On September 8, 1934, the cruise ship SS "Morro Castle" caught fire off Long Beach Island as she was returning to New York from Havana. After the "Morro Castle" could no longer sail under her own power, the Coast Guard cutter "Tampa" attempted to tow the damaged ship from eight miles (13 km) off the coast of Sea Girt to New York. However, rough seas from a nor'easter snapped the tow lines, and the "Morro Castle" drifted toward shore. WCAP radio announcer Tom Burley was broadcasting from the station's Convention Hall studios on the second floor promenade at about 7:30 p.m. when he first spotted the burning hulk of the ship approaching the beach. As the wire services already knew about the disaster, which had started early that morning, Burley led off his newscast with a straight update about the "Morro Castle". A few minutes later, he saw the burning hulk of the ship slowly drifting toward Convention Hall and exclaimed on air, "She's here! The "Morro Castle" is coming right toward our studio!"