentions led to evil ends. Rogers should never have left death row till the guards took him to his fate.
Between the multiple murders/attempted murders, selfish behaviour during the disaster, and the self-aggrandizing tendencies in the aftermath, he honestly sounds like a narcissistic sociopath or psychopath.
Reading this comment before watching the vid and I’M EXCITED NOW 😆🤭 (what is this story?? Never heard of it)
@@Toro_Da_CorsaYou got a lot more second chances if you were higher up the social ladder. Say a heroic white policeman.
I have been researching this disaster, along with my co-author, Gretchen Coyle for decades, and continue to add to the huge collection of documents, photographs and memorabilia related to this event. The NJ Maritime Museum has an entire room dedicated solely to the Morro Castle.
My grandmother died on the Morro Castle. It's really incredible to hear that people are still preserving the history of it.
@@emilymiller5795 What was your grandmother's name?
@S T R A N D C A S T Inferno at Sea is the title of the book we have written about this tragedy.
i think this is your best one yet. i was surprised to hear so many of the passengers and crew survived; i had expected it to be the opposite ratio, with only one hundred and some odd surviving
Agree, I was always surprised that so many survived - how, I can’t imagine, between the fire, smoke, and the decks, even away from the fire, being too hot to stand on. Supposedly the oil based paint on the exterior of the ship caused burning chunks of it to fly off into the sea, while the heat made the railings and even steel plates of the ship buckle. And the rain of the N’easter had no effect on controlling the fire. But interesting how the paint on the two funnels seemed to be intact.
@@radamikfunnels run very hot so they need fireproof paint we had it back then for fireplaces etc it was just expensive so they only painted things like funnels with it
"The crew failed to act properly"
The shame is, that statement can be and has been used in marine disasters until this day.
It seems to be standard procedure in these incidents that the crew always seem to have a complete communication breakdown when there’s a fire at sea..This has been repeated many many times since on similar ferry’s...
*cough cough* mv moby prince, ms scandinavian star, ms costa concordia, mv sewol, mts oceanos, ss seabreeze *cough cough*
@@potato1907 the crew of the Moby Prince evacuated almost everybody to the fire safe room… but they were not found in time. And the miscommunication was on the part of the fucker that hit her, if I remember correctly. You are right about the rest though.
A fish rots from the head down. It seems like there were some pretty bad leadership problems.
Well done. I had read a book on this disaster, but I forgot how badly botched it all was. My mom was taken to Asbury by her dad to see the ship. She said it was a horrible sight. RIP
Fantastic work. You really have a knack for bringing out the most interesting details. It still amazes me there hasn't been a movie made about this disaster.
Thank you for another wonderful video!! My grandmother was a passenger on Prinsendam when that ship burned and sank off of Alaska in 1980. I know that ship is neither that Big nor that Old a Boat, but I hope you might get to it at some point! Thank you for what you do!
Never knew the City of Savannah helped in the rescue. The wreck of the City of Savannah is in my home town of Beaufort, SC, the ship ran aground during a storm breaking its back. The wreck was used for target practice during WW2 and salvaged by locals. What’s left of the wreck is covered by sand.
Not the same ship. The City of Savannah wreck that’s near Beaufort was lost in August 1893 during the Great Sea Island storm. (A category 3 hurricane. Remarkably all 30 people on board survived) The City of Savannah that assisted the Morrow Castle saw service as a merchant ship during WWII, and was sold for scrap in 1947.
The sheer quality of your documentary videos continues to astound me.
You did a really nice job on this. I didn't remember about the rough weather. I saw a documentary on the Morro Castle when I was a kid back in the late 70s, but it's mostly lost from my memory. Thanks!
My mother saw it when it beached on Asbury park, we don't live far from Asbury park so her mother my grandmother and grandfather drove to see it, she also saw the Hindenburg after it burned.
Thanks ❤Nora and James Comstock
Thank you so much!
