100 years ago in Spokane: Firetrucks about to replace the last 10 horses that pulled fire wagons

From our archives, 100 years ago

The era of the horse-drawn fire wagon was coming to a close in Spokane.

The fire chief announced that the last of two new “pump-and-hose autos” was arriving soon and it meant that the final 10 horses in the fire department would be retired.

Each new firetruck was capable taking the place of five horses. Five of the horses were already on the way out and the other five would be gone by the end of the summer. The story did not specify the exact fate of these 10 horses.

From the liquor beat: Spokane police poured 300 gallons of bootleg whiskey, brandy and wine down the sewer in the basement of police headquarters.

It was contraband seized in a police raid on a Spokane drugstore. It consisted of mostly “bonded goods.”

The police chief himself presided over the disposal, possibly because it was too tempting for officers to rescue some of the liquor for personal use.

“He looked over each (barrel) to see that all the contents had gone down the sewer,” the paper said.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1942: During World War II, six Nazi saboteurs who were captured after landing in the U.S. were executed in Washington, D.C.; two others who’d cooperated with authorities were spared.

1974: President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the next day, following damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal.