Tragedy at the Falls
A young woman is found dead near the Spokane River following a flash flood.
A sad event occurred about four miles from the city. A young woman, Miss Lottie Lewis, who was living with the family of Mr. Bruman, went out one evening and did not return. It is thought that in an effort to reach her home, she was caught in a sudden rush of water caused by a cloudburst. When the body was found near the place of Mr. J. H. M. Shaw, about two miles below, she was only partially covered with brush and drift. The body of this unfortunate young lady was found some distance from that of the other lady, Miss Bruman, who had also disappeared. The dwelling was uninjured, but a barn with nine or ten head of livestock was swept away. Miss Lewis was a highly intellectual and refined young lady, and is widely known and respected in that locality. We understand that she was to be married in a month.
“The body of this unfortunate young lady was found some distance from that of the other lady, Miss Bruman, who had also disappeared.”
Flash floods and the unpredictable nature of the Spokane River were constant threats to early settlers. Today, the river is heavily managed by dams, but the memory of its raw, destructive power remains a part of the city's foundational history.
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