100 years ago in Spokane: Downtown steam plant was ready to power up

The big new steam plant at Post Street and Railroad Avenue – today known as the Steam Plant, a popular restaurant – was ready to deliver “juice” from its new generators.

The plant’s operator, the Spokane Heat, Light & Power Co., was hedging on the date just a bit.

“We are planning to have a little housewarming when everything is in shape, but I don’t want to fix a date, because of the uncertainties connected with the new electrical apparatus,” the manager said.

He said the new equipment consisted of two generators, coupled to two turbines, along with a storage battery to ensure “continuous service.”

The equipment was currently in testing phase. If all went well, the plant would begin delivering electricity within a week. It would deliver steam for heating downtown buildings in the fall.

This plant, distinguished by two tall brick stacks, would later be taken over by the Washington Water Power Co. (today’s Avista) in 1919.

From the aviator beat: Spokane’s daredevil aviator Delbert (Deb) Wylie had another in a series of dangerous scrapes.

Wylie, who also went by the nickname of Bud, “flew into a a string of high-tension electric wires” near Reardan.

He was giving an exhibition during the Mule Day program at Reardan. The lower part of the plane caught the wires, ripping them from their poles and causing “both machine and operator” to fall 30 feet to the ground.

“The danger to the operator was unusually great, owing to the broken wires, which were flying about, charged with thousands of volts of current,” the Chronicle said.

However, Wylie emerged unharmed, as he had in two previous accidents. The airplane, however, required significant repairs.