- Cape Girardeau christens its namesake (3/19/24)
- The humanist philosophy of Lester Mondale (3/12/24)1
- Cape Osteopathic Hospital opens its doors (3/5/24)
- 8 killed and a million dollars damage done in 1924 tornado (2/27/24)1
- Jackson's militant priest, county recorder at odds over marriage licenses (2/20/24)
- Streaking fad comes to Cape (2/13/24)2
- Recalling the start of MEW (2/6/24)
1966 hangar fire
Most of the time, when I start a new blog, I'll check the offerings of my fellow Missourian bloggers to make sure I'm not repeating information that has already been presented.
I recently came across a front-page Missourian story about a huge hangar fire at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport. A check on our website showed that Fred Lynch had already done a blog on the demolition of the final World War II-era hangar at the port. He quoted a story from 1980 about the history of the airport, which noted that the first hangar fire was on July 15, 1965. Unfortunately, the article was off by a year.
So, in an effort to set history straight, here is the story published on the front page of the Missourian on July 16, 1966.
Here is the blog with the date of the first hangar fire corrected:
Last WWII hangar falls at Cape airport
Two spectators stand in the rain, silhouetted against the blazing embers of the fire which destroyed the No. 3 hangar and eight airplanes at Municipal Airport Friday night. The roof of the structure came down with a crash as flames, started by lighting, crept across its framework. (Southeast Missourian archive)
FLAMES LEVEL CAPE AIRPORT CAPE AIRPORT HANGAR
8 Planes Lost; Lightning Caused
A bolt of lightning during Friday night's electrical storm ignited the World War II-built No. 3 hangar at Municipal Airport, setting a spectacular fire that destroyed the barn-like structure and eight airplanes housed inside at a total loss of at least $100,000.
Insurance protection on the city-owed building was only nominal. Arnold Roth, an insurance agent who handles the airport coverage for the Independent Insurance Agents Association, said the building was insured for $2,500 and that risk was spread over about 10 companies.
Numerous other planes were saved by the quick action of men on duty at Cape Central Airways and the Naval Reserve Training Center and by others attracted by the roaring flames.
Spectators were amazed that the two adjacent frame hangars, one occupied by the Naval Reserve and containing an estimated half million dollars worth of equipment, were saved from the inferno between them.
Quick action by Cape Girardeau firemen and those from Scott City and Illmo was credited with sparing them and a fourth hangar to the west from the fire.
There was no hope of saving the No. 3 structure when firemen arrived, and they turned their attention to pouring steady streams of water on the walls and roof of the two structures exposed to the flames.
Taking no chances that the other two hangars, both of which housed airplanes, might be ignited, spectators assisted Cape Central Airways personnel in wheeling another 50 aircraft from the two buildings and moving them safely out of the way on the parking ramps.
J.T. Seesing, co-owner of Cape Central Airways, said contents of the hangar which were lost included such items as airplane parts, shop equipment, snow-removal equipment and other material being stored in the building.
C.L. Crafton, hospitalman first class, who had watch duty at the Naval Reserve Training Center, was watching television when the lightning struck.
Smells Smoke
He said the charge came into the television set through the electrical line from the pole, but did not ignite a fire in the building. He said he smelled smoke and quickly determined it was not in the Navy quarters.
Going outside, he saw the fire and heard others shouting, the corpsman said. The fire, he continued, had been started in the northwest corner of the No. 3 hangar building when the lightning traveled on an electrical wire leading to that point.
He said he joined two Cape Central Airways employees, Jim Tom Hall and Charles Gloth, in removing aircraft from the blazing building.
At first, he said, the fire was in the rear or north end of the hangar roof, then it spread rapidly along the wooden lamella supports as they wheeled several planes outside.
By then, Corpsman Crafton said, the heat had ignited the wings of the planes at the rear of the hangar and had covered two-thirds of the roof interior. It was at this point that the three men, who by now had been joined by others, left the building.
He said with fire licking the wings and fuselage of the craft, they feared the gasoline tanks would explode.
The hospital corpsman, before going to the hangar to help salvage the planes, turned in a fire alarm, he said.
An alarm also was turned in by Vyron Harmon of Illmo. He said he was traveling north on Interstate Highway 55, when he saw the smoke as the airport's beacon light crossed its path.
Mr. Harmon said he sped to the airport and rushed to the Federal Aviation Agency to ask personnel there to turn in the alarm. He then went to the hangar and helped others remove planes until they were forced to leave by heat and danger of explosion.
He said he believed if there had been a crash truck with a water supply at the airport, it would have been possible to save the hangar.
Scott County Sheriff John Dennis was traveling south on I-55 with his deputy, Jack Stewart, when they saw the flames. The sheriff said they tried to raise someone on the sheriff's radio frequency and when they could not, they called Sikeston police, asking that they radio Cape Girardeau police about the fire.
Meanwhile, the sheriff had to go to Scott City to turn around before he could get to the airport. He said by the time they reached the airport the hangar roof had caved in.
Richard Mahy, assistant fire chief, in charge of fire-fighting operations for the Cape Girardeau department, said six pieces of equipment were sent to the fire.
