Out of the past: March 7

2000

A fire yesterday morning in an Allenville woodworking shop caused a number of small explosions as liquid propane tanks and aerosol cans sent debris more than 100 feet through the air; Brian Simpson first noticed the shed a few hundred feet from his home was burning when he came out of the shower and smelled smoke; firefighters from departments in Delta, Whitewater and Gordonville answered his call for help; the fire apparently spread from an unattended fire in a trash barrel near the shed, which was leveled in the blaze.

Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush cruise to victory in Missouri’s first presidential primary since 1988; with 97% of the vote counted, Bush easily tops John McCain and Alan Keyes; on the Democratic side, Gore handily beats former Missourian Bill Bradley.

1975

Two Cape Girardeau landmarks are meeting different fates this spring; one, the old Chamber of Commerce building at 225 Broadway, is being razed by First Presbyterian Church to make room for possible future church expansion and, in the immediate future, a lawn area and playground for youngsters attending the church nursery; the other, the old Frederick Pott home at 826 Themis St., will be persevered and is being remodeled by Cape Girardeau attorney James R. McHaney to provide space for several offices.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms in the widespread area of eastern Missouri result in minor damage to some parts of the region, although Cape Girardeau escapes damage; persons in south St. Louis County are victims of a small tornado that touches down there, causing more than $75,000 estimated damage.

1950

CHARLESTON — A rapid fall of both the Mississippi and Ohio rivers has brought hundreds of Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway residents back into the vast spillway from which they were evacuated almost two months ago, when a major flood threatened.

The 10-day shutdown of the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co., brought on by the coal shortage, will end at 6 a.m. tomorrow when the first of three shifts will report for work; the Missouri Pacific Railroad is running a special engine with five cars of coal to arrive in Cape Girardeau late today from the mines at West Frankfort, Illinois.

1925

Judge O.A. Knehans, in Common Pleas Court, advises the special committee representing the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce to return March 19 and make its request for a six-month postponement of any action toward the sale of the Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad; at that time, the motion to order the railroad property sold regardless of price will be argued by attorneys representing the receiver and creditors.

Keith A. Brumback was elected president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce at a meeting of the board of directors last night.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.