Out of the past: Sept. 26

1990

Two loans totaling more than $1 million have been awarded to VIP Industries of Cape Girardeau by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; an $820,000 Housing for the Handicapped loan will help fund a 20-unit apartment complex in Perryville, Missouri, for developmentally disabled people, and a $285,300 loan will be used to construct a 10-unit group home at Jackson.

Chaffee, Missouri, police chief Ivan McLain pointed to a portion of a 15-foot-long crack in the rear wall of City Hall, which resulted from a 4.6 magnitude earthquake. (Southeast Missourian archive)

The earth rumbles and shakes early in the morning in parts of six states, causing no major damage but rattling the nerves of residents living along the New Madrid Fault zone; the 4.6 magnitude quake, which lasts from five to 10 seconds, occurs at 8:19 a.m.; it's followed by a milder aftershock at 8:49 a.m.; the earthquake is centered near New Hamburg, Missouri.

1965

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A barge loaded with highly flammable ethylene runs aground north of here, setting off a spectacular fire and series of explosions that can be seen over a multi-state area; the barge is lodged on a sandbar about a mile north of Caruthersville; a second barge is tied to the burning one, but doesn't catch fire.

More than 200 members of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks from the area are here in the afternoon for the dedication of the new building for the Cape Girardeau Lodge 639 on North Kingshighway; the structure is dedicated in the name of the late Thomas G. Harris.

1940

Bright sunshine greets Southeast Missouri Day at the revived SEMO District Fair at the new city park; yesterday's youthful crowds were estimated at 10,000; it is hoped big crowds will be on hand tonight to view the finest horse flesh Southeast Missouri and surrounding states have to offer in the horse show; 233 horses are listed for the competition.

Tentative plans have been made for the organization in Cape Girardeau of one or two reserve military units or home guards, to serve during the time National Guardsmen are away for a year's training; the Guardsmen are due to go to camp Nov. 25; the reserve units would serve on a voluntary, no-pay basis.

1915

The Rev. Dr. Ivan Lee Holt preaches his farewell sermon in the evening at Centenary Methodist Church, his subject being "The End of the Way"; Holt completed four years as pastor of Centenary and in his sermon reviews the accomplishments of his time here; he will leave Wednesday for Sikeston, Missouri, to attend the annual conference; next week, he will go to Dallas, Texas, where he will be dean of the theological department of the new Methodist University that is being established there.

The Capahas practically step into the baseball championship of Southeast Missouri by defeating the New Madrid Spaniards for the second time in the race for the pennant, the score being 7-6; pitcher Sloan comes back for New Madrid and allows the Caps only five hits, but his mates make enough errors behind him to lose the game.

-- Sharon K. Sanders