March 5, 1930 the Morro Castle was launched at Newport News Shipbuilding. She was built for the Ward Line
and used on the US to Cuba route. Before Castro took over, Cuba was a very popular destination for American
tourists. She was 531' by 70' and was registered at 11,520 tons. Morro Castle had a capacity for 430 first
class and 100 tourist class passengers with a crew of about 220. Her maiden voyage was August 30, 1930,
New York to Havana. She was only four years old when she was destroyed by fire on September 8, 1934, six
miles off New Jersey. The burned out hulk washed up at Asbury Park where thousands of people came to view
the wreck.