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52 stories matching unsaf
- The Crumbling Tenement on Second and Main
A concerned citizen demands the city inspect a dangerous building teeming with residents and home to a rowdy saloon.
- A Passenger Revolt Against Seattle’s 'Dirty' Steamers
A visiting general and his party refused to board a local vessel, sparking a public outcry over the state of regional maritime transit.
- The Unsafe Penitentiary at McNeil Island
Repeated escapes from the government facility lead to complaints that the island's prison buildings are dangerously insecure.
- The Unwanted Guest of Providence Hospital
A 'harmless crank' in 1885 Seattle exposes the gaps in the city's social safety net.
- The Trial of Neil Sweeney: Sane or Mad?
A Seattle probate court spends an afternoon determining the mental state of a man accused of madness, highlighting the precarious nature of asylum discharges and personal liberty in 1887.
- The Crumbling Span Over the Gulch
South Tacoma residents demand immediate action as a critical bridge over a ravine shows dangerous signs of structural failure.
- City Condemns Waterfront 'Rookeries'
Building inspectors flag unsafe conditions on Pacific Avenue, marking the latest demolition in a series of condemned buildings.
- The Tragic Confinement of Almira Woolery
A young mother is committed to the state asylum after suffering from postpartum psychosis, illustrating the stark medical realities of the 1880s.
- The Perils of the Pike Street Curve
A streetcar passenger sues the cable company for $15,000, claiming the line's dangerous construction and the crew's carelessness left him permanently disabled.
- A Tragic Labor Tragedy at the Port Gamble Mill
A young laborer, driven by economic necessity to work beyond his experience, loses his life in a mill accident.
- Unsafe at Any Depth: Detillion Bridge Condemned, Emergency Contract Let
A joint inspection finds the Spokane River crossing beyond repair, forcing Stevens and Lincoln counties to rescind a contract and fast-track a replacement.
- City Council Cracks Down on Hazardous Chimneys
Walla Walla residents are scrambling to upgrade fire-prone flues after a new ordinance threatens fines for unsafe stovepipe installations.
- Maritime Labor Violence at the Slip
A Chinese cook is brutally assaulted on a schooner at the Spring Street slip after complaining about unsafe working conditions.
- A Broken-Down Mailboat Left Clallam County Cut Off
For months, the steamer on the Neah Bay route ran late, broke down, and at least once used a craft known to be unsafe. The Post-Intelligencer wanted the contract revoked.
- Tacoma’s Crumbling Infrastructure
Public Works Commissioner William Welsh warns that over a dozen city bridges are rotting and unsafe for public travel.
- The Boiler That Killed Safety: How Neglect Nearly Sank the Oliver Walcott
A steamboat captain’s repeated warnings about a faulty boiler were ignored by department officials until the vessel burst into the dock at Port Townsend, leaving it stranded for repairs.
- The Mail-Order Crank of Seattle
A local mining broker faces prison for years of threatening and scurrilous letters sent to the Post-Intelligencer and national leaders.
- The Wolf at the Door in Smith River Valley
A winter storm brings a pack of aggressive timber wolves down from the mountains to terrorize a Washington ranching community.
- Five Drown in Port Gardner Storm
An Everett boating party, including a local professor and his family, vanishes after attempting to cross the storm-tossed bay against warnings.
- Living on Borrowed Time in Lower Seattle
A scathing editorial decries the 'man-traps' of the waterfront, where buildings are propped up on flimsy planks to accommodate rising street grades.
- The Mayor Bows Out of the Political Fight
Mayor H. G. Struve declines a nomination for re-election, citing a desire for 'common sense' government and the unity of local business interests.
- The Fight for a Port Townsend Customs House
A Congressman makes a spirited plea to Washington D.C. for funds to house the booming commerce of the Puget Sound district.
- The President's Kid-Glove Law
Everett’s labor press tears into President Taft’s Lincoln Day address, arguing the administration’s talk of 'business confidence' is a betrayal of the working class in favor of the trusts.
- Olympic Highway to Restrict Camping
Land Commissioner C.V. Savidge plans to mandate designated camping zones to protect state timber from fire risks along the new scenic highway.
- The Water Main Blowout on Lake Washington
A faulty metallic plug failed under pressure, exposing the vulnerability of Seattle's early water infrastructure.