Out of the past 4/21/06

25 years ago: April 21, 1981

Thanks to a number of storm systems that have passed through the upper Midwest in recent weeks, navigation along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers has gradually returned to normal; but the Army Corps of Engineers is now gearing up in case low waters reoccur this summer.

After months of delays, tentative target dates and frustration when those dates were missed, Cape Girardeau's cable access channel will make its official debut Thursday evening on channel 10 on the Cape Girardeau Cable Television system dial; the channel will launch with six to seven hours of programming per week on Thursday and Friday nights.

50 years ago: April 21, 1956

WASHINGTON -- The Daughters of the American Revolution installs its second president general from west of the Mississippi River; Mrs. Frederic A. Groves of Cape Girardeau won election to the top spot easily last night on the second ballot in a three-way race.

Caruthersville, Mo. -- Fire late yesterday swept through a lumber company and seven houses here, causing an estimated $75,000 damage; the fire started at one residence and quickly engulfed six other dwellings and spread to the Vandivort Lumber Co., a half-block away, before the blaze was checked by local and Hayti, Mo., firefighters.

75 years ago: April 21, 1931

With all seats filled, The Missourian's annual cooking and homemaking school for the women of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missourian opens at Houck Field House in the afternoon; more than 600 women gather to participate in the three-day school conducted by Edna Ferguson.

An ordinance permitting the Missouri Utilities Co. to change the location of its water plant from the present site to Cape Rock was passed Monday by the city council; in addition to construction of the new $235,000 water plant, the company will rebuild the city's street lighting system.

100 years ago: April 21, 1906

Before the eyes of hundreds of shoppers and country people, Elizabeth Marshall, a teacher of music in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools, is nearly fatally injured by runaway horses; she is carried into the St. Charles Pharmacy in the St. Charles Hotel, where she expires despite the hurried efforts of several physicians; Marshall was knocked down by a team that stampeded down Main Street, the heavy wagon passing over the unfortunate victim.

The opening game of the local baseball season will be played Monday afternoon, when the Normal School takes on St. Louis University at the fairgrounds.

- Sharon K. Sanders