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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 61 |
| 1909 | 53 |
115 stories matching light
- Burning Oil, a Shattered Shanty, and a Logger Who Threw Two Men to Safety
Chester LaChapelle rescued his cousin and a roommate after a gasoline stove exploded near Kapowsin, sacrificing his own face and hands to the flames.
- The Power Fight at City Hall
Tacoma business owners demand a stay on new electric franchises, fearing a private monopoly over the city's municipal light plant.
- The Grand Jury Probes the 'Restricted District'
Tacoma investigators hunt for proof of who really profits from the city's red-light district properties.
- High-Voltage Hazards on Tacoma’s Lines
Two linemen survive massive electrical shocks during a winter storm and a routine repair job.
- The Power Grab: Tacoma Businessmen Battle Utility Monopoly
Prominent citizens organize to fight an electric franchise they fear will cripple local industry and inflate power prices.
- Tacoma's 1909 Fight to Own Its Power
On the eve of a city election, advocates urged voters to approve a $2 million municipal light and power plant—and warned the private power trust would lie to stop them.
- The Fight Over Tacoma’s Public Utilities
City Controller Lister defends the administration’s plan to earmark utility profits for bond repayment rather than immediate rate cuts.
- The City Hall Tug-of-War Over Power
A legal opinion opens the door for a private utility to power a public school, sparking a heated debate over city charter boundaries.
- Tragedy on Bainbridge Island as Child Accidentally Kills Brother
A toddler's playful act with a lit stick leads to the fatal burning of his infant brother in a home on Bainbridge Island.
- Tacoma Votes to Take the Power Back
Mayor Linck urges a city-owned plant as Tacoma goes to the polls against the private power monopoly.
- The Great Tacoma Water Grift
How a corrupt water monopoly swindled the city out of nearly $1.5 million for a tainted water supply, leaving residents with a decade of filth.
- Tacoma Councilmen Move to Kill Civil Service — and Give Themselves Raises
A charter-revision package would scrap civil service, shrink the council to nine and boost pay from $300 to $1,200, prompting a public showdown at tonight's special meeting.
- The Olympia Bear Escape
A dangerous confrontation unfolds in Olympia when an employee of the local power company is mauled while attempting to recapture escaped bears.
- The Tragic Decline of Annie Rooney
A woman long known to the streets and saloons of Tacoma is returned to the state asylum, casting a light on the era’s brutal handling of addiction.
- Shocking Lawsuit Filed Over Faulty Electrical Socket
A local mother sues for $20,045 after her six-year-old son was paralyzed by an electrical jolt from a home light fixture.
- A Night-Time Standoff in the North End
A curious police officer patrolling the North End finds himself staring down the barrel of a resident's revolver.
- The Crumbling Pump House
A report to the City Council reveals the city's water infrastructure is near total mechanical collapse.
- 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.
- The Struggle for a New City Charter
Citizens organize to strip power from traditional councilmen and adopt a commission-style government for Tacoma.
- The Sudden Loss on East J Street
Tacoma physicians are left without answers following the sudden, inexplicable death of a three-month-old infant.
- The Great North End Porch Raids
A string of minor thefts in Tacoma's North End has residents tracking footprints in the snow to find the culprits who made off with their cold victuals.
- Tacoma’s Great White Way: Tungsten Streetlights Arrive
A new electrical experiment on Pacific Avenue aims to slash power consumption while brightening the path to the city docks.
- Glowing Wonders at the Federal Courthouse
Professor Frederick A. Osborn captivates a Tacoma audience with a demonstration of the newly discovered element, radium.
- An Illiterate Man's Ten Acres Stolen for Ten Dollars
A local Indigenous man has sued to reclaim land he says he was swindled out of while intoxicated.
- Proprietor of Rainier Valley Record dies after fiery explosion
Richard Nash, a Seattle newspaper proprietor, succumbs to burns after a gasoline tank he was repairing exploded, igniting his office.