The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-12-21
USO Raced
B Flames,
Total Loss
City LibrurY Books.
Other Properties
Lost In $4,000 Fire

LOST LII p4OsOVO lIC
A fire of undetermined ORR
gin, which was raging through
the entire interior before dis
covery, destroyed the USO build
ing and virtually all the con-
tents shortly after midnight Mon
dav. The building, which in adj
dition to the USO facilities hous-
ed the Pascagoula City library,
the Camera Club and Port Com
mission files, and equipment was
valued at approximately $4,000.
The loss was only partially COW
cred by insurance.
The only things salvaged from
the blaze which left ONLY the
stucco skeleton of the building
standing yer records of the USO,
filed in office desks in steel
cabinets, papers belonging to the
Port Commission, and the card
circulation files of the library.
Some of these were scared and
most were spotted with water
but they can be used.
In the lease under which the
USO occupied the building, that
organization contracted to carry
$4,000 insurance on the original
portion of the building construct
ed by the Paseagoula Community
League and $4,000 on the new
edition built with a govern
ment grant.
The USO was reopened in the
Youth Canteen building at Pars-
lev and Market streets Thurs
day morning with A. P. May,
director. Mrs. Warren B, SeelS,
staff aid. and Miss Virginia
Purdy in charge and plans are
to carry on the proersm of holt
Gay activities according to scned-
ule as nearly al possible, MI.
May said. The USO vas sched-
uled to close December 81.
According to Arthur V. Smith,
chairman of the library commits
sion, no new location for the Ii
brary has been decided upon but
every effort will be made to re-
open the library at an early
date. Steps have already been
taken to purchase new books, he
said.
Neighbors Give Alarm
The fire alarm was turned in
at 3:16 a. m. Tuesday by a resi-
dent of one of the neighboring
houses. According to Fire Chief
l.. F. Smith, the interior of the
building was an inferno when
the fire truck reached the scene
and little could be done other
than PLAYING streams of water
through the windows, most of
which had burst out from ire
mendous heat and gasses form
ed.
According to persons living in
the neighborhood explosive nois-
es were heard in the building
before the fire department A.
rived but the cause of these was
not determined.
Mr.. MAY said that when he
closed the building between IL
D. m. and midnight everything
was in good order. The Camera
CLUB had met in their club room,
which they had built in the
basement, earlier in the evening.
The furnishings Of the build
ing belonging to the USO were
to have been sold by Did with
the closing of the USO january
| and the library was to have
moved to a new location.
Included in the USO furnish
were a piano. nickelodeon,
lounge and office furniture and
kitchen equipment. There was
also furniture owned by the COM
munity League.
According to Mr.. Smith. there
was an estimated loss OF 1000
books in the library. The most
valuable of these we're reference
and scientific books recently pun
chased and in the lot were a
number Of very old books which
were to have been eulled out BY
The commission. The monetary
value was set tentatively at
$4,000 by Mr.. Smith who said in
suranee in the amount of $1,000
carried.
Some Books Saved
Several hundred books are
out in circulation he pointed out,