Welcome to the first episode of the Ocean County Library's history series, "Wheeler Talk: The History of Ocean County." Each episode will focus on a historic event that originated or involved the county and its residents and will highlight artifacts, articles and documents that can be found in the Hugh B. Wheeler Room, OCL's archival preservation space.

The fire that consumed the luxurious ocean liner Morro Castle off the New Jersey Coast on September 8, 1934, claimed many lives. The Wheeler Room contains tangible remains of the disaster, including death certificates, handwritten letters from victims' family members and envelopes that contained items recovered from victims' bodies. These and other irreplaceable items can be viewed by appointment at (732) 349-6200.