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S.S. Morro Castle Memorial

In Memoriam
S.S. Morro Castle
September 8, 1934
This monument is dedicated to the 137 passengers and crew of the S.S. Morro Castle who lost their lives on September 8, 1934 when the ship burned off the Jersey Coast when returning from Havana, Cuba to New York City. It is also dedicated to the many courageous Jersey Shore residents who risked their own lives or provided assistance to rescue Morro Castle survivors from rough seas and recover the victims who washed ashore or were pulled from the sea.  American maritime history was forever changed by the Morro Castle Disaster. Incorporating fire-prevention design into ships and requiring mandatory life-boat drills are a direct result of this great loss of life. The still-burning Morro Castle beached itself in Asbury Park, just off of Convention Hall, and became a major tourist attraction until the charred hull was towed away to be sold as scrap months later. Mystery still surrounds the events of the Morro Castle that fateful night--mysteries that may never be solved but which resulted in one of the greatest maritime disasters in American History.

Dedicated by the Asbury Park Historical Society -- September 8, 2009

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