FAYVILLE BLAST DISTINCTLY HEARD AND FELT IN CAPE (75 YEARS AGO)

Thursday, March 15, 1923; page 1

Reprinted from The Southeast Missourian.

The shock of the explosion was felt with such distinctness in Cape Girardeau and most other points of the district that many persons thought it was the tremor of an earthquake. In some instances the jar was just as noticeable as the quake shock felt here March 23, 1922. Many people reported that they had the same sensations and hundreds rushed from buildings fully convinced that an earthquake shock was being experienced.

It is peculiar that, on the occasion of the last earthquake shock, there were many people who thought the shock was a result of an explosion of the powder plant.

A number of pedestrians who were in front of buildings that had large show windows said they could see the glass in the windows bulge outwards. Different articles were knocked from the shelves in homes and in stores.

There were no windows broken, however, so far as The Missourian was able to ascertain.

Persons in the Liberty Life building and other structures with an unobstructed view to the south said they looked out when the blast came, and could see a large cloud of smoke rising in the Fayville district.

Points immediately on the river were affected more seriously than places higher up, it was indicated.

The Missourian immediately was appealed to for information by hundreds of citizens and it was but a few minutes before this office was able to give out a report on the explosion and the words that no one was hurt.