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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 1 |
| 1876 | 6 |
| 1877 | 8 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1883 | 5 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 3 |
| 1886 | 4 |
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1888 | 3 |
| 1889 | 9 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 20 |
| 1893 | 15 |
| 1894 | 18 |
| 1895 | 17 |
| 1898 | 3 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1903 | 7 |
| 1904 | 2 |
| 1907 | 1 |
| 1908 | 4 |
| 1909 | 8 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1912 | 1 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1917 | 2 |
| 1923 | 2 |
| 1924 | 1 |
158 stories matching strain
- A Banker's Last Note: G. S. Thomas Dies by Poison in a Spokane Hotel
The cashier of Newport's First State Bank was found dead in the Colonial Hotel after months of strain over the bank's suspended payments and last-minute sale.
- Manager Seriously Injured in Fall from Power Line
Local utility manager suffers broken leg and strained back in 20-foot tumble from transmission pole.
- The Water Pump's Final Gasp
Seattle's water supply system faces a crisis as pumps fail under the strain of an overtaxed city during an unusually cold winter.
- The Night the Chickens Sang Backup: Spokane’s Poultry Show
Spokane’s annual poultry exhibition drew hundreds of birds, a towering silver trophy, and an orchestra the chickens refused to let finish alone.
- The Wharf, the Steamer, and the Line Between Land and Sea
A steamer strains at her lines and damages a warehouse on Gilman’s Wharf. Judge Hanford says the case belongs in admiralty court because the injury happened over Elliott Bay.
- A Filthy Milk Trial, a Lenient Judge, and a Convention's Disgust
The state dairy commissioner lost his Tacoma case against two milkmen whose cows were caked in manure — and the delegates wanted to know what kind of milk the judge kept on his own table.
- The Courthouse Feud: Superintendent Resigns and Foremen Are Ordered Off the Job
Thurston County commissioners accept W. A. Rogers’s resignation as courthouse superintendent, citing “strained relations” among contractors, architect and foremen, then appoint R. O. Owen to finish the job.
- The Day Burrard Inlet Rowed Away With Lake Washington
At the first amateur regatta ever held on Lake Washington, British Columbia crews dominated the junior fours and senior singles while Seattle prepared for its turn on the water.
- The Judge Who Was Both Defendant and Accused
In a stunning legal double-header, Judge Wickersham is convicted of seduction in one court, then immediately indicted for perjury by the federal grand jury in the very same day.
- The Missing Will That Would Have Given Seattle a Library
Henry Yesler's widow and two doctors are arrested, accused of burning a will that left the pioneer's fortune—and his mansion—to the city.
- The Midnight Death of Seattle’s Charter
When a judge declared the city’s incorporation invalid in 1877, the local newspaper editor went on the warpath to save the municipality from 'gratuitous anarchy.'
- Seattle’s City Council Rejects Public Power in Favor of Private Monopoly
In a decisive vote that prioritized corporate interests over municipal control, Seattle leaders refused to condemn the city's water supply, effectively handing power to private developers.
- The Strange Devotion of Mrs. Boyd
Fresh from an acquittal on criminal charges, Mrs. Boyd navigates her complicated reputation, legal letters, and a future dictated by newfound public scrutiny.
- The Peril of the Passenger Elevator
A Seattle artist sues for $30,000 after a horrifying elevator accident leaves her permanently disabled.
- Seattle's Fire Chief Vanished Before His Day in Court
A.B. Hunt disappeared after telling friends he was off to Tacoma for trial; the city removed him, named Alexander Allen Jr. chief, and left a mystery that only deepened when his father was summoned to prove his birth.
- The Shipworm Eating Seattle’s Waterfront
Wharf owners were spending a fortune fighting a saltwater pest. The fix: fill the tide flats, cut freshwater waterways, and make the harbor safe for pilings—and insurance.
- Liquor Dealers Organize to Capture City Council
A slim meeting at Columbia Hall reveals a saloon-backed push to elect Murphy and Grainger, as the liquor interests try to regain control after last year's defeat.
- The Man Who Forgot His Own Murder
Edward Spencer takes the stand in his own murder trial, claiming amnesia and absinthe-induced blackouts to explain why he shot Ella Mundt in Spokane.
- The Captain Who Died for His Flag
A Seattle lawyer’s final wish—to be killed in battle while holding the American flag—was tragically fulfilled in Manila, casting a storm over the local community.
- The Tragedy of the Hebrew Dramatic Club
A panicked crush at a local performance in Seattle leaves tragedy in its wake as crowds misinterpret an alarm.
- King County Railroads and Valleys Reeling from Historic Flooding
As floodwaters finally begin to recede, residents and rail companies assess the massive destruction left in the wake of the '92 deluge.
- The Hard Times Ball
Seattle's elite staged an 'economical' dance party to navigate the financial strain of 1893.
- The Tragic End of a Visionary
Captain R. W. De Lion, a prominent figure in regional shipping and a former Port Townsend mayor, takes his own life in Seattle after a period of declining health and financial strain.
- The Silver Fight That Split Washington's Republicans
A packed Spokane convention picked judges and congressmen, then turned on a single plank: whether the party would demand free silver.
- Two Steamers Saluted Off Cape Flattery—Then Vanished Into the Storm
A schooner captain’s account places the missing Keweenaw and Montserrat together off Washington’s coast on a night of monstrous seas, just before both were lost.
Also about this, in other words
- Mentalist Collapses on Seattle Stage
A theatrical performance of 'muscle reading' turned into a medical emergency when Prof. J. McIvor Tyndall collapsed in a cataleptic fit.
- A Seven-Ton Crushing on Mill Street
A laborer’s insistence on helping a heavy team leads to a gruesome injury in the heart of 1876 Seattle.
- The Miner Who Hung by His Teeth
A coal miner's miraculous survival after a terrifying fall through a trestle near Palmer highlights the dangers of early industrial work.
- Tide Flat Rescue
A local man is rescued after an alcohol-fueled fall into the Tacoma tide flats leaves him trapped in the muck.
- A Dramatic Arrest and a 'Whisky Fit' at the Police Station
A suspect arrested for jumping a boarding house bill and passing bogus checks collapses in his wife's arms while in police custody.
- A Warning Ignored, a Blast That Broke Four Ribs
A Great Northern worker was badly injured near Newport when a heavy blast threw a rock into his chest, despite warnings to move.
- A Man Held in Quarantine
Pierce County officials scramble to find a solution for a Korean man suffering from leprosy.
- The Pugilist’s Surprise
A strongman looking for a wrestling match in early Seattle learns that a quiet demeanor doesn’t always mean a lack of spirit.