The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1951-02-01

Power and telephone lin S
were broken down with tn e
heavy coating of ice nd IL
towns in the county were with
out water, lights, and power and
hundreds of homes were with
out telephones. Lexington n d
Tchula were completely isolated
with no long distance wires re-
manning up and highways were
virtually impossible. BY Thurs
day, February 1, roads were SO
bad that the mail truck was un-
able to get to Lexington and
other mail deliveries were slow
ed down. Trains were running
hours behind schedule in Durant
and the buses were stopped al
together.
MPL Company
Crews of Mississippi Pow
a n d Light Company workmen
went to work Wednesday and
are working on a dawn to dark
basis, according to c. c. Taylor
of Durant, manager of the Du
rant district which includes Lex
ington, all Of Holmes county
Kosciusko, and Carthage.
Power was restored to the
business section of Durant by
dark Saturday night but most OF
the residences remained to be
serviced. Durant has a standby
plant owned by the city which
distributes its power bought
wholesale from the MPL Com
pany.
Due to the fact that Durant is
on the co-axial cable it was never
without long distance telephone
service. Other towns on highway
81 for the most part had local and
long distance services on an
emergency basis.
Lexington Standby Plant
In Lexington the standby plant
which in case of emergency is
supposed to supply the hospital
with current and supply enough
power to pump water for the city
failed to operate and the city was
without water for day and a
half. It was not until Thursday
night that it supplied the hospi-
tai with current.
City Clerk c. A. Glover said
the engine was SO cold that the
air compressor failed to work. 1t
was only through the efforts OF
the Lexington Lumber Company
w hich supplied compressor,
that the city was finally able tc
start pumping water to hard
pressed citizens, many of whom
had been without water for
hours.
There were 700 telephones out
in Lexington alone. Most OF these
as well as electrical power lines
were put out of service by falling
limbs from trees.
Power was restored to Lexing-
ton from Durant sub-station a.
bout five o'clock Saturday after
noon but it was late Sunda.
evening before any of the bust
ness houses on the Square re-
ceived current.
Community Hospital
The Holmes County Communi-
ty Hospital at Lexington W a $
saved due to the fact that new
equipment on hand for the 5000
600 addition now under construc,
ton included a portable genera
tor that supplied enough current
to keep the hospital operating. i
was through the 24-hour a day
| service of the Lexington Con
struction Company tn at thl'
equipment was put into opera
| ton, ccording to Walter u
Smith, hospital administrator
who SAID he wished to puoiicl.
/ thank the latter firm for its fin
service in this connection. IN
| hospital was filled with patients
IMr. Smith said. The hospital wa
9nergized first after the powt
was brought from Durant Satui
day afternoon. A few homes
the same section received Gun
rent by ten o'clock Sunday morn
ing.
Mr.. East
i J. B. East, Lexington manage
of the MPL Company SAID !
i wished to thank the citizens I
, Lexington for their splendid G
ord cnirif and that I