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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 3 |
| 1883 | 7 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 13 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 8 |
40 stories matching deck
- The Tragedy of the North Star: A Lost Crew and a Community’s Grief
Fifty-two days after departing for San Diego with a heavy timber load, the brig North Star is officially presumed lost, leaving a community to reckon with the perils of the Pacific and the cost of the lumber boom.
- The Wreck of the Lily Grace
After surviving a harrowing gale and the total loss of his ship near Cape Flattery, a sea captain washes up in Seattle to recount a battle against the elements.
- The Final Voyage of the Wildwood
A steamship captain recounts the harrowing night his vessel burned to the water’s edge while docked at Olympia.
- The Rogue of the Sound
A smuggler on the Puget Sound recounts a brutal night of human trafficking and violence, offering a chilling glimpse into the lawless reality of the 1880s maritime border.
- The Fire That Starved a City: How a Burning Lime Ship Stalled Seattle’s Building Boom
When the steamer *Yquina* exploded in flames at Pacific Dock, it didn't just destroy $35,000 worth of cargo—it left 600 mechanics without work and halted the construction of a growing metropolis.
- Steerage Passengers Stage an Armed Strike for Better Food
Twenty-five Texas cowboys on a steamship to Portland organized an armed takeover of the kitchen to force the captain to improve steerage rations.
- The Fiery End of the Bark 'Hark Hope'
After failing to extinguish a mystery fire in the cargo hold, the crew of a Honolulu-bound vessel was forced to sink their own ship to save it from complete destruction.
- The Skagit River Claims the Steamer Josephine
A local steamer is reported to be in a 'very perilous position' after sinking in the Skagit River, with its hurricane deck submerged.
- The Tragedy of the Tug 'Mogul'
A young seaman from Maine loses his life in the waters of Port Townsend after a fatal fall from his vessel.
- The Queen City gets a new tugboat
A festive launch of Stetson & Post's new tugboat ends in a brush with catastrophe.
- The Unwelcome Interviewer
A reporter who tried to push his way onto the Villard party’s steamer learns that some doors—and decks—are firmly closed.
- Mutiny at Port Townsend
A newly arrived crew refuses duty and fights for their freedom aboard a bark in the harbor.
- Boiler Explosion Wrecks Steamer Josephine Near Port Susan
A local steamer bound for the Skagit River suffers a boiler explosion near Fort Susan, leaving several dead and the vessel a total wreck.
- The Blast at Mason Slip
A steam tug carrying three crew members is obliterated in a freak explosion on the Seattle waterfront.
- The Mass Departure of Chinese Laborers
After the completion of the Cedar River extension, the Oregon Improvement Company arranged for the mass transport of 1,700 Chinese workers out of Seattle.
- The Human Cargo of the 'Wolcott'
A government customs vessel intercepts a fishing boat off Smith Island, revealing a harrowing attempt to smuggle nine men into Seattle.
- Brutal Slaying at Port Madison
A dockworker was killed in an argument that escalated into a fatal assault.
- The Orphan’s Plea: A Poem That Moved Seattle to Tears on Decoration Day
As the city honored Civil War dead with solemn processions and speeches, a young girl’s grief over her father’s unmarked grave brought the Grand Marshal to tears.
- A Steamboat Standoff on the Puget Sound
When a captain accused a passenger of skipping town on a fare, two witnesses stepped forward to detail a tense armed confrontation aboard the steamer 'Otter.'
- The Perilous Wreck of the Steamboat at Ozette
After a devastating storm, a ship's crew and passengers faced a harrowing survival on the coast, clinging to the remnants of their vessel and the lighthouse keeper's mercy.
- A Fatal Accident at the Port Gamble Mill
A longtime employee, planning his future in Seattle, is killed by a falling timber while clearing a machine at the Port Gamble sawmill.
- The Tragedy of the Steamer Josephine
Survivors of a catastrophic boiler explosion describe the terrifying moments the ship disintegrated and their harrowing wait for rescue.
- The Clam Bake That Defined a City
When a visiting delegation of Midwesterners arrived in 1886, Seattle citizens didn't just host them—they illuminated the hills and threw a massive communal feast on the Sound.
- The Shadowy Arrival at Port Townsend
Federal authorities intercept two young Chinese men smuggled into Washington Territory as 'contraband,' exposing the illicit human trafficking trade operating under the noses of border officials.
- The Stranger and the Starving Boy
A hungry child caught stealing a loaf of bread on a steamer finds an unexpected defender in a kind-hearted passenger.