A lot of suspicious activity seemed to be brewing under the surface onboard, accident or crime, many things can be learned. Safe procedures and practice of them and decent if not good morale is critical aboard ship, seems anything is possible on this boat.
In the book about this disaster simply called, "Shipwreck", it said that the Ward Line experienced extensive turnover of employees, even though this was the middle of the Great Depression and the living conditions and food served to them was appalling. There was also a problem with one of the fuel oil injection nozzles on one of the boilers, which is what Chief Engineer Abbott was trying to alert the captain about. This led to less steam pressure and power that later initially affected the fire hydrant pressure available when the fire broke out before the crew opened too many fire hoses that also made the pressure drop to zero.
my mom’s family lives in new jersey, so we go up there very often. we go to asbury park every summer and there’s a memorial for the morro castle. it is also said the area where the morro castle beached is haunted.
I found it amazing how everyone at the coast try to help when they see the ship in the morning, they turn on siren, calling, word of mouth, jump into the sea, use boats, use planes, call ship, get ambulance, all of them.
Thanks!
I've been researching this topic for an upcoming video, and I'm always impressed by your level of detail. I am also reading the book you reference, "Inferno at Sea." So many shady characters involved!
Thank you so much! Yeah, there's A LOT going on with this one. Tough to fit it all in one reasonable length video but a fascinating story. 'Inferno at Sea' is a fantastic resource!
Really very good. i'd never heard many of the details about the Morro Castle but i really learned alot. Good Job.. thanks
another winning video. Thanks! A pretty tragic event, with such a fascinating background...
Fire was(is) always the biggest concern on liners, and in the Morro's case, design flaws which spread the fire, and brain dead crew, sealed the fate of so many in such a graphic way for all of America to see. this was a BIG deal in the day.
Your videos just keep getting better and better! There is so much shady stuff going on with this story, I don't really buy that the captain died of just a heart attack and suspect he was poisoned, possibly by something like antifreeze. The fire could have been intentional but poorly executed and quickly spiraled out of control, OR it just happened incidentally from faulty wiring or something to make a bad day even worse. That one guy on the crew was super sketchy as well, Rogers I think his name was? If he was the one that set the fire he clearly didn't think everything through at best, and at worst a total monster for willingly putting so many lives at risk to cover up any evidence of wrongdoing. He doesn't give off a good impression either way.
KC: Cars did not use glycol anti-freeze at that time. Why would a steam ship have it?
@@KB4QAA I came here to mention that I believe the captain was poisoned....whether it was antifreeze or something else, who knows.
I didn't know much about this ship excepting that it caught fire. Your story has filled in many of the gaps as to it's history. Very well done, your best yet.
Wow, can’t believe this is real. First of RIP to all the victims but it almost seems like a plot of some thriller novel! I hadn’t heard of this story before. Did the Ward Line operate afterwards or did it, much like White Star, disappear fairly quickly?
The ship looked stunning, particularly the interiors. Many people must have had great cruises on it prior to the tragic final voyage.
That radio operator is a really dubious character to the say the least. I guess the alleged poisoning of the captain necessitated a fire aboard to cover up the evidence. A shame whoever it was, if it was murder, probably got away with it as the captain was never properly autopsied and no conclusion was reached.
RÍP once again to all those who lost their lives aboard her.
The white star operated afterwards for a while? In 1934 it was forced into a merger with Cunard to form Cunard white star and in 1947 cunard brought out white stars share and dropper the name by 49. Yet ships in her fleet that were originally white star flew the flag until they were retired. Cunard ships every year on the day the titanic sank fly the flags out of respect and Cunard still uses the white star line name in some of its services
yeah strange case, butthe fire definitely seems to have been arson.... in a ship with wood interiors? OUCH?!?!!? bad news, SUPER bad news.
CUNARD MERGED WITH WHITE STAR IN 1934
I remember reading about her 30 odd years ago and still find it strange how,seemingly, little coverage this incident gets
RIP to those poor souls lost. Great work Big OldBoats.
