Photo of the MORRO CASTLE being refloated

photographic prints

A small photograph of the MORRO CASTLE off the beach at Asbury Park, NJ. The ship is at a different angle than usual, suggesting that this was taken during the process of refloating it and towing it away, an event that took place on March 14 and 15, 1935, about six months after it came aground there. There seems to be snow on the boardwalk, which is consistent with the weather that week, and a rope off the stern is faintly visible. The shipwreck became a major tourist attraction in the fall of 1934, with hundreds of thousands of people coming to see it, but residents were reportedly grateful to see it towed away, especially in light of fears that it might come loose again and damage Asbury Park's convention hall, also visible in this photoraph.