Out of the past: Feb. 15

1993

Historic Burfordville bridge -- one of only four covered bridges remaining in Missouri -- is likely to receive funding in next year's state budget for a complete restoration; the restoration could lead to a re-opening of the bridge for light vehicle traffic.

A surprise, Presidents Day snowstorm dumps 12.2 inches of snow on Cape Girardeau and similar amounts elsewhere in the area, disrupting business, travel and schools; it's the third time this winter that frozen precipitation has struck on a holiday.

1968

Around 3,500 pushing, scream, swooning teenagers attended the concert of the popular Paul Revere and the Raiders at the Arena Building last night; the crowd began gathering at 3 p.m. and, unable to control its enthusiasm, pushed the glass out of three of the front doors before the scheduled opening; one youth was injured, but that didn't stop him from staying for the concert.

Erection of a $350,000 electrostatic precipitator designed to eliminate 95 percent of the dust being emitted into the air at Marquette Cement Co.'s wet plant begins; the work is three months ahead of schedule, and it is hoped it will be in operation by mid-summer.

1943

Paul A. Watkins of Wheeling, West Virginia, a cadet with the 73rd Army Air Forces Flight Training Detachment at Harris Field had the uncomfortable experience Friday of finding himself "sitting" in the air 4,000 feet above the earth with nothing around him; while on a routine training flight with his instructor, Watkins' safety belt became unfastened as he was practicing spins; he fell out of the plane and, after overcoming momentary surprise, pulled the rip-cord ring to his parachute and floated down safely, landing on a farm just north of Chaffee, Missouri.

When the County Court meets, it formally accepts the buildings and contents of the CCC camp site near Delta by signing the agreement submitted by the War Department; the contract obliges the court to remove the buildings and restore the land, which belongs to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., to the shape it was before the camp was built.

1918

The new uniforms for the Home Guards have finally arrived; each man may call at the Buckner-Ragsdale store Saturday evening to be given his new togs.

The Cape Cooperage plant in South Girardeau expects to get started tomorrow after several months shut down because of a fire that damaged the factory in the fall; F.R. Graham of Detroit arrived here yesterday to be foreman of the plant and to assist George Bolz in its operation.

-- Sharon K. Sanders