Out of the past: Nov. 16

1990

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Two North Scott County Ambulance District employees narrowly escaped death yesterday when fire broke out in the ambulance garage, on the east side of the Chaffee City Hall building; damage from the fire is expected to be in excess of $100,000.

A combination of good weather, some "good buys" in entertainment and more volunteer work put the Southeast Missouri District Fair in the black after this year's exhibition; this year the fair showed a profit of $66,579.52, compared to the loss of $43,885.08 in 1989.

1965

The Jackson City Council last night directed a curfew ordinance be drawn up. The curfew, recommended by the street committee, would require youngsters 15 years of age and younger to be home by 9:30 at night; all people older than 15 would be required to be home by 11 p.m.

Jerry Springer, 28, of Jackson is killed when a log rolls off a truck and crushes him at the C & M Stave Mill, where he worked.

1940

The northbound Frisco Passenger train No. 802 strikes a truck trailer of the Wetterau Grocer Co. of Desloge, Missouri, at the Green Row Crossing in Smelterville shortly after noon, demolishing the trailer and scattering its contents 150 yards along the track; no one is injured in the accident.

The Cape Girardeau City Council has been told the city's new plumbing and electrical ordinances, adopted three weeks ago, aren't being properly observed; William Polack, the city's recently appointed pluming and electrical inspector, and a representative of the Missouri Inspection Bureau complained not all plumbers and electricians operating here have taken out their licenses as required.

1915

On a vote of 485 for and 189 against, Cape Girardeau residents approve a $40,000 bond issue to purchase the fairgrounds and improve it, as well as other city-owned property; the vote gives the city fathers $30,000 to purchase the land and another $10,000 for improvements; never before has a matter of so much importance to the city received so slight a vote.

W.E. Hooper, a stockholder and director of the Radium Iron & Lumber Co. of Chicago, is here negotiating for the establishment near this city of a large iron and by-products smelter.

-- Sharon K. Sanders