Imagine your ship catches fire & almost all the crew sail away in the only functioning lifeboats! Oh, actually, didn't that happen with Schettino & Costa Concordia in 2012?
I have some personal input Brad on this most excellent Video., some of which may have influenced parts of it most specifically the Paramount which I have commented on before.
My Father, then 18 and my Uncle 21, were on the beach that night. My father in Pre-med at Columbia rendered first aid to to the victims brought ashore. My uncle, a strong swimmer, helped bring them ashore. He would later become the Chief Engineer on SS United States for most of her service and my Father was a Ships Doctor on the South America run prior to WWII.
Like most Jersey Shore people my age we were raised on the story of the Morro Castle. Dad never could pass the spots in Asbury Park and Sea Girt without telling us the story of that night again, of the severity of some of the burn injuries. Both of them, to their dyeing days agreed that if the ship, still under propulsion, had had adequate Command she would have been run aground saving many lives. I think that is widely accepted.
As to the Paramount, she was a Party Fishing Boat based in Brielle, NJ. Much larger than most all party boats she could transit the very treacherous Manasquan Inlet, infamous to this day. I know I was raised on it and have some stories to tell (Engines screaming max astern to stay on the good side of a huge roller). Her Family took her out in the face of a huge storm to aid the Morrow Castle making 31 kts! I was on her many times and her replacement Paramount II. I think that deserves a Big Smaller Old Boats!
The production quality of your documentaries completely captures the viewer. The excellent writing and narration convey the particulars in an almost spell-binding fashion. Well done, sir!
Beautifully done video! My grandparents had many photographs of the ship that also included ones of the ocean facing side. I've always been fascinated by this story, and I've read many articles and books, but your video shows some different things that I've never seen before. Again, great video. Thank you!
An amazingly well done video as usual!! Still waiting patiently for the re upload of the Normandie video……..I remember when I first watched that video and at the ending I got literal goosebumps and chills. Great job man keep it up!
Extremely underrated creator you are! I enjoy all your videos
Rogers looks pretty good for this. He had a history of arson and later tried to kill and did kill at least 3 other people. But the 130+ victims taken out on the Morro Castle that night are by far the worst. Imagine the damage this guy could have done if the Navy hadn’t said, “Hell no!” and this SOB had gotten pissed at his superior officers during the war. He already had shown a willingness to kill.
Yessssss I've been waiting for this one!! Well done!
I wish you had been my history teacher in when I was in high school with these types of presentations. You make all of your videos so interesting. Thank you much!!
I can’t even state how GOOD this channel is at storytelling, “art direction”, the picking up of footage and afairs to talk about. Undoubtedly the best representation of civil sharing of knowledge, and one of the best channels i’ve encountered, that talk about maritime history, along with Ocean Liner Designs!!! Keep it up with this excellent channel!!!
And the video was also great! Thanks for showing the passengers’ point of view, and how they were so courageous at handling such situation … RIP to all the people that died that morning…
I'm really finding your videos, quite compelling. Your choices of music, video, and your own narration, is in my opinion, professional quality. You should be making documentaries like this for the history channel. Your just Brilliant at doing these videos.
Thanks for another beautifully produced video . You can't help but think that there were sinister goings-on on board.
Great documentary. It really moved me as I had no knowledge of this until now.
personally, I think a lot of the blame is on the acting captain, who, in a misguided attempt to reach help sooner, was pushing the ship at full power even as she burned... the high wind is what made the fire grow, and given the turbulent wake she created, also what made abandoning the ship near impossible except for the strongest swimmer...
as far as I understand Rogers had also previously been convicted for attempted arson.... which adds weight to the idea he was indeed the one who set the ship ablaze in the first place... he is also one of the few who, by call of duty, had an unrestricted access to the room where the fire started... but, I am also somewhat suspicious that he was the one people tried to make a scapegoat, since, the deficiencies of wiring, storage, paint and gasoline use as well as a list of other failures in fire hazard management could easily have caused spontaneous ignition too...