Three trucks carried water in the amounts of 1,000, 750 and 200 gallons. Shuttles were run to refill them, Chief Mahy said, and, in addition, a hose was attached to a hydrant hooked to the Naval Reserve's water supply. This was soon exhausted.
Meanwhile, the Scott City and Illmo departments arrived and joined the Cape Girardeau firemen in putting water on the adjacent hangars and on the fire. Included with their equipment was a milk truck of the Albrecht Dairy, which one fireman said was filled with 2,200 gallons of water. A cement mixer and an oil tank truck filled with water were also used.
Minor Blasts
There were minor explosions, none of which appeared dangerous, from among the flaming debris. Occasionally, a small fountain of silvery fireballs flew up as magnesium in the burning planes ignited.
The exact time the fire started was confused. Corpsman Crafton said the television at the training center went off at 9:22 as the bolt struck the utility pole. However, Cape Girardeau firemen said their report of the fire did not com in until 10:13.
More than 30 firemen fought the blaze. When the wind shifted away from the Naval Reserve hangar, hoses were removed to the opposite side of the fire and played on the No. 2 hangar.
A state Highway Patrolman said traffic on Interstate 55 was tied up for seven miles in each direction as curious people, seeing the flow of the blaze and the high pillar of smoke, went to the scene. A number of them drove to the airport, while others slowed as they drove by the airport. Some spectators parked cars on the highway shoulder and walked to the fire scene. A number of live electrical wires were downed and electricity at the Cape Central Airways office was out for some time until Missouri Utilities Co. linemen made repairs. One pole was burned in two and crashed with a transformer, carrying lines down with it.
Friday night's electrical and windstorm, the most severe in years in Cape Girardeau, had a destructive aftermath shown in these photos. Here, airport employees ad aircraft owners move one of many planes from hangars threatened by the fire in the No. 3 structure. (Southeast Missourian archive)
Firemen transfer a load of water from a cement mixer to a fire truck to fight the flames (at the airport). (Southeast Missourian archive)
Along with the main fire story, the Missourian carried a sidebar about other aviation conflagrations in the history of Cape Girardeau.
THIRD BIG FIRE IN CITY AIR HISTORY
Destruction of a hangar at Municipal Airport Friday night was at least the third major fire in aviation history in Cape Girardeau.
Most damaging was a blaze on Dec. 1, 1942, that destroyed 24 planes and the main building of the Consolidated School of Aviation.
The school and field then were located where the R.B. Potashnick Construction Co. has its facilities on Highway 74.
This fire was especially critical because the field was being used in the training of men for the nation's build-up of World War II air strength.
The second big fire was on Nov. 25, 1956, when the Flight Control Building at Municipal Airport was destroyed.
This was the main administration building left from Harris Field, the World War II primary training base at which 2,580 pilots were trained during the war.
Cape Central Airways lost all its effects except records and one radio. Subsequently air service and facilities were restored in temporary quarters in the No. 1 hangar building.
This fire precipitated a major rebuilding and upgrading at the field, with passage the next year of bonds which were matched with federal funds. The present brick terminal building was erected and runways and taxistrips were improved.
The hangar building destroyed Friday night was one of four used by Parks Air College when it trained men for the Army Air Corps in World War II.
The field was opened on April 6, 1943. Training continued through the war until termination on March 16, 1944.
Subsequently the field was used by the War Assets Administration to store hundreds of surplus World War II airplanes which were sold on the spot.
The WAA sold the field to the city for $1 in 1947 and $115,000 in bonds were passed to make improvements. It has been in the city's hands since that time, with numerous additions and upgrading of facilities.
Four years later to the day, another bolt of lightning set fire to a second hangar, resulting in its destruction, leaving two World War II-era hangars standing. One of these was demolished in 1978 and the final one in 1980.
The hangar blaze on Friday, July 15, 1966, came in the midst of what the Missourian described as a "sudden, violent thunderstorm... bringing wholesale flash flooding to the city and filling the skies with snapping electricity." Winds reached gusts of 45 miles per hour and 3.45 inches of rain poured down on the city, mostly between 8:45 and 10:53 p.m.
Rain inundated the intersection of North Sprigg Street and Normal Avenue, where floodwaters were measured at five feet deep. It was four feet deep on West Broadway and at William Street and Kingshighway. Flash flooding stranded numerous motorists, and fire trucks seeking to reach calls were stalled.
Numerous basements were flooded, including the one at the police/fire station on Independence Street. That was caused by water backing up through a storm sewer.
Fire Chief Carl Lewis had his own perilous adventure during the storm:
"Chief Lewis commented that in his years as fire chief, since 1940, he had never seen the water so high here or rise so fiercely as it did Friday night.
"His own adventure with the high water came as he was attempting to go to the fire station upon learning of the various fire alarms.
"He said he noticed the high water in the low spot of the intersection (of North Sprigg and Normal), but was unable to stop because of water-soaked brakes.
"Chief Lewis related that he was unable to open the door of his still-floating car because of the water pressure, so he opened the window to allow the water to pour in before crawling out into the strong current.
"By clutching trees, he was able to gain higher ground."
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