50 years ago in Expo history: Sagging Expo attendance boosted by warm autumn weather

A prolonged period of warm temperatures was helping Expo ’74 to meet – or exceed – its attendance goals.

“Two weeks ago, attendance was sagging and it appeared the goal of 5 million paying visitors might be beyond reach,” Frank Bartel wrote in the Spokane Chronicle. But chilly temperatures stayed on hold.

“I don’t take any credit for it,” Expo general manager Petr Spurney joked. “But I love it.”

Attendance stood at 4.71 million with almost three weeks to go.

The weather had been mostly beneficial for the entire run of the fair. Spring and fall had both been mild, and rainy days had been scarce – only seven in total.

Bartel wrote that it was almost “another instance of divine providence.”

From 100 years ago: Babe Ruth, along with teammate Bob Meusel, played an exhibition game at Natatorium Park, and Spokane’s little kids got in on the action.

“The game became a farce after the fifth (inning),” the Chronicle said. “Every time Ruth or Meusel looked sidewise, a couple hundred kids swarmed from nowhere to mob them until forced off the field by legion officials and police officers.”

It didn’t matter. As the Chronicle explained, “The crowd went out to see Ruth and Meusel, not see an actual ball game.”

Every time “they didn’t get at least a triple,” they were forced to go back and try again. In the end, both Ruth and Meusel hit mammoth home runs and “everyone went home happy.”

For the kids, it was “circus day, Christmas and Thanksgiving,” rolled into one.