Out of the past: Aug. 19

1999

The start of school yesterday brought an end to the lazy days of summer for students in Scott City and Jackson school districts; administrators in both districts report smooth transitions from vacations to classrooms for students and teachers.

Cape Girardeau School District administrators have developed a contingency plan to take the guesswork out of early school dismissals; Dr. Dan Steska, superintendent, says heat-related dismissals may be necessary until new air-conditioning systems are operable in all of the district’s elementary buildings next year; until then, parents will be notified by 8 the night before an early dismissal; prior-day announcements will be published in The Southeast Missourian and announced on local television and radio stations.

1974

The weekend’s weather provided plenty to talk about; a Cape Girardeau man — Truman Weaver — was burned when lightning struck his home at 539 Asher St. on Saturday; at least three sections of the city lost electrical power as gusty winds brought trees and limbs crashing down on wires; and more rain plus hail ranging in size from peas to ice cubes fell between periods of bright blue skies and dark, threatening clouds.

Mayor Howard C. Tooke, speaking to the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club, takes a sweeping look at city programs in the making; he takes the opportunity to announce that a planning firm has recommended that Broadway be made one way eastward from Pacific Street to Lorimier Street and that annexation, while not immediate, is inevitably on the way for the city.

1949

A fire originating beneath the overhanging eaves in the attic of the apartment in The Missourian Building at 10:44 a.m. does only minor damage, but the cascade of water it unloosens on the apartment below causes considerable damage to furnishings, walls and ceilings; the blaze is discovered by members of the newspaper mechanical force, who notice smoke in the composing room coming through the air ducts; Fire Chief Carl Lewis says the fire may have started from a blowtorch, used yesterday to remove paint preparatory to a paint job on the building.

Cape Girardeau’s city budget, which has grown greater with each passing year, takes another big bound for the current fiscal year when the City Council, in a special session, approves a mammoth $286,000 expenditure; the budget is $86,400 greater than the one set up a year ago.

1924

Yesterday being a cool day, Frank Hamar, team boss for Gerhardt Construction Co., set a new record in moving dirt from the lot at Broadway and Lorimier Street being excavated for The Missourian’s new building; 20 teams removed 261 wagonloads of earth, hauling it four blocks and dumping it on the city lot at the corner of Lorimier and William streets; the first trench for the foundation has been dug along the Broadway side, which shows that the building will be set back three feet from the property line; this is being done to make the sidewalk wider and thus accommodate the crowds that congregate in front of the newspaper office frequently to get returns from important elections and events.

Catalogs for the Cape Girardeau Fair should be ready for distribution this week, says fair president W.F. Bergmann; the three-day event is scheduled for Sept. 18, 19 and 20.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at www.semissourian.com/history.