Very nice job! Excellent video. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into all your videos.
Another fantastic video. I really appreciate your thoroughness, and the respectful way you handle disasters like this. Thanks for the great content.
Also, it's true that Americans are suckers for English accents. Unfortunately, several English people have confirmed to me that my American accent is not considered charming or hot or attractive in any way in any part of the British isles. Sad day.
@Jens Nobel First paragraph in and I'm already amazed by your ability to distill differences in individual mannerisms into a generalization of the entire people group. That is not the "American way of asking." It varies person to person. And I know for a fact 100% of Brits don't phrase a request as extremely respectfully as you claimed they all do. Either you are using a single interaction to generalize the entire populace in each case, or you're just a racist.
Awesome video, this channel just goes from strength to strength.
It’s always enjoyable to see videos on the more obscure wrecks, and the amount of information there is and simultaneously isn’t has now resulted in a milestone for your channel. These are effectively unofficial documentaries, which are now becoming less sensationalized and more sincere than many “actual” documentaries that try to push a theory rather than tell the story.
…
And to answer the question in the video’s title, it was all Ryan’s fault.
Man what a sight it would’ve been to see her on the beach!! Thanks for bringing this story to light brother! You’re one of the best! Can’t wait to see what you have for us next time!
Mr. Anderson, Your boats, or ships, are huge. The ones here in Ohio I see aren't
built for as many passengers, as pleasure boats. You mention beach. With the ocean, what size boat can be beached on Jersey Shore, a byrdingr,
smaller decked vessel where passengers
lack comfory in the interest of safety ?
With those new flexible rollers, round fence posts, can a 8 ton boat be pushed
up a beach far enough and anchored there? Electric heavy windlass carried
on bow with sufficient strength tow cable, ?
Dear Bradley,
Luckily, now I watched the titles and can call you by name! Thanks for this masterpiece! Perfect timing, captivating narration and breathtaking atmosphere by sound!
I'm happy to see another great part of ocean liners history brought to life! Thanks and wish you good luck and further success!
PS Would love to see the story of La Bourgogne or Elba or Norge or whatever! Can't wait to see more!
Saw one of the former a few days ago:... th-cam.com/video/0Rt8cKauRhg/w-d-xo.html
My father was a career Air Force NCO who retired in 1968 at 26 years of active duty service. One of the assignments was to Ramey AFB (Puerto Rico) 1956/ 57/ 58, a Strategic Air Command (SAC).
We had traveled to Puerto Rico on one of the Navy’s re-fitted Liberty Ships for a great 4-day cruise and sight-seeing trip. At least it was for me. Apparently not so good for my mother who was a young woman from hill country. She must have had a rough time never having been on a ship. My father had to convince her to go aboard. She made a comment before boarding that I never thought about until seeing this video. Now I feel a bit guilty for not realizing how concerned she was and what she meant meant by: ‘This better not be the Morro Castle!’
We left that duty station for the next one at Offutt AFB. That time instead of going by ship, we flew on a Constellation prop aircraft for a wonderful, but shorter trip.
Regards
This would make a thrilling drama/thriller series.
They say the side of the ship glowed red from the fire in the coal bunker. Also the only thing left of the captain was his belt buckle; totally incinerated his remains.
Mr. Little, your productions are works of art.
I've finally made the time to watch this, and it sounds like I've found my next mystery to solve. Before I start though, a quick shoutout to that Franz fella. He's not the only one who's a champion swimmer and track runner (😌👍). Most of all of course, though, is his heroism. Must've taken a lot of courage to remove what almost surely would've saved him and give it to the girl, but at the same time, I have a strong feeling that his doing so was instinctual. God rest his soul.
