The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-04-02
Flames Raze
Bus Stallion
Building
Four Residents OF
Second Floor Hove
Morrow Escape


Fire swept through the Texacc
Gas station. which houses the
Teche Greyhound Bus depot and
two second-story apartments, and
q rear garage at 900 North Pas
cagoula street Saturday after
noon completely destroying the
building valued at approximately
$35, 900, considerable other pro-
perty and threatening the lives
Of several persons In the build
ing at the time.
The blaze started when a me-
chanic dropped a hot light bulb
on an extension cord into q pan
Of gasoline drained from an auto
mobile on which he was work.
ing. The fire quickly spread
throughout the entire structure
and billowing clouds OF dense
black smoke made escape from
the upper rooms by the stairs
impossible.
Mr.. and Mrs. Eddie Rogers and
baby occupied one Of the apart
ments and Mrs. ". o. Hanna,
mother of r. q. Wingfield, Tex
AGO and bus agent. lived in the
other. DR.. l.. E. Green. pastor
of the First Baptist church across
the street from the station, Toxic
Steward and two Negroes, John
Moore and Edward Bostic, were
instrumental in saving the four
trapped by the flames.
The baby was dropped into the
arms of Bostic and ladders were
placed against the wall and the
three adults we're brought down
by the men.
Koone in ire Marin isadiator
Repair shop where the fire
broke out was injured though a
mechanic was working under-
meath the car when the bulb
ignited the gas.
AT the time OF the fire the
large city fire truck was out on
another call and had to be sum-
mened from some distance to
fight the blaze, Chief James Hud-
son said. Shortly before the alarm
came in from the gas and bus
station fire, q call had been re-
ceived that Virgins Drug Store
at Lincoln and Market streets
was on fire and Immediately af-
terward another call was receiv-
ed that the Washeteria next to
the Virgins store was ablaze,
Chief Hudson said. Most of the
firemen with the big truck had
answered that call. and found
only a grass fire, he explained.
Automobiles Burned
Chief Hudson himself saw the
fire break out at the bus station
and he notified the big truck,
In the meantime the old and
smaller truck and a small pump
er purchased by the city a short
time ago had gone to the North
Pascagoula street fire. The Mos:
Point fire department, at a call
from the local department, as.
sisted in fighting the fire. Fire
men worked particularly, and
successfully, to keep the fire from
spreading to other buildings and
to keep the underground storage
gasoline tanks from exploding.
According to Mr.. Wingfield
who was out of town at the
time, all the bus station property
with the exception Of things in
the safe, were destroyed, includ'
ing $500 in cash contained in 6
cigar box at the ticket window
Two automobiles. n wreckeI
belonging to the garage operator
were destroyed inside the garage
In the fire and two automobile.
parked at the side of the station
and garage caught fire and were
then crushed by a falling wall
Nothing was saved from the
two upper apartments. Mr. Wing.
field said that about $4,000 worth
of materials belonging to hin
and stored at the back of the
bus station were burned.
The bus terminal was temper
srily shifted to the jackson Coun.
ty Motor Company nearby buI
/, early in the week was retAsned
to q small fran building on the
bus station lot.