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48 stories matching gas

  1. City Left in Dark After Gas Tank Explosion

    A major receiving tank failure leaves Tacoma without illuminating gas, forcing citizens and local businesses to scramble for alternatives.

    Jan 11, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust · Disasters

  2. Tacoma's Gas Monopoly Dodges a Bullet

    City council nearly revokes a utility franchise due to impure gas, highlighting early 20th-century struggles with private utility providers.

    Apr 29, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyFollow the Money

  3. City Landslide Disrupts Utilities

    Heavy rain triggers an embankment collapse, fracturing gas and water lines in Tacoma’s lower districts.

    Feb 29, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

  4. City Left in the Dark by Gas Failure

    A mechanical error at the gas works plunged Tacoma into darkness, ruining breakfasts and sparking public frustration.

    Feb 6, 1904The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyDisasters

  5. The Gas Monopoly and the Hunt Administration

    A political war over city franchises and utility prices threatens to lock Walla Walla into a high-cost energy future.

    Jul 11, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  6. Bracing for a Blackout at the Fruit Fair

    After years of frustration, Walla Walla's fruit fair management installs gas backups to keep the pavilion illuminated.

    Sep 18, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyBoom & Bust

  7. The Franchise Fight

    The newly seated Walla Walla City Council engages in a heated dispute over gas and electric utility franchises.

    Aug 5, 1903The Evening StatesmanCity Hall, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  8. The Barber Who Inhaled Gas and Ran Screaming Down Pacific Avenue

    A faulty gas arc left a new barber violently irrational and touched off a street struggle in Tacoma.

    Jan 2, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

  9. A Gushing Future at Deep River?

    A discovery of high-grade petroleum gas in Washington state sparks dreams of a regional energy boom.

    Jun 10, 1903The Evening StatesmanDeep River, Wahkiakum CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

  10. Prospectors Strike Natural Gas Near Kahlotus

    A deep-well driller finds natural gas, copper quartz, and mica nine miles southeast of Kahlotus, fueling hopes for an oil boom in Franklin County.

    Jun 20, 1903The Evening StatesmanKahlotus, Franklin CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

  11. Gas Tank Explosion Wrecks Passenger Car

    A train car was reduced to twisted wreckage near Puyallup by a high-pressure gas explosion; authorities believe it was fortunate the train was empty at the time.

    Jan 14, 1909The Tacoma TimesPuyallup, Pierce CountyDisasters

  12. Explosion at the Gas Well

    A routine water-drilling operation in Whatcom turns into a hazardous discovery when a match ignites a pocket of natural gas.

    Aug 25, 1903The Evening StatesmanBellingham, Whatcom CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

  13. The Gas War Comes to Walla Walla

    A visiting developer refuses to post a $1,000 bond to secure a municipal franchise, sparking a showdown over public infrastructure and utility monopolies.

    Oct 13, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  14. A Monopoly Under Fire

    Local business leaders are organizing to form a rival power company to break the grip of the Northwestern Gas and Electric Company.

    Jan 19, 1904The Evening StatesmanMill Creek, Walla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  15. The Price of Power: Citizens Take on the Electric Monopoly

    Dr. J. F. Cropp leads a crusade against the Northwestern Gas and Electric company, armed with petitions and a list of rates from 27 other cities.

    Jan 20, 1904The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  16. Walla Walla Utility Upgrades Infrastructure

    Northwestern Gas and Electric Company launches a major project to replace aging gas mains in the business district and extend service to residential neighborhoods.

    Jan 6, 1904The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyBoom & Bust

  17. The Price of a Monopoly: A $16,000 Legal Battle over Walla Walla Gas

    A Spokane attorney claims he is owed thousands for brokering a deal that reshaped the city’s utility landscape, exposing the high-stakes game of regional franchise control.

    Jun 4, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

  18. Alone in the Tunnel: A Mine Superintendent Is Overcome by Gas and Not Found Until Morning

    James Pecola, longtime superintendent of the Edison and Washington-Iowa mines, went back underground after supper to check two misfire holes. The gas got him first, and the crew did not miss him until Sunday.

    Feb 9, 1909The Tacoma TimesIndex, Snohomish CountyWork & Pay

  19. A $650,000 Mortgage Put Walla Walla’s Gas, Electric, and Water Future in Philadelphia Hands

    The Northwestern Gas and Electric Company mortgaged its Walla Walla County plants, franchises, and water rights to secure a major bond issue—and announced new power development on the Walla Walla River.

    Oct 9, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

  20. The City Council Stalls on Gas and Power Franchise

    Debate over rates and street-lighting costs leads to an indefinite delay for the Walla Walla Gas Company’s proposal.

    Jun 24, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyCity Hall

  21. Walla Walla Tells the Gas Company: Put Your Wires Underground — and Pay Up

    A 25-year gas and electric franchise goes before the council tonight, rewritten to bury every wire on Main and Alder and to hand the city a grand total of $7,750 by 1928.

    Jun 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money · City Hall

  22. The Man Behind Newport's Electric Lights

    A Chicago utility magnate's company invests $100,000 to bring electric power to Newport, promising modern service at fair rates.

    Nov 11, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentNewport, Pend Oreille CountyFollow the Money · Boom & Bust

  23. Tragic Recovery at Ashford Mine

    After four days, searchers reach the body of a miner trapped by a gas explosion.

    Feb 3, 1909The Tacoma TimesAshford, Pierce CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

  24. The Great Northern's Electrified Tunnel

    A bold infrastructure project in the Cascade mountains promises to banish smoke and gas from rail travel.

    Mar 18, 1909The Labor JournalSkykomish, King CountyBoom & Bust

  25. Eastern Capital Buys Out Local Utilities for $150,000

    A massive deal consolidating Walla Walla and Pendleton energy interests signals a new era for regional power infrastructure.

    Aug 26, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyFollow the Money

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