Research the archive
Narrow 27,002 newspaper stories by words, years, place, newspaper and subject. See when and where they ran, then download what you find.
Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
Refine1 on
Show the numbers
| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1904 | 14 |
| 1909 | 11 |
25 stories matching shock
- 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.
- The Great Sound Earthquake
A violent, multi-shock tremor sends Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett residents into the streets, rattling buildings and nerves across the Puget Sound region.
- Trolley Conductor Survives High-Voltage Shock
A conductor working the Spanaway line narrowly escaped death after receiving a severe electric shock during a routine repair.
- Shot by a Rejected Lover, Mabel Thorp Is Mending at St. Joseph's
Two days after Ernest Grant shot her and then drank acid to kill himself, the young Tacoma woman is healing fast — the bullet wound, the paper reports, is nearly closed, but the shock is another matter.
- A False Shock of Hair, a Slouch Hat, and $10 at Maplewood Station
A Tacoma department-store clerk steps off the Puyallup car and is stopped in the dark by a masked man in a false wig, who takes her money and orders her home on foot.
- Tragic Snow-Clearing Death
A 71-year-old man died instantly after slipping on icy pavement while clearing snow in North Tacoma.
- The Tragedy of the Iroquois Theater Fire Hits Home
A Tacoma family is confirmed among the victims of the deadly Chicago theater fire that shocked the nation.
- The Boy with the Bullet
A miraculous recovery for a 15-year-old struck by a stray bullet in his temple.
- The Deceptive Waters of Spanaway Lake
After multiple drownings, a doctor warns that a deceptively shallow-looking rope line is concealing a lethal drop-off.
- City Treasury Nearing Empty, Controller Warns
Controller L. Q. Jackson reveals Tacoma's coffers are so low the city may soon struggle to pay for basic services, forcing a halt to promotional spending.
- High-Voltage Hazards on Tacoma’s Lines
Two linemen survive massive electrical shocks during a winter storm and a routine repair job.
- Fatal Surge on Pacific Avenue
High-voltage electricity crosses wires at a construction site, claiming the lives of two local workers and endangering several others.
- The Strange Case of the 'Boy Burglar' and His Well-Connected Father
A young man charged with several local burglaries is released after his father, a Chicago official, settles all claims and promises to take him home.
- Streetcar Strikes Schoolgirl on Sixth Avenue
A pedestrian is injured after being hit by a speeding trolley, sparking local frustration over transit safety.
- City Hall Shaken by Earthquake
Tacoma’s council meeting was thrown into disarray when an earthquake tremor sent officials scrambling for composure.
- The Drunken Sea Lion of Olympia
An intoxicated 800-pound sea lion is captured after a bender on crude oil.
- Runaway Interurban Car Terrifies Passengers
A defective switch at Puyallup Avenue triggers a near-disaster as a transit car breaks away from its train.
- The Shadowy Franchise Fight
After accusations of a $132,000 bribe, the Tacoma City Council is forced into a formal inquiry over the Independent Telephone Company’s franchise bid.
- Tacoma Park Board at War with Taxpayers
Public officials trade insults with citizens after a lopsided vote against a park bond proposal.
- Kicked Into the Street in Her Nightclothes: A Tacoma Wife’s Ten Years of Abuse
A police-court hearing heard how Amos West terrorized his wife and eight-year-old daughter—and how a tent on Center Street became the backdrop to a decade of violence.
- An Earthquake Rumbles Across the Sound
Tacoma residents feel the tremors of a quake that shook the coast from the Skagit River to Victoria, rattling skyscrapers and breaking ice.
- Tacoma’s Mayor Defends ‘Liberal’ Vice Policy
Mayor Wright responds to allegations that Tacoma is a hotbed of corruption, arguing that tax revenue from gambling is necessary for city operations.
- A Week of Tragedy in Pierce County
A string of suicides, murders, and accidents shocks Tacoma as a young student and an asylum patient end their own lives.
- A Father’s Frozen Grief on the Puyallup River
A four-year-old boy slips from the bank into the river while fishing, leaving his family in a state of shock as he drifts away.
- A Spilled Bowl of Soup, a Fatal Shot at Camp Murray
A mess-tent quarrel between two young soldiers ended with Private Thomas Vandiver shot through the body and Private Frederick Stubbs in the county jail, claiming self-defense.