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Morro Castle of 1930
The Morro Castle and Oriente of 1930 were the most luxurious liners ever built for the line, and certainly the most infamous. Designed by Theodore Ferris and constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, the sisters measured out at 11,520 tons gross. Both ships were equipped with turbo-electric propulsion and liberally fitted with the latest technological innovations. Generous federal subsidies covered a large portion of their $10 million cost.
Lavish passenger acommodations in First and Tourist Class earned them the nickname the "Millionaire's Yachts," though they were rarely booked by millionaire passengers. After their maiden voyages in 1930, they settled into a schedule of shuttling lean cargo consignments and depression-weary passengers to Havana and back, with occassional side cruises to Miami, Nassau, Vera Cruz, and Progreso. Passengers were a varied lot: diplomats, government clerks, business men and their families, countless newlyweds, and middle-class Americans lured by cheap fares and unlimited booze. The sophistication of the new ships' public spaces was not always matched by their clientele.
The tragic fire the consumed the Morro Castle in the early morning hours of September 8, 1934 has been well documented. This gallery will not rehash the details of the disaster, but simply supplement the story with images related to the unfortunate Morro Castle, both before and after her famous loss.
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