New Britain herald., 1925-10-19
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING MAN
All But One Of Burnt Steamers
 Passengers Accounted for
SOME HURT SERIOUSLY
Waterbury Man Tells Story of De- struction of Comanche - Humor and Pathos When Saved Were Landed in Florida.

Jacksonville, Fla. Oct. 19 P- Clyde line officials today were bend- ing every effort toward finding some trace of William J. Lawler. Win throp, Mass, contractor, who Is the only person missing In the near disaster which resulted in the de- struction by fire of the steamship Comanche off Mayport Saturday night.
 Early reports which said ten per sons were missing were ascrbed to the confusion in taking the passen- gers and members of the crew off the burning ship. In the confusion. several persons were thrown into the water, and on being rescued, some were placed aboard the Texas Company oil tanker Reaper and others on the pilot boat Meta both of which had gone to the rescue. On reaching Mayport, the pas- sengers quickly scattered, some go- ing into private homes at the little seaport and others going to hospi- tals and hotels in Jacksonville. All day yesterday. officials were busy checking their list with the result that now only the fate of Lawler remains to be settled. Advices from Mayport say that close watch is being kept on the beach for his body.
 Ten Injured
 Ten persons were injured, some of them seriously, their injuries haV- ing been received mostly when a life boat was crushed between the burning vessel and the Reaper while heavy sea was rolling. Others were hurt when another life boat spilled them into the sea when one end was lowered too rapidly.
 Prepare to Investigate
 While the search for Lawler zoe! on, other officials of the compan! are preparing for an investigation with the hope of determining th' origin of the fire which endangered : the passengers and crew. The ut terly useless steel hull of the shlI
 has been beached on a bank of St Johns river, where it will be visit a ed by United States steamboat in u spectors and officials of the com
 psny. The federal agents will QueS > ton Fl. G. White. district agent c . the Clyde Line Steamship eompan > and Captain F. E. Curry of the Co , manche.
 Origin a Mystery :, So far the origin of the fire Is Q mystery. MT. White declared n
 combustibles were carried in he cargo, which consisted of lumbe Q naval stores and general merchar II disc. The blaze started in forwar If hold number and ignited the naVt " stores there, which is believed to | IT responsible for a quick spreading O the flames to proportions whic na could not be controlled.
 s. o. S. calls from the Comancf l. brought quickly response from II l. Reaper and the Meta, both of whiC d did yeomen work in rescuing II J. passengers and crew and bringir l. them to land.
 as Near the place where the e l. manche was abandoned, nine emp o. life boats, two from the Reaper ar es seven from the ComanChe, we, a found today as were mans sho
 and some women's clothing, a. True to the traditions of the s' O. the last man to leave the burni1 f. ship was her skipper, Captain E. oy Curry, who suffered slight iniuric or Those Injured k An official list of the injured fu Tn nished by the Clyde Line officia
 follows:
 Captain E. E. Curry strained lc
 leg.
 Alfonso Bangcrt, Hamburg, Ge N many, seaman, passenger, left shot IN der fractured.
 Adolph Fracklan, Hamburg, Ge N (Continued on Page Thirteen)