The evening of the fire the ship's captain died, possibly of a heart attack. No one knows for sure. The cause of the fire is another mystery. Arson has been suggested, but never proved.
We do know that fire broke out at 2:50am in a storage locker. Within 20 minutes the fire burned through the ship's electrical cables, plunged the ship in darkness and took out its radio. We also know that the SS Morro was covered with flammable wood finishes. That the ship had 42 water hydrants, but only six could be deployed at the same time. We also know that fire drills were held for the crew, but not the passengers. And that only six of the vessel's dozen lifeboats were deployed and that most of the 85 persons aboard them were crew members. The deficiencies of the Morro's crew led to Congress passing the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which in turn led to the creation of the Merchant Marine Academy.
Image: Rare Historical Photos
