Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75 and 50 years ago:
100 years ago, May 22, 1924
Shortly after nine o’clock on Sunday evening, there was considerable excitement when a number of armed soldiers from Scott Field began patrolling the highways leading from the air base.
A detachment of soldiers was also sent to this city, who searched all sections in search of two fugitives who had escaped from the field on Sunday evening.
In a number of cases, cars driving on public roads were stopped and searched in search of the missing prisoners.
Two soldiers, William Blaw, 24 years old, and Zella McLean (McClain), 19, who were imprisoned in the guardhouse, made a successful escape to freedom when they escaped a guard who took them to a toilet. The prisoners requested to be taken to another building and escaped while being marched from one building to another.
The guard fired several shots at the men and then sounded a general alarm.
No trace of the fugitives was found, although all highways and byways were thoroughly searched.
Officers at the camp believe that the soldiers received outside help and that the escape was planned, with the men taken away in a car.
It is believed Blaw’s lover was an ally in the escape when she visited him Sunday afternoon. Blaw was sentenced to two years in Leavenworth Prison on charges of theft following field thefts. He was convicted by court-martial of stealing tires from the mail and was scheduled to be taken to Leavenworth this week.
McLean (McClain) was held on charges of desertion.
75 years ago, May 26, 1949
Thanks to the collaboration of the O’Fallon Township High School administration and the Community Park administration, the high school gymnasium will be open this summer from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, from June 1 to mid-August, for recreational purposes.
The sports practiced in the gym are ping pong, volleyball, badminton, horseshoe pitching, basketball and softball. These activities are under the direct supervision of Coach Charles L. Niblock, Recreational Director.
Any middle school or high school student is eligible to participate, provided he/she first registers with Mr. Niblock. Mr. Niblock has been informed by Joe Monohan, scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, that boys aspiring to a career in professional baseball are invited to the tryout camp being held today, Friday and Saturday at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.
50 years ago, May 23, 1974
The O’Fallon City Water Department has been warned by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency that O’Fallon’s public water supply “is not satisfactorily protected against the ingress of contamination.”
The warning came in a letter read at O’Fallon’s city council meeting Monday evening. The letter was accompanied by nine recommendations to protect against the infection. However, City Engineer Dave Davis believes the EPA is “nit-picking” with its various recommendations.
“Some recommendations may be considered, while others may not be necessary,” Davis said.
The recommendations were made by the EPA after Brenda Brown of the EPA’s Collinsville office conducted an inspection of the facilities.
The nine recommendations made by the EPA office to ensure O’Fallon’s water department “complies with current public water supply laws, rules and regulations” are: Initiate a value retention program. The stub overflow on the old elevated storage tank should be lowered close to the ground surface and drained through a drainage inlet structure or splash pad.
The two remote booster stations near French Village are to be equipped with automatic signaling equipment to notify when the stations are out of service. Routinely collect six samples per month from inventory and send the samples to the agency for analysis.
Repaint the exterior of the two ground storage tanks and the elevated tank. Inspect the inside of the ground storage tanks and the elevated tank. Inspect the inside of the ground tanks and elevated tanks for damage. Bacterial analyzes on 21 samples collected from the distribution system must be performed monthly by a certified laboratory.
The city should move into a program to replace the small, private water lines in the system as soon as possible.
The manhole cover on the old elevated storage tank must be equipped with a lock.
Ms Brown said the points raised are serious and the recommendations must be met to comply with the rules and regulations governing public water supplies. Ms. Brown said if the city doesn’t meet the standards, a hearing may have to be held before the Illinois Pollution Control Board in Springfield.
However, Davis believes the matter should not be taken so seriously and that the letter is routinely sent to other water departments.
“This is not true,” Ms. Brown said. “EPA inspections are conducted once a year and no routine letters are sent warning of potential contamination conditions.”
Davis said some recommendations could be considered by the city, but most are unnecessary. This is the case with the emergency signaling of the booster stations in the French village area. Davis said the inspection of storage tanks that the EPA recommends was done last year, but no inspection has taken place yet this year.
The point about the sub-overflow, says Ms Brown, is to prevent birds and insects from entering the water tanks unnoticed. While the sub-overflow is above the tank, there is a possibility of birds or insects entering. The last point, regarding closing the manhole on top of the storage tank, is basically the same.
“Closing the manhole would protect your (O’Fallon) water supply from vandalism and malicious sabotage,” Ms Brown said.
The EPA also recommended three other issues that should be “seriously considered” to improve the system’s operation. The EPA recommended providing backup power for the two booster stations west of the city.
It also recommended having an additional employee certified for work. The final recommendation was to rechlorinate the water received from the East St. Louis and Interurban Water Company.
“I don’t see anything that O’Fallon can’t comply with,” Ms. Brown said. Davis said some of the items would be taken into consideration.
