The Phoenix index., 1940-01-20
Only One
Fire T ! Truck
Available
President
Mccoy Absent
At Time of Fire
MEMPHIS, Tenn.-(SNS)-

MEMPHIS. Tenn-(SNS)-
Flames, originating in the fur
nace room, completely destroyed the
nistcric Administration Building OF
2ust College, Holly Springs, Miss
Monday morning at $50, resulting
in loss of 100000
Heroic efforts on the part of stu
dents and faculty. of Rust, students
Of M. I. College, located just across
Highway 73 from Rust, as we'll as
many white toWnSmen of Holly
Springs, to save the five-story
structure proved of no avail as the
fire roared funeral dirge to the
74-year old educational Landmark
in the hills of Mississippi.
No one was burned or injured,
but Memphians in attendance at
Rust declared that they feared pri-
vation and suffering, temporarily
at least, would be the lot Of
number of working students who
suddenly found themselves without
sufficient food and clothes.
Reports were to the effect that
the blaze came from the furnace
chimney, located on the fifth floor
and spread rapidly. Employees at
the institution stated that fire had
broken at this point before, but
they thought it had been repaired
With only one fire wagon, Holly
Springs firemen found that they
were no match for the blaze. They
were further handicapped by frozen
water in the pipe lines. The bleak,
cold weather also inlpeded efforts
of the fire fighters. But the male
students of Rust continued to pit
themselves against the gushing
flame until they saved considerable
personal property, such as records,
and clothings. Furniture and otn-
er fixtures, for the most part, went
up in the blaze
METHODIST HOME
SAVED
The Methodist Home, a frame
building located near the Admin
istration building, was saved, &C
cording to Miss Ella Johnson, OF
1927 North Bellevue street, Men,
phis Miss Johnson added that sew
eral girl students lived in this
home, but the majority of students
resided in their respective dorml-
tories provided for them in the
l,,oi CT 70 tiO1o P11j16inO
Parents of all Memphis students,
after learning OF the fire, hurried
by motor to Holly Springs and
brought their children back to
Memphis late Monday evening,
The students are Miss Johnson,
Miss Emma Lee Watson, of 1908
Goodbar; Miss Lillian Byrd, of ll8O
Cannon street; James Hose, son OF
DR.. and Mrs J. w. Hose OF 1873
Parkway.
Young Hose was lauded by the
other Memphis collegians for the
heroic role he assumed during the
fire. He made many trips into the
buI lllllS plilluLIl5' o"fiiAS 80
institution much of its property
Mr. Hose was accompanied to Mem
Dhis by his father, the we'll known
7hysician, and fellow-Student,
Spaniard. Both students went back
Holly Springs Tuesday, but were
expected to return to Memphis after
earning of what steps would be
made by college authorities to re-
ume college work.
Dr.. l.. M. Mccoy, president OF
rust College, was away in the East
when the fire broke out. He had
aot been reached as late as Mon
day afternoon but was expected TO
oe back on the campus to take
charge of the situation by Wednes-
lay morning of this week. College
stated that the destroyed
was partially covered by
insurance. 1t was the second major
fire the college had experienced
uring its IA years.