The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-10-19
FIRE
DEATH LIST
GROWS
Rescuers Believe More Pas
sengers Aboard comanche
Lost Lives

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Oct. H.
While Federal steamboat inspectors
today inaugurated a probe into the
cause Of the fire aboard the Clyde
line passenger steamship Comanche.
near .Mayport, Saturday night,
watchers continued to patrol the
coast line in the vicinity Of May.
port for victims Of the disaster
which the sea may give up.
The official report issued by
William B. Clements, district agent
Of the Clyde line here declared
that only one passenger who sailed
aboard the vessel at, o'clock Sat
urday afternoon is missing.
This passenger is William J.
Lawler, 129 Cliff avenue, Winthrop,
Mass.
Veteran fishermen who aided in
loath to believe that 73 passengers
andsa crew of "a could have been
saved after they abandoned the
burning vessel and threw them
selves to the mercy of the sea.
1T would seem a physical inn
possibility for all to have been
saved" declared w. B. Starratt,
captain Of the Volunteer, one of
the rescue tugs.
High Tribute to Crew
AS the haze and excitement Of
the Comanche fire cleared away,
survivors Of the disaster comfort
ably housed in hotels and hospitals
today related details OF how they
were snatched from death after they
had hurled themselves into the AT.
lantic from the blnzing vessel.
All Of the survivors paid high
tribute to the rescuers and members
OF the crew Of the Comancha for
their heroic work.
Mrs. T. r. Tolson, wife Of the
proprietor OF the Bristol Hotel, New
York city, was particularly high in
her praise of the brave seamen.
we were eating dinner in the
dining salon when the danger signal
was sounded" Mrs. Tolson said.
Passengers were warned OF the
danger and ordered to
don life belts and stand by. My
mother and I rushed to our cabin.
put on your heavy coats and donned
deck and waited while members of
the crew fought the stubborn fire.
''The smoke from No. 2 hold
was terrific, and, In a short while,
the flames burst forth all at once.
They leaped to the deck and burned
several passengers.
Il was told that several jumped
into the water about that time. The
order then came to board life boats
and we were lowered to the tumbling
waves. We rode the waves in our
lifeboat until the tanker Reaper
rescued US. did not even get
wet; neither did my mother"
dazzling As Alarm Came
Mrs. Tolson and her mother, Mrs.
Arthur D. Watson, left today for
New York.
Mrs. Walter B. Frazer, wife Of
an Atlanta business man, did not
fare so well as Mrs. Tolson. The
lashing waves upset the lifeboaot in
which she was riding. She fought
the waves and finally managed to
catch hold the side Of one of the
1feboats, where she chung for
thirty minutes or more, she said. |
I'VE were playing a jazz melody |
when the order came to abandon |
ship" said Allen Walker, orchestra |
leader Of New York. From the |
Time the fire was discovered until |
The last lifeboat was launched we
kept our music going with the hope |
that it might calm the passengers. |
We jumped into the last lifeboat |
- 1t was being let down.
There were ten others in that |
boat and as we were going down |
one Of the ropes broke, spilled all |
Of US into the water.
II remember grabbing one woman
and holding her while I chung to |
he lifeboat with the other hand. |
do not know who the woman |
was"