Out of the past: May 4

1994

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Senate yesterday approved a spending plan that includes $12 million for a new College of Business building at Southeast Missouri State University; the building is part of a $250 million bond package proposed by Gov. Mel Carnahan; the bond legislation has cleared the House and could be called this week from the Senate's debate agenda.

Cape Girardeau's massive flood-control project continues to take shape along Walker Branch, with a new bridge to the Town Plaza opening today; the new bridge spans Walker Branch from the Town Plaza parking area to Kingshighway; with its completion, two existing bridges to the Town Plaza area -- one at the Amoco station and the other near the Town Plaza Cinema -- will be demolished.

1969

A mock disaster exercise is held in a 36 square-block area in the southwest part of Cape Girardeau to test for the handling of a disaster, in this case, a tornado; within the area, Jefferson School, which is considered damaged, serves as a collection point for simulated casualties.

The 10th anniversary of Dr. W.T. Holland as pastor of First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau is marked with an open house, held in the lower auditorium of the church in the afternoon; during his tenure here, 2,303 people have joined First Baptist, 113 couples were united in marriage and 151 families were comforted in time of death.

1944

With the Mississippi River dropping only one-tenth of a foot at Cape Girardeau during the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. today and with heavy rains along the upper Missouri and Illinois rivers pouring additional floodwaters into the big river's tributaries, there is speculation here as to just how long the inundated parts of the city will remain under water.

McCLURE, Ill. -- Three enlisted members of the Army Medical Corps are plucked from the roof of their Army ambulance on Highway 3, two miles north of here, by McClure residents after spending the night marooned on the vehicle by floodwaters.

1919

The Rev. Thomas D. Bateman, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Cape Girardeau, Thursday sent his resignation to the Rev. Robert S. Boyd, moderator of the Potosi Presbytery, it taking effect today; the clergyman was forced to resign because of the poor health of his 3 1/2-year-old son; because of the boy's health, Mrs. Bateman has been unwilling to leave her home in Shelby, North Carolina, and move here; as there is no indication of a change for the better, Bateman was forced to quit his work here and return to his family.

The coming home of some Cape Girardeau boys from war occurs shortly after midnight and is celebrated with spontaneous demonstrations; hundreds of people, scores of automobiles and the Schuchert band meet the boys at the railroad station, setting off a great parade of band, marchers and automobiles, as each soldier is conducted to his home to the strands of "Home, Sweet Home"; the returning boys are Elmore Kassel, Chester Kassel, Ernest Foster, Moses Foster, Albert Bentley, Thomas Danks, Carl Bledsoe, William Wilson, Leslie Patton and Alvin Kempe.

-- Sharon K. Sanders