As for the Morro Castle. The burning of this ship was one of several reasons why William Francis Gibbs had an obsession with fire safety and saw to it that the United States could never burn. From I can gather so far, this definitely smells of arson. The company was much beloved by its customers, but for its employees, they apparently didn't treat them as well. Understandably the crew would be mad, but either someone like that one guy was a radical and took things too far, or the mistreatment of the crew was severe. I'm inclined to believe it was moreso the former, as this was yet another one of those stories where the crew basically deserts the passengers, does nothing to help them, and in some cases keeps them away from rescue as with the radio operator, who I will get to in a bit. Not to discredit the crew who stayed of course: a salute to them.
My theory is the following. Someone most definitely killed the captain. If from what it sounds like, he never had any health issues in his time serving with the line, why did he have any now, and why was it so severe? I can all but guarantee you that someone poisoned him sometime before dinner, maybe even before that night. After he was found dead, he was replaced with quite the incompetent crew member it sounds like. The fact he was that incompetent yet put on the job further speaks to me that this wasn't one man's job, but an inside job conspired among who knows how many of the crew. Afterwards, someone must have gone to that room and either lit a spark or dropped a very hot object on the ground, which if I am correct, was directly above the one boiler that was having problems. That boiler would then cause the object to ignite, but not that fast so as to not give the plot away. I'm willing to guess it was the radical who saw to it that the boiler's temperature was never fixed, and that it was the radio operator who left the hot object above it. Listening to how he fought passengers away from him when in the water, and given his criminal record, this isn't hard for me to imagine. Knowing about how the crew hated the line for that matter, none of this sounds impossible to me, and I think I'm pretty spot on with what we know.
Rest in peace to the 137 people (including the captain if he wasn't part of that number) who died that night.
Awesome video! Thank you for your hard work! Looking forward to the next one!
This video is actually genuinely underated and damm
An excellent presentation on all levels. Thank you.
I still remember my grandfather, telling us stories abaut The Morro Castle, because at The time, he used to work on a merchant ship "Savannah" , as a deckhand, And was on board the ship when they received a call to help, with The ship passengers. He told us some pretty grimm things, that he witness , specialy for me And my brothers. (We were 11,7 And 4 years old at The time he told us, abaut 45 years ago).
Because of those stories, the name "Morro Castle" got stuck in my mind, until today.
I'm surprised this is the first time I've heard of this ship and the disaster aboard. Very much enjoyed you telling her story.
my great grandmother moved to the US in 1933 following the outbreak of WWII, she drove up from Arkansas to see the wreck.
26:20 this guy? Tell me you don't look at this guy and go "ok so he has a track record of attempted murder, arson, people he owes money to die, etc" this is the dude. Like without a doubt. Also, that's a face not even a mother would, or could,, love.
Makes one wonder if this tragedy was squarely on the mind of William Gibbs who designed the S.S. United States a few years later. He would not allow any wood used in construction or finish of the vessel save the Steinway piano.
And even that he tried to get Steinway to custom-build pianos for the ship from aluminum; the company refused, but did make a set from flame retardant treated mahogany, if I recall correctly, demonstrating their resistance to flame by dousing some of the wood in petrol and lighting it afire - the wood remaining unharmed as the vapors burned harmlessly away.
I believe at least one remaining example of a piano from that build order still exists, somewhere.
Was it known that the captain & the crew didn't get along, & the crew in discontent over ships living conditions, did the captain fear for his life & for the Safety of his ship that caused his heart attack?
Did his crew know he had a weak heart?
Yeah!! You are my favorite historian AND unintentional ASMRtist and I love your videos!
Those lowbellies among the crew who jumped into the lifeboats and abandoned their charges are a collective disgrace to the title of seamen. Absolutely cowardly, reprehensible behavior.
What a beatiful documentary good job
In Beach Haven, New Jersey, which is at the southern end of Long Beach Island, the is a museum called the Maritime museum.
In it, there is a dedicated room- The Morro Castle room. It has pictures, artifacts, video stories about the Morro Castle and the fire.
