Police prepare for Expo ’74 traffic jams

Law enforcement was preparing for unprecedented traffic jams on Independence Day, largely due to the events of Expo ’74.

A Washington State Police official said they would deploy a full complement of officers on the highways leading into the city. He acknowledged that Expo traffic had already increased his agency’s workload for the entire spring/summer season.

Huge crowds were also expected at the Albi stadium, where a gigantic Expo ’74 fireworks display was due to be sold out. Around 25 extra traffic officers would be deployed around the stadium.

Speaking of traffic jams, the Expo 74 Energy Pavilion featured a film about another type of traffic jam, ice jams. The film was called “The Great Spokane Flood,” and told the story of what happened about 18,000 years ago when glacial ice dams broke on glacial Lake Missoula and flooded large areas of the Northwest.

100 years ago : The city has threatened to arrest anyone caught watering their lawn amid a dangerous water shortage in Spokane due to a heat wave.

The shortage comes at a particularly dangerous time. Water pressure in the city’s water mains is only half of normal, “which significantly increases the risk of fires during the Fourth of July,” the city said.

Also on that day

(Excerpt from onthisday.com)

1863: The Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle fought on the American continent, ended in a major victory for the Union during the American Civil War.