100 years ago in Spokane: Streetcar worker makes explosive find

From our archives, 100 years ago

A streetcar worker was maintaining track near Fort Wright when he made a startling find: a sack containing 16 sticks of dynamite.

Officials were at a loss to explain who left the dynamite there and for what reason. The commanding officer of Fort Wright said he did not think anyone was trying to damage the Army base. The dynamite was found about a block outside the base.

The owners of the streetcar line, Washington Water Power, said the dynamite was not intended for blasting work on the line, since no such work was scheduled in that area.

There was speculation that someone intended to “boil out the nitroglycerine,” but this was mere speculation.

From the aeroplane beat: The Liberty Theater was showing a moving picture titled “The Flying Torpedo,” so the theater manager came up with a novel contest.

He offered a prize of $5 to “the boy, 15 years and under, who builds the best model of an aeroplane.”

The models could be of monoplanes, biplanes or “hydro-aeroplanes.” They could use either miniature motors or rubber-propelling devices. Models purchased in toy shops were not eligible.

Neither, apparently, were models made by girls.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1946: The recently created United Nations Security Council set up temporary headquarters at Hunter College in the Bronx, New York.

1976: Champion skier Vladimir “Spider” Sabich was shot and killed by his girlfriend, actress-singer Claudine Longet, in the home they shared in Aspen, Colorado; Longet, who maintained the shooting was an accident, served 30 days in jail for negligent homicide.