Your videos are very well done, love also your choice of music.
I also grew up, on this 'seatale' (from my father). Living on an island, at the bottom tip of south Jersey, this disaster has always been relevant (especially years ago) in the proximity, of this part of the state. How can you forget, it? One of the deadliest ship fires, ever to happen in maritime history, just off our shores. Although no one was officially indicted, it's more than obvious, George Rogers, WAS the culprit!! Having a questionable history/record with violence and yes, later with an explosive device, and double murder, it's easy to put it together. He had knowledge of incendiary devices, and was known to highly dislike, Captain Wilmont . It wouldn't of been difficult to poison him (hence the stomach, pain), and later the fire to cover it up, with. I read somewhere years back, that while in prison (just before dying), he had admitted to setting the ship fire🔥(there's much information, and books on the subject, to unofficially confirm this)!!!
I personally think based on what I heard on this video, that the captain was probably murdered. If he was having stomach issues then found dead, isn’t it possible that he was poisoned by the crew since tensions were already high?
Possible, but then heart attacks also often masquerade as stomach problems.
I guess I am a bit nieve when I think that a ship’s crew will ensure all passengers are evacuated first…..but the Costa Concordia proves (yet again) that it’s everyone for themselves. Hola from Ecuador!
The whole thing was a botch and Warms seemed much more interested in having his captaincy accepted than in fighting the fire. The hydrants had been turned off because a passenger had sprained an ankle on a previous voyage. To say the very least, Radioman Rogers was a sketchy character. Later in life he attempted to kill a Bayonne, NJ police detective after explaining how he thought the Morro Castle fire started. Later he murdered a father and daughter to whom he owed money. FWIW, I think Rogers started the fire after he learned that the radio company who had posted him to the ship was going to fire him. As for the crew, they were a disgrace. At least, in general crew on the Titanic worked to get people into lifeboats and the lifeboats away. RIP TO all those who died that stormy September.
Fascinating... great job and thanks again.
Well done, professional. I have a crude model of this ship at work. I knew it burned then drifted ashore to Asbury park. It's nice to know her history. Thank you, new subscriber. (I build model ships for a living, 28 years now.)
I find what little evidence there is seems to point to Rogers. But in none of the books I've read on this horrific disaster and this documentary video, nothing is said where Rogers was seen before the fire broke out. Someone must have seen him, and what was the time line from seeing him to the start of the fire? While Rogers had a shady and mysterious past, in this case you can't use those facts to say
he was responsible for the destruction of the Morro Castle. So to me, today, this still remains a mystery that will never be solved. I also find the inaction of the USCG appalling!!
Damn this story was wild and tragic. It’s a miracle the death toll wasn’t higher
An outstanding video! Very well researched and produced. Such a terrible event, a terrible story yet engrossing. I've read that after the horror on the Morro Castle no changes were made to her sister ship Oriente. My reaction or impression is that the Ward Line and the Morro Castle, and maybe the Oriente and other ships of the line, were permeated with evil.
Something to learn from this catastrophe is to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and know how to get out and without necessarily waiting for direction to do so. I would suggest to people to make it a habit to have a small flashlight with your or near you.
Also it appears very possible to me that the George Rogers started the fire. I'd be surprised he did not do so. I know that the evidence is circumstantial but there's so much of that evidence. Arson mixed with a highly flammable ship that was poorly maintained and operated is a combination for catastrophe, maybe even more than was anticipated by a possible arsonist.
I'd like to recommend the book "When the Dancing Stopped---The Real Story of the Morro Castle and Its Deadly Wake" by Brian Hicks. This also presents evidence that George Rogers was responsible. The book is fascinating but does not dwell on the gruesome deaths of those who perished and is also a book about the treatment of American workers during the Depression.
Always amazing that you have footage from all these shipwrecks.
