The SS Morro Castle made its maiden voyage in August 1930, and spent four lucrative years carrying passengers from New York to Havana and back.

Named for the fortress which guards Havana Bay, the luxurious 508-foot ocean liner offered up to 489 paying customers a chance to escape from Prohibition and the Depression and enjoy a non-stop liquor-fueled party at sea.

On Sept. 5, 1934, the Morro Castle departed Havana, aiming to reach New York in just 58 hours.

As it continued northward, the ship encountered high winds and the signs of an impending nor’easter.

After eating dinner on the evening of Sept. 7, Captain Robert Wilmott complained of stomach trouble, and shortly thereafter was found dead in his cabin of an apparent heart attack.

Chief Officer William Warms took command as the Morro Castle continued steaming through increasingly high seas.

Just a few hours later, at around 2:50 a.m. on Sept. 8, a fire broke out in a storage locker on B Deck.

High winds fanned the flames through the ornate wooden interiors as the inexperienced and disorganized crew struggled to extinguish the blaze and transmit an SOS signal.

When it became clear the fire could not be contained, many of the crew abandoned ship, leaving the untrained and panicked passengers to fend for themselves.

Passengers struggled through the darkness and smoke without direction. Unable to find a lifeboat, many of them leaped into the churning seas to escape the fire. Some suffered broken necks or were knocked unconscious when they hit the water because they had not been told to hold onto their life vests when jumping.