Customer Reviews

Fire at Sea: The Mysterious Tragedy of the Morro Castle

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The Morro Castle is a disaster ready made for mystery lovers. It's complete with a dead captain, two suspicious wireless operators, a fire and a storm. Cruising between New York and Havana, the ship caught fire just hours from home off the New Jersey coast, the first officer having taken over with the captain's sudden death. Following a series of mistakes, the ship became a blazing inferno, taking the lives of over a hundred passengers, many of whom jumped into a stormy sea to escape the flames. After burning for hours, the ship beached at Asbury Park, NJ, where it became a prime tourist attraction.

Although he doesn't prove it, the author makes it clear here he believes the fire was set by George Rogers, the wireless operator and 'hero' of the disaster. He is a certainly a fine suspect. A lifelong criminal, Rogers ends up murdering two people and dies in prison. Had he remained free he might well have become a serial killer.

'Fire at Sea' is a fine read, but I had two problems with it. First of all, Gallagher begins his book on the day of the tragedy and gives us no background on the ship and its early history. I didn't expect much here, but a few pages of background would have been helpful. I also took issue with his willingness to make excuses for crew behavior during the fire. Lifeboats left full of crew and almost no passengers, a most shameful state of affairs. Gallagher finds this natural, as the crew were poorly paid. So much for the law of the sea.

This book is well written and the facts are correct as I have read other books on the Morro Castle. Gave this book as a gift to a relative and he has enjoyed it very much. Highly recommend this book.