Thank you, this was very interesting 👍🏻
My paternal grandmother was living in Asbury Park as a teenager, and remembered seeing the ship.
I do wish you would have explained the changes this incident caused within the industry.
Sounds like arson, although there's a whole host of safety issues listed.
I love the description of Rogers on that photo 'liver lipped' 😂
Super pumped I found this channel. I thought maritime information was boring. How wrong I was .
Didn’t know much about Morro Castle thank you.
Never heard about this, so it’s interesting to see comments from older people talking about how it was common knowledge years ago. It’s not mentioned at all any more. I was born in ‘76 myself but was never into “big old boats”, so all I knew about was Titanic. But the interweb tubes has shown me that Titanic was merely one example of many tragic maritime disasters, some of which were even worse than Titanic’s demise. It’s also shown me how easy it is for history to be forgotten. If it’s so easy to forget something from less than 100 years ago, how much have we lost over the span of 2000+ years?
Indeed. I read lots of shipwreck books in my teens; Titanic, Morro Castle and Andrea Doria were my favorite wrecks. Fascinating to dig into these stories, among many others. You do have to go back to the older books; that's where all the details are.
Well done. Great research!
I remember this story being shown on a 1960’s TV show called, “SURVIVAL”. I do not know how many details were given, because I was so young-8 to 10 years old, and it was a 30 minute show. I have always wondered what happened. The arson theory seems most likely. It makes sense.
Thank you for all you do.
My wife’s grandfather was a steward on this ship and only found out about this event after he died and they were adults.
Really excellent video! I think Rogers did it for sure.
An interesting and well-made video. I'm the proud owner of a flea-market-find picture of the Morro Castle on fire. It's very obviously a black-and-white picture of the ship before the fire, with colorful flames luridly and clumsily painted on. Handmade Photoshop from before the days of computers.
Why do these boat people never get water from the ocean to put out the flames? I am sure I am missing something, but it seems so obvious- use bucket lines and put put the fire. Why did all of those crewmen have a "save myself fist" mentality?!!! They left the passengers to fend for themselves!! Since when does any passenger know how to launch a lifeboat? Titantic reminders!!
The lessons taught were never learned as the disaster of the Laconia in 1963 proved. Laconia's captain was cited for failure to insure the life boat davits worked correctly, and again, the fire alarms were not loud enough. Today's cruise liners are virtual fire traps, with artificial materials like plastics and aluminum replacing the wood paneling of the older ships. Today too many ships depend on the use of one engine and one propeller. There are cruise ships with atrium's that rise though several decks that will act as chimneys in a fire and decorated with flimsy, flammable plastic do-dads. It's only a matter of time before one of these massive ships catch fire and their thousands of passengers die needlessly.
Considering Rogers’s actions both before and after the burning of the Morro, I think it’s a safe bet to say he might very well be responsible.
“You will know them by their works”
I think a fire bug was on board. He later burned the Noronic, a Great Lakes cruiser, that burned at dock in Toronto.
Sparks Rogers had been investigated for starting a fire at the radio equipment company where he worked before joining the Radiomarine Co. (his employer while on _Morro Castle)._ They couldn't pin it on him.
Love that sign off. 'Alright crew until then be nice to people.' Short and sweet
I see you put alot of effort into this. I think it was all for a good cause. Great Documentary!
The whole thing seems extremely suspicious; the Captain’s sudden illness and death and then the ship just happens to catch fire? The fire mysteriously starts in a location that is almost ideal for delayed detection and maximum speed of destruction?
Of course, then there’s the crew member who was later discovered to be a serial arsonist and murderer…it’s hard not to think that maybe the crew decided to air their grievances once and for all.
Can you imagine what is was like back in the day when accidents like this happened close to shore giving the locals a free bounty..The One Whiskey Galore comes to mind..Thanks for the upload dude
Great video! In future, it’d be nice if you could mention something about your footage you use, I never know if it’s real, from some film or documentary, or what! It’d be nice to know!