50 years ago in Expo history: Up With People prepared for some clean-cut entertainment

Up With People, described as a “peppy traveling troupe” of clean-cut young entertainers, was getting ready to embark on a pre-Expo ’74 promotional concert tour.

The troupe planned to play two shows in Spokane and then hit the road for concerts throughout the Northwest.

The troupe’s tour director, Paul Deal, said this would be more than just a good show.

“It is living the part of ‘up with people,’ ” he said. “… It is people working and standing together … it is communicating. Music is an international language and it can be understood by everyone.”

Deal said the group’s music was not directed “toward any one religion or lack of religion or is in any way political.”

From 100 years ago: Two events involving rampaging water made the news in Spokane. First, someone dynamited a dam on Meadow Lake, between Medical Lake and Cheney. Authorities suspected some farmers were responsible. The water flooded nearby fields.

Second, a water main broke near Monroe Street and Fifth Avenue and created a massive waterfall that flooded yards and basements all the way down to Third Avenue.

Neighbors “armed with brooms and shovels” tried to divert the water, with varying degrees of success.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1812: A 7.7 earthquake destroys 90% of Caracas, Venezuela, and kills an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people.

1982: Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder release the single “Ebony & Ivory” in the U.K.