Out of the past 7/31/09

25 years ago: July 31, 1984

KELSO, Mo. -- Two area men were injured here yesterday afternoon when the tanker truck they were working on at the Tucker Truck Service Garage exploded, destroying the truck and most of the garage; both were treated for burns at Southeast Missouri Hospital and released.

Mayor Howard C. Tooke announces the Cape Girardeau City Council and the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents will meet Thursday evening in an effort to revive the city/university multipurpose building project.

50 years ago: July 31, 1959

JEFFERSON CITY -- Suburban Utilities Co. of Cape Girardeau wins state authority to operate a water utility in the Cape Rock Village subdivision near Cape Girardeau; William Suedekum Jr., president of the new company, tells the State Public Service Commission he can have the system in operation at once.

A Time-O-Temp unit is being installed on the First Federal Savings & Loan Association building on Broadway to give passers-by on the spot readings of time and temperature.

75 years ago: July 31, 1934

Former quarters of the Sturdivant Bank in the H.-H. Building have been leased by R.R. Thomasson for the administration of the Bankhead cotton allotment measure in Southeast Missouri; it will be occupied by members of the control board and a large executive staff at once.

COMMERCE, Mo. -- A towboat, the John James, is partially disabled in the Mississippi River across from Commerce when an explosion puts one of the boat's two engines out of commission; an engineer is knocked into the river, the blast tearing out the side of the engine room.

100 years ago: July 31, 1909

The landslides that have been causing so much trouble on the Frisco track north of Cape Girardeau became much worse overnight; despite the efforts of the railroad men to prevent it, the banks caved in so badly that traffic was stopped; some of the trains were detoured around by the Iron Mountain.

John, F.A., Elmore and Otto Kassel go to Gordonville in the afternoon to furnish the music for a picnic and dance.

-- Sharon K. Sanders