100 years ago in Spokane: The circus was coming to town, and the wounded aviator showed more signs of improvement

The Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus arrived in Spokane, pitching its “big top” tent at the circus grounds at Division Street and Jackson Avenue (near today’s General Store).

Shows were scheduled for the afternoon and evening, but hundreds of people were already gathered in the morning, watching a different kind of show. They “looked on with a great degree of interest as the large crew of perfectly organized workmen” erected the main tent, which had a capacity of 10,000 seats.

The crowd also watched the disembarking of the wild animals, including a “huge herd of elephants.”

From the election dispute beat: The Washington state Supreme Court made the final decision in a disputed primary election for the U.S. Congressional Fifth District: Charles E. Myers was the winner.

Thomas Corkery, of Spokane, had contested the results of the primary, arguing that 11 absentee votes that came in from Lincoln County should not be counted. Those 11 votes had tipped the race in Myers’ favor.

With this decision, Myers would now advance to the general election as the Republican candidate.

From the aviator beat: Daisy Smith, Spokane’s sole woman aviator, continued to “hold her own” in her fight for life.

Doctors reported little change in her condition, and she was now conscious “about half the time.”

Her plane went into a tailspin four days earlier while approaching Parkwater Field. She suffered a fractured skull, a broken leg and internal injuries.