Out of the past: May 14

1997

VANDUSER, Mo. -- Fire Tuesday at a wood-treatment plant near here burned for five hours, sending a plume of thick black smoke into the air that was visible from 30 miles away; the smoke closed Route Z in Scott County for two hours, reduced the water pressure in Vanduser and destroyed a building where 15 people worked; by nightfall, the fire at Sikeston Creosoting was only smoldering, the black smoke reduced to white steam.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport could get subsidies for six more scheduled airline flights each week; airport manager Bruce Loy tells the Cape Girardeau City Council and Airport Board Congress has passed a bill to increase the funding for the Essential Airline Service program.

1972

Opposition to United States military involvement in Vietnam -- and criticism of church members who remain indifferent to the war's death and destruction -- are heard at services in Christ Episcopal Church and other parishes throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri; escalation of the war should be a "grave concern" to all Christians, says the Rt. Rev. George L. Cadigan of St. Louis, bishop, in a pastoral letter read by priests of the diocese.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Mark Drury and Mike Payne, a pair of senior performers, ended their college playing days on the diamond here yesterday, and both had successful finishes; Drury, who has hammered the ball at a near .400 pace all season, ended at .395, with his last hit being a long home run which helped the State College Indians to a 2-0 decision over the Warrensburg; Payne, who turned in a no-hitter earlier in the year, ended the season with a three-hitter, which included six strikeouts and only one walk.

1947

Daylight saving time returns to Cape Girardeau at midnight Thursday night, with practically every business, industry and school cooperating in turning clocks ahead the required hour to gain an extra hour of daylight in the evening at the expense of an hour in the morning; the post office, bound by train schedules, will continue to conform to standard time.

Personnel of Consolidated School of Aviation are preparing to move the company to Harris Field Friday to take over as the contract operator for the new municipal airport facility; the aviation school, by virtue of its contract, will have possession of two of the four hangars -- the two west hangars -- and the flight control building, as well as the field; the school's current facility, on Highway 74, is for sale.

1922

Aside from Sunday school, no services are held at Christ Episcopal Church; the Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Taylor left early last week for Charleston, South Carolina, where the Rev. Taylor is looking after business matters; he expects to return to Cape Girardeau to resume his church work by next Sunday; all members of the congregation are urged to attend services in some other church until then.

Members of the Salem Evangelical Church, six miles west of Cape Girardeau, celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the church; official organization was on Jan. 1, 1872, but the celebration of the anniversary was postponed until today; the Rev. Edward Bleibtheu, who was pastor of Salem 25 years ago, but who is now located in St. Louis, is the guest speaker; the Rev. Titus Lehmann of Jackson, an uncle of the current pastor, the Rev. Rinehart Lehmann, also speaks.

-- Sharon K. Sanders