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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 17 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 24 |
| 1893 | 30 |
| 1894 | 33 |
| 1895 | 40 |
149 stories matching pipe
- The Sewers Were Cracking — And Seattle Wanted to Know Why
City engineers trace a rash of shattered pipes to Ballard and Olympia, and to the manufacturers who made them.
- The Great Moonlight Water Pipe Heist
The Tacoma Light and Water Company sues the city after the Mayor and Board of Public Works seized their pipes under the cover of darkness.
- Winterizing Seattle's Water Pipes
City crews scramble to box in exposed water mains after a costly deep freeze the previous year.
- Seattle's Broken Sewers Were Shoveled to Pieces, Engineer Says
City Engineer Thomson rejects the explosion theory and blames wet clay clods and soft-burned pipe for fractures under Kenny Street.
- Seattle's Sewers Were Cracking All Over Town — and the City Engineer Blamed the Dirt
A furious letter writer insists the pipes broke not from 'percussion' but from the very worst kind of trench work — and points the finger straight at the man in charge.
- Tragedy at Gilman Mine
A miner is killed by a runaway pipe, just days before he was to retire to his ranch.
- Ballard’s Fight to Own Its Water
City council backers file affidavits defending the purchase of the West Coast Improvement Company plant as John Shields tries to block the deal.
- City Council Caught in Costly Pipe Scandal
Seattle’s city fathers accused of wasting thousands of dollars by rejecting cheap, high-quality pipe in favor of a politically connected supplier.
- The Shocking State of the Port Townsend Courthouse
A dangerous electrical grounding issue in the county building leaves water pipes charged with current.
- The Industrial Boom of Van Asselt's Sewer Pipe
A newly discovered deposit of clay near the Green River births a factory, employing eighty men and shaping the city’s infrastructure.
- The Divorce Case of the Pipe-Smoking Bride
A suburban Tacoma man files for divorce, citing his wife’s preference for tobacco over domestic obedience and her alleged indiscretions with neighbors.
- Who Was Blowing Up Seattle's New Sewers?
City engineers find more than 200 broken pipe lengths underground and suspect dynamite, labor grudges, or business sabotage.
- Live Steam in the Firebox: A Deckhand's Terrible Scalding
Thomas Smith was thrown into the bow of the steamer Ellis when a boiler pipe burst; he begged that his ill wife not read the news.
- The Steam Came Through the Firebox
Fred Hutchinson was feeding wood into the Monticello's boiler when a loose pipe cap gave way. Scalded across his face, neck, chest and hands, he was rushed to Port Townsend while the steamer was towed in.
- The Midnight Feast and the Meerschaum Pipe
Two burglars ransacked a prominent Seattle home, paused for a multi-course meal, and were undone by an officer who spotted a stolen pipe in a pawn shop.
- Seattle’s First Water Wars
When freezing pipes and open faucets threatened the city’s water pressure, the superintendent didn't mince words.
- A Mock Dress Parade at the Armory
Seattle militiamen trade drill precision for satire and pipe-mounted 'artillery' to the amusement of a capacity crowd.
- The Water Main Blowout on Lake Washington
A faulty metallic plug failed under pressure, exposing the vulnerability of Seattle's early water infrastructure.
- Seattle's New Plumbing Inspector Called His Kickbacks 'Customary'
Summoned before the aldermen over charges that he steered city work to a friendly iron works, John L. Sweeney admitted taking a percentage — and said every architect and plumber did the same.
- A Boiler Explosion on the Steamer Monticello
A fireman is fighting for his life after a high-pressure steam pipe failed mid-voyage near Kingston, marking the second such accident for the vessel.
- Tacoma Council Refuses Wright’s $100,000 Water Bond
A standoff between the city and a private contractor over water bonds and 'raids' on piping infrastructure.
- Midnight Raid for Water Pipes
The City of Tacoma seizes infrastructure from a private utility company in a daring, late-night maneuver.
- Ballard Wins a Round in Its Water War—But the Fight Isn't Over
A judge refused to permanently stop Ballard's council from buying the West Coast Improvement Company's waterworks, finding the city could use the pipe in its new plant. Inspector Shields immediately appealed.
- The Mystery of the Solid Rock Fish
Workers drilling a deep well near Ruston were shocked to find a live, pale fish emerge from 140 feet below the surface.
- A Deckhand’s Wife Arrives in Seattle to Find Him Dead
Thomas Smith was scalded when a steamer boiler pipe burst. He died at Providence Hospital just as his wife reached Seattle from Sidney.