The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-04-25

goula and Moss Point this week
by grief stricken relatives of vie
Tins of the Texas City disaster.
One dead, one missing and
presumed dead. and one injured
was the fatality score for the
kin of Pascagoula and Moss Point
people, a check yesterday reveal
ed.
The body of Anderson Lee, 20.
son of N C. Lee of Pascagoula,
was scheduled to arrive here yes
terday by train TO be sent on to
Sumrall, Miss, by the Stokes
Funeral Home for interment.
Another son, Earl, was slightly
injured in the blast but was re-
leased from the hospital last Mon
day, it was reported.
The story of what happened
to his two sons was told here
Thursday by Mr.. Lee, who was
still worn out and depressed
from the experience of having
viewed hundreds of bodies and
parts OF bodies in the effort to
identify his older son, Anderson,
who was 80.
."The sights in Texas City were
horrible beyond the power of
the human Imagination to grasp
it," he said. II got there last
Thursday and for three days
looked through the hospitals and
a big gymnasium that had been
made into a morgue. Bodies were
brought in in every imaginable
condition. Some were charred to
cinders, and were carried in big
paper sacks"
Miraculous Escape
Mi. Lees wife and two chill
dren went to Texas City the fol-
lowing Sunday and on Monday
identified the body of Anderson
Lee, which was found in Gal
weston Bay.
Mr.. Lees second son, Earl, "a,
experienced as miraculous an es-
cape Is was ever recounted in
the recent WARM which he
served through many naval bat
ties as a sailor in the South
Pacific.
Anderson and Earl had been
working as longshoremen help
ers unloading the French ship
which blew up. When she caught
fire the men were sent to the
docks. After a time volunteers
were called for to fight the blaze
and Earl Lee went forward He
was standing against the dock
almost directly against the side
of the ship when she blew up.
Through some incredible freak
of wind pressure, the blast roar
ed straight out of the. ship caus-
ing such a suction of air from
the docks that he and his broth
er were blown off of the docks
and over the ship. landing in the
bay. There followed quickly an
other explosion which again
blew Earl Lee out of the water,
throwing him up in the air with
tons of water and hurting him
far out from the ship.
Upon his return from Texas
City, Edward A. Khayat told of
the futile search for his broth
erin law, Graham Mcfarland, in
the ruins of the stricken city and
in hospitals and morgues in the
e
Grief Stricken
Mr.. Khayat and his brother,
Rames, went to Texas City in the
interest of their sister, Mrs.
Evalline Mcfarland, and Mr..
Mcfarland, who was employed in
the Monsanto Plant.
Mr. Mcfarland survived the
original explosion, which occur
red about one-half mile from his
position, but was presumed to
have been killed in a second
blast while attempting to help
fight fires that ragged in the area,
Mr.. Khayat learned.
No trace of his body had been
found yesterday, and he was be-
lieved to have been trapped in
a five-story building that was
demolished by the subsequent
explosion.
Rames Khayat remained with
his sister and her two-month old
child and all are expected to
arrive in Mess Point this week
end.
Edward Khayat told of block
long lines of grief stricken rela-
tives at hospitals and morgues,
awaiting their turn to view the
charred remains of victims in a
search for loved ones.
Aid Forthcoming
Mr.. Khayat said that he was
most impressed by the aid that
poured into the stricken city
from all sections for the families
of the victims. One thousand dol
lars was given Immediately to
each family to defray temporary
expenses, he said. and the COM
pany also offered to ship furni-
ture and dispose of property for
families of the victims.
The Red Cross, U. S. Army,
and many other agencies rushed
aid to the city and various pri-
vate groups have offered equip
ment and labor to restore the
CITY.
Meanwhile, Miss Nellie Tall.
man of the Jackson County
Chapter of the American Red
Cross stated that money would