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Morro Castle Burns at Sea Heavy Loss of Life In one of the worst maritime dias- ters in recent years, 134 lives were lost when the S. S. Morro CAstrie burned at sea off the New Jersey coast in the early morning of Sept. 8. Investiga- tions were immediately begun and are still underway by the departments of commerce and justice. Final reports of these investigations must be await- ed before all the facts are established. On the evening of Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m., Capt. Robert R. Wilmott, master of the Morro Caste, died of acute in- digestion and heart attack. Chief Of- ficer William F. Warms took command. Fire, discovered in a corner closet of the writing room on B deck, was reported at 2:55 a.m. Efforts to ex- tinguish the fire were of no avail and aided by a high wind, it spread with great rapidity through the passenger accommodations and superstructure decks amidships. An S. O. S. was sent out at 3:25 a.m. The engine room had to be abandoned about 3:30 a.m. be- cause of dense smoke. - Without power the ship drifted helplessly in the rough seas and the tide and wind carried her toward the shore. Hight of the twelve lifeboats were lowered. The wind sweeping the flames over the port side prevented access to boats on that side. The majority of passengers were unable to reach the lifeboats because of the fire. Many jumped into the esa and were picked up by the rescue ships. The MonarcH OF BERMUDA, CITy OF SAVANNAH, ANDREA LUCKENBACH, coast guard vessels and the fishing boat PARAMOUNT, all deserve the highest commendation for their effective ef- forts under particularly difficult condi- tions. The burning vessel drifted toward the Jersey shore and finally grounded on the beach off Asbury Park. Captain Warms with 12 officers and men re- mained on board, having found refuge on the forecastle deck, until taken off by the coast guard cutter TAmPaA, late jn the afternoon. Of the 318 passengers and 242 crew, the latest available records indicate that 94 passengers and 40 of the crew lost their lives. Port Authorities Meet The American Association of Port Authorities held its twenty-third an- nual convention at New York from Sept. 10 to 13, inclusive. Among the addresses presented dur- ing the course of the convention was “The Navy and the Port of New York,” by Read Admiral Yates Stirling Jr., commandant of the third naval dis- trict, which stressed the importance of the port of New York to the navy jin case of war in the Atlantic, Pacific 32 or Carribbean regions. He also urged the deepening of the entire East river channel to a 40-foot depth in order to establish improved anchorage facili- ties in the upper bay and in Grave- send bay to relieve unfavorable con- ditions of anchorage at Quarantine and the construction of a drydrock for the port of New York large enough to ac- commodate the greatest naval vessels and merchant ships. Another speaker was Major General E. M. Markham, chief of engineers, United States army, who presented a paper on “Development of American Harbors.” Social activities continued through- out the week after the three-hour busi- ness sessions had been adjourned. The North Attlantic Terminal Serv- ice Inc., operators of the government- owned piers at Hoboken, announced Aug. 26 that the board of directors have elected Max Thaten as president. of the corporation to succeed Frank J. Denniston who resigned recently. Anthony Marra was appointed first vice president and Carl Thaten, second vice president. Commerce at Los Angeles August registered important in- creases in imports and_ exports through Los Angeles harbor over Au- gust of 1933. Exports during Au- gust, 1934, totaled $7,596,660 as compared with $4,279,601 for last year, an increase of 77% per cent. Imports aggregated $4,213,740 as compared with $3,008,745 for Au- gust, 19338, an increase of 40 per cent, Foreign commerce through the port totaled $11,810,400 for August, 1934, compared with $7,288,346 for August, 1933. Improved business conditions abroad and at home are clearly in- dicated by the upward trends in both exports and imports for the first eight months of 1934 as compared with like months of the preceding year. The total value of exports for the first eight months of 1934 was $52,286,547 as compared with $34,- 268,300 for the first eight months of 1933, an increase of 52 per cent. In the same time period imports more than doubled, showing a total of $33,- 810,720 for the first eight months of 1934, compared with $16,197,036 for that period in 1938. The total foreign commerce through the harbor the first eight months of this year exceeds by $7,- 000,000 the total for the whole year of 1933. The Acheson Colloids Corp., Port Huron, Mich., has available for distri- bution technical bulletin No. M182, dealing with the use of colloidal- graphited lubricants in ball bearings. MARINE REVIEW—October, 1934 Marine Insurance Report by Shipping Board The shipping board bureau, depart- ment of commerce, completed its an- nual survey of marine insurance for the calendar year 1933, covering the operations of 69 American insurance companies, and 27 foreign companies admitted to do business in the United States. A summary of the survey shows that premiums on both hull and cargo insurance received by domestic com- panies, less returns, was $36,878,000, and by admitted companies, less re- turns, $15,003,000. These premiums, less reinsurance placed in the United States, amounted to $24,493,000 (52 per cent hull; 48 per cent cargo) for domestic companies, as compared with $25,866,000 (58 per cent hull; 42 per cent cargo) for the calendar year 1932. Premiums reported by admitted companies, less reinsurance placed in the United States, amounted to $7,- 885,000 (52 per cent hull; 48 per cent cargo), as compared with $6,- 646,000 (53 per cent hull; 47 per cent cargo) for 19382. After further allowance for rein- surance placed with non-admitted foreign companies, the total net premiums retained within the United State amounted to $29,670,000, as compared with $28,910,000 in 1932. The American marine insurance syndicate ‘‘C’’ reported premiums written, less returns, amounting to $6,615,218 for ocean hulls and $433,- 340 for Great Lakes hulls. The government insurance fund, administered through the shipping board bureau, received hull premi- ums, less returns, amounting to $645,554 on privately owned vessels, and $589,575, less returns, on govern- ment-owned vessels, or a total of $1,235,129, which is $649,307 less than for the year 1932. The Busch-Sulzer Bros. Diesel Engine Co., St Louis, has been awarded a contract by the United States Engineer office, Louisville, Ky., for building one 1600-horse- power diesel engine, for pump drive, under its alternate proposal, without coupling, for a sum of $53,300. A summary of the various bids re- ceived for building this engine was published in the September issue of MARINE REVIEW. Capt. E. P. Green, for 24 years with the Canadian Pacific fleet, has recently retired to sail for Hong Kong where he will supervise the building of his 45-foot auxiliary sailing ship, barken- tine-rigged, in which he expects to cross the Pacific from Hong Kong to Vancouver next spring. The little craft has been christened ROMANCE.