Out of the past: Jan. 19

1990

Nearly half of Cape Girardeau's lending institutions require earthquake insurance as a condition of mortgage loans; South East Missouri Bank is the latest to require insurance against quakes as a condition of home loans.

John E. Campbell, an accountant in Cape Girardeau, files as a candidate for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education; he joins David Goncher and incumbent Carolyn Kelley in the race for a three-year term.

1965

Exploratory talks that may lead to a new city plan for Cape Girardeau are held between a representative of Bartholomew and Associates and a group of city and civic leaders; the cost of a new comprehensive plan would probably fall in the $25,000 to $35,000 range.

Kenneth Cunningham, a worker for A.E. Birk and Son Plumbing and Heating Co., which is laying new sanitary and storm sewers at the old junior high school on South Pacific Street, suffers a broken ankle and possibly other injuries, when a ditch in which he is working caves in.

1940

Cape Girardeau district feel the icy bite of the coldest weather in four years as the thermometer drops to a low of 8 degrees blow zero here.

Driving the six occupants into the bitter cold and forcing firemen to fight the blaze with water that freezes almost as it leaves the hose line, fire at 4:30 a.m. destroys a two-story frame rooming house at 110 N. Fountain St., causing damage estimated between $7,000 and $8,000; the rooming house was operated by Julia Carter, and the building was owned by E.L. Markham.

1915

A streetcar got beyond the control of a motorman on its descent down Broadway hill yesterday afternoon and took a wild flight toward the river, five passengers clambering frantically at the front exits to escape; in the end, the car came to stop at the brink of the river when its bumper was embedded in the soft earth between the main and the side tracks of the Frisco; the wheels of the car smashed against the rails of the main tracks, breaking them and tearing them loose from the body of the car.

The judiciary committee of the city council has advised that body to purchase the fairgrounds; all that needs to be done now is for the council to order a vote of the people on the matter.

-- Sharon K. Sanders