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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 2 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 7 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1909 | 5 |
28 stories matching fireboat
- Tacoma Council Stalls on Costly Fireboat Purchase
The debate over a $100,000 fireboat intensifies as council members disagree on who should foot the bill.
- The Seattle Fireboat is Not a Tugboat
Insurance underwriters warn that if the city uses the fireboat 'Snoqualmie' to tow garbage scows, property insurance rates will rise, sparking a debate over city efficiency and political patronage.
- Fireboat Failure at the Waterfront
Public outcry mounts after Seattle's fireboat fails to save the burning steamer Flyer, leading to a command shake-up.
- The Monkey, the Fireboat, and the Captain's Temper
A Seattle fireboat captain and a stoker face a city board investigation after a dispute involving an 'odious comparison' to a monkey.
- Who Should Pay for City Fire Protection?
A debate over whether Tacoma’s waterfront industrial interests should fund their own fire safety apparatus.
- Who Should Pay for the Fireboat?
The Tacoma City Council debates whether taxpayers should fund fire protection for industrial waterfront property that pays no local taxes.
- Fireboat Battles Blazing Mill on the Tide Flats
McMaster's shingle mill, a sprawling wharf-side structure, is lost to a massive fire as the city's fireboat struggles to maneuver through a congested waterway.
- Steamer Sinks During Fierce Sound Gale
The steamer Cascade founders at a Seattle wharf after an unsuccessful attempt by the new city fireboat to save it.
- The Fireboat Battle of Elliott Bay
A power struggle between a fire captain and a marine pilot boils over into a violent, axe-wielding confrontation on the deck of a city fireboat.
- A Waterfront Tug of War
Tacoma’s city council demands a $100,000 fireboat to protect the harbor, sparking a heated debate over whether the Northern Pacific Railway should foot the bill.
- The Bold Smuggler of the 'Ina'
A Victoria-based steamer brazenly docks at the city landing in broad daylight to coal up, while its captain blurs his ship's identity to evade detection.
- The Fireboat That Saved the Northern Hotel
An insurance inspector in town to check Seattle's electrical wiring watched Monday night's fire — and credited the fireboat with stopping it from spreading.
- Fireboat or No Fireboat: Insurers Threaten a 25% Rate Hike
Underwriters tell the city to staff its fireboat properly or watch waterfront insurance premiums jump a quarter.
- Fire Department Shake-up
Mayor and commissioners dismiss two captains after allegations of internal strife within the fireboat companies.
- The Rat Out of the Hole
A bitter public feud erupts between two of Seattle's major industrial firms over the construction of a city fireboat.
- The Salvage of the Mystic
After months submerged in the Sound, a sunken tugboat is finally coaxed from the mud.
- The Off-Duty Hero of West Street
A morning commute turns into a rescue as a local fireman spots a blaze in a neighbor’s roof and leaps into action.
- A Deadly Dinner of Mussels
Captain McAlpine's near-fatal meal at a local restaurant highlights the hidden dangers of the city's seafood consumption in 1893.
- The Pride of the Sound Lost to Fire
Seattle’s fastest steamer, the Flyer, is reduced to a charred hull in a spectacular midnight harbor blaze.
- Workers Plan Mass Protest Against Wage Cuts
Trade unionists organize a rally to voice grievances against local corporations and the city of Seattle.
- The Great Fire at Schwabacher Bros.
A massive blaze destroys a landmark wholesale house in downtown Seattle, shaking the foundations of Pioneer Square.
- The Battle Over the Waterfront Fireboat
City council debates whether the general public or wealthy industrial interests should pay for the city's new fire protection infrastructure.
- Seattle's Great Fire Safety Debate
City officials clash over whether to invest in expensive new fire engines or build a radical new system of salt-water mains for the business district.
- The Dangerous Business of Storing Explosives
After a close call with a keg of nitro-glycerine on a city street, Seattle officials scramble to regulate the volatile cargo moving through the docks.
- The Fire Commissioners' Two Failed Moves to Fire the Chief
Two Seattle fire commissioners tried twice in one meeting to unseat Chief Hunt — first with a citizens' petition, then with a charge that he had lied to get his naturalization papers.
Also about this, in other words
- The Tragic End of the Steamer Fanny Lake
A boiler explosion leaves the familiar local craft a ruined hulk on the waterfront.
- Old Town Lumber Mill Reduced to Ash
A massive blaze consumes the Puget Sound Lumber Company plant, highlighting the urgent need for a dedicated city fire-boat.
- Furniture Factory Nearly Lost to Waterfront Fire
Firefighters battle a stubborn blaze beneath the old Mechanics' Wharf after flames broke out under a newly opened mattress and furniture factory.
- The Fanny Lake Burns to the Waterline
A Seattle jobbing steamer meets a mysterious end in Sullivan's Slough, marking the third local boat lost to fire in two months.
- The City Pits Engines Against Each Other at the Waterfront
A competitive trial at the foot of University Street tests a new firefighting engine against the city's established standard.
- An Arson Plot Aboard the Steamer Messenger
A cook discharged after a dispute is suspected of rigging candles to burn a vessel mid-transit.
- The City’s New Fire Engine Takes a Dive
A brand new, expensive fire engine rolls off a wharf and sinks into the bay during a botched test run.
- The Waterfront Scandal: A Questionable Contract for Seattle’s New Fire Boat
The Washington Iron Works alleges that city officials bypassed proper oversight in a murky deal for the city's new fire-fighting vessel.