Frozen pipe floods Hecht's store

The frigid temperatures back in December were blamed on numerous broken pipes in the Legends apartment complex in Cape Girardeau. Water in the pipes froze with the sub-zero temps and caused the ruptures when they thawed out.

A similar thing happened in January 1948 at the Hecht's clothing store on Main Street in Cape Girardeau. After several days of icy temperatures and snow, a veritable flood was discovered the evening of Jan. 29, "streaming from a bursted sprinkler system pipe in the third-story loft... cascading down through the ceilings of two other floors... doing damage to the merchandise and building." Damage estimates ran into the thousands of dollars.

In the end the Hecht family's loss was shoppers' gain, as hundreds of women -- and a few brave men -- took part in a water damage sale days later.

Hecht's can be seen to the right of the Minnen's store on North Main Street. (G.D. Fronabarger ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

Published Jan. 30, 1948, in the Southeast Missourian:

HEAVY DAMAGE TO GIRARDEAU STORE

Water, streaming from a bursted sprinkler system pike in the third-story loft of Hecht's store, cascaded down through the ceilings of two other floors early Wednesday night, doing damage to the merchandise and building which will run into the thousands of dollars.

The miniature flood was discovered about 9:30 'clock by Sam F. Tucker, merchants night patrolman, who observed the water falling into the display windows at the front of the building.

Martin Hecht, who has taken over operation of the store from his father, Louis Hecht, was called and opened the building, and the water was shut off by workmen from Missouri Utilities Co.

Pipe believed frozen

There was no indication of when the pipe might have burst, but it apparently had done so from the freezing temperature. Though the building was heated, the pipe was at the upper level and continued low temperatures evidently brought about the freeze in the loft part of the structure.

The water filled the loft floor and the second floor thoroughly before cascading down to the street level and then to the basement. In parts of the basement there was foot of water and pumps were necessary to eliminate it.

Evidence that the water had gathered on the third floor to a considerable extent was seen from the front of the building, where water, seeping from beneath the eves, froze as it ran down the side to an awning and then to the sidewalk.

Martin Hecht was engaged today in going over the damage with an insurance adjuster. He said that no estimate of the damage is possible at the present time.

A considerable amount of merchandise kept on the second floor was damaged by the water. From here it seeped through the ceiling to the main floor, where it soaked a number of racks of women's dresses, coats, suits, etc.

Mr. Hecht said it had not been determined how much damage had been done to hundreds of other garments in cases about the walls of the main floor, but that a preliminary check indicated that few, if any, had been harmed.

Large areas of the carpeting covering the main floor were water soaked. Blisters had formed on the ceiling from the water as it poured through. Arnold Unnerstall, assistant manager of the store, commented that when he arrived last night rain appeared to be falling inside.

Show window hit

Mr. Hecht and Mr. Unnerstall worked until 2:30 o'clock this morning trying to overcome the damage brought about by the deluge.

The large show windows at the front of the building were badly damaged. Garments on display were thoroughly soaked and at a late hour this morning water was still standing in the windows in places.

Mr. Hecht said that the store would reopen for business late this afternoon if possible, but if not, then on Saturday.

Hecht's store is the largest ladies ready-to-wear establishment between St. Louis and Memphis, carrying major lines of merchandise in all types of women's garments. Widely known throughout this section, it attracts shoppers from a wide district of Missouri, Southern Illinois and Kentucky.

Published Feb. 3, 1948, in the Southeast Missourian:

Published Feb. 4, 1948, in the Southeast Missourian:

SHOPPERS BY HUNDREDS AT HECHT'S

Assault waves of women -- and a few brave men -- stormed Hecht's store by the hundreds today, grabbing and snatching at bargains and all but taking their lives in their hands as they made the most of a sale brought on by the soaking of merchandise by a broken sprinkler pipe last week.

Clerks -- some 20 of them -- could do little but stand idly by on the outskirts of crowds which knotted about display racks and tables. Their only function, in the press of femininity, was to take garments as they were handed to them and carry them over to the cash register.

And in most cases even this was bypassed as the women, taking charge themselves, gathered garments as they went along, moving from one rack to another in their search for goods. Prices were drastically slashed on all merchandise.

Some came early

The crowd began forming, one early bird reported at 7:45 o'clock. An hour later the recessed front of the building was filled and the chattering mob of shoppers began to crowd out onto the sidewalk. Arriving by foot, by bus, taxicab and automobile, five minutes later it had filled the area in front of the store. At 9 o'clock it stretched in front of adjoining stores.

Not taking any chances on a crush as the doors were opened, Martin Hecht, manager of the store, called Police Patrolman Steve Owens to assist. He commandeered Norville Carr, member of the fire department, to assist, and the two entered by the back door.

The crowd was admitted in groups, approximately 150 being pushed inside in the first wave. Successively, some 10 minutes or so apart, others were admitted, until there was an estimated 300 to 400 shoppers cramming every nook and cranny of the store. Outside, with more women arriving all the time, the admittees were replaced as fast as they entered. At one time the crowd was so large in the street that police had to shoo them back onto the sidewalk.

They telephoned

Bedlam reigned inside. Eager shoppers wedged from one table or rack to another, snatching the first thing they found in their size -- at least so it appeared from the office balcony. It took minutes to make a path from front to back of the store.

Arnold Unnerstall, who related calls had come in from all over the district Tuesday inquiring about the sale, said, "I didn't bargain for anything like this." A bystander shot back, "No, but the women did."

Some women, trying on skirts, simply took the expedient of pulling them over their heads, observing the fit over the dresses they wore. Others used the time tried method of holding dresses before them for size.

In front of the mirrors a few even doffed their dresses down to their slips and tried the dresses on. With a blush and a turn of his head, the male reporter duly recorded the fact on his pad.

It was interesting to observe that in the first wave admitted, there was no rush to the rear, where bargains were as plentiful as in the front. Instead the crowd surged around the first racks. But as the other groups were admitted there was no other recourse. Numbers were so great that they forced an equal army to the rear.

The Hecht store was constructed in 1927. It was designed by the same St. Louis architect who designed the Southeast Missourian Building -- Thomas P. Barnett.