Evening star., 1925-10-18
Clyde Liner Comanche De-
stroyed, But Majority of
Passengers Are Rescued.
CHIEF ENGINEER HERO
OF MARINE DISASTER
Tanker and Pilot Boat Answer
Call for Help as Flames
Spread Beyond Control.
r. tho A=soctated Press.

MANPORT. Fla. October Tier
persons. seven men and three women
are missing from the pa ssenger list
Of the Clyde liner Coma nche. which
was. DESTROYED by fire off thJ port
late today. according to info--ra tior
here. as the tanker Reaper and its
pilot boat reached the port
The Reaper and pilot boa; Meta
with the rescued passengers and crew
members, reached Mayport At 1920.
According TO the description of the
fire. il started about 7.30 in hold No
: Toward. and despite the heroic fire
fGhllnS efforts Of the crew the blaze
soon spread beyond control.
The Reaper; which was not far
away. answered the sos call and sent
Two lifeboats 10 the scene.
The tomanche sent out two life.
boats. one to The Reaper and one to
The Meta.
Engineer Proves Hero.
j. j Gaudet the chief engineer of
the t"manche. was the hero of the
disaster. survivors Saws reScuins
Capt. Curry and nine others from one
OF the ComanChe lifeboatS, which had
been swamped
One of the Reaper's lifehoatS re-
turning from the Inflated Comanche
was crushed as il was dashed against
the side "f the tanker
There was no panic among the ia 8
senSerS of the Inflated craft. accord.
ing 10 the survivors.
I'd LaWler Of Ha-trs'd Conn. one
az the first passengers To land. said
that the rescue work was handled in
adnlrahie fashion. He said that de.
spite II heavy sea. which was running
Al the time. the passengers were rap.
idly taken from the sea and the open
boats
Saw Two Boys Drown.
Il left the vessel on the second or
third boat" Mr.. Lawler said but in
that time | saw two boys jump over
board and drown. The deck was prac-
tcally n mass of flames toward the
forward hold and the fire was rapidly
Spreading. As our boat laid by. | saw
one boat lowered improperly and four
women thrown into the sea. | never
saw them recovered and feel sure they
We're lost"
Capt. Ed Singleton of the pilot ship
Was lauded by the survivors for his
efficient handling of his boat during
the rescue work
Many passengers were frank in
their statements that had he been
less Of seaman there would have
been a larger casualty list.
The high flung flames from The
burning steamer illuminated the sea
and motorists driving along the
beach declared that they could see the
pillar of fire. which they said seemed
10 be about % miles AT sea The res
cue work could he seen from the
beach. Those on the coast line de
scribed seeing the Reaper pull along
side the ill-fated craft and shortly
aftsrward the Meta.
The passenger list follows: G. +.
Hass. Mrs. Mabel Clark. f. H. Brown
wood. Joseph y. Jacobs. Miss Lucille
Ia arillus, Miss &. Roberts. William J.
Iawler. r. J.. Tully. NJ. y. Malley and
wife. F. Rau and wife. Walter Chag-
not. ~. Frese. Bruno Bschof and
wife. Mrs. r. T.. Tolson. Mrs. A. 4.
Watson. wife Of owner Bristol Hotel.
New York City: Miss +. J. Nellinger.
II. A. Smith. "A. Hull and wife. w T.,
Branch, Miss Lillian Doggett. Miss
Mary r.. O'Brien. John T. Potts. wife
and daughter ticket agent, Clyde
Iinel: :. Collar. +. NJ. Osborne. ID.
Sharkey. Joseph Moore, c. Carmichael
s. Russell Mrs. s. Gerrity.
Miss NJ. Gerrity. Mrs. w. 3. Fraser.
J. W. Dolly Harry IL. Boutwell,. John
NJ. Bush. George r.. White. F. NJ
Tanning. W. w. Mitchell and wife,
Mrs A. f. Ford. -. |. Nix and wife
ID. y. lsaacs, George w. Gia nder,
James Johnson. James Johnson. F.
\. Dudley. Frank Bliss Joe Wilder,
A. Baingard ID. Myer. y. .Ienke. l..
d. Lake, W. F'urman. G. Evans, T..
Smith. j. Parsons. |. Gomez =.
Charleston \ r. Thomas Charles r,
Wilson.