The Great Freeze: Island Waterworks Struggle
When the thermometer dropped, Vashon's plumbing systems proved no match for the elements.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mr. E. N. Earls has had a sorry time of it with the water works on his ranch. The ram got clogged during the freeze and the pipes froze and bursted. He got new pipe and fixed that length; then another length froze up; then he had the standard pipe all boxed in with sawdust a foot thick, to take down. Sawdust and pipe frozen solid! Mr. E. took it real pleasant. If 'misery loves company,' there are lots of people around Cove in the same boat. So cheer up!
“If 'misery loves company,' there are lots of people around Cove in the same boat. So cheer up!”
Infrastructure vulnerability remains a recurring theme for Vashon Island residents during winter cold snaps. Just as residents in 1919 dealt with burst pipes and frozen rams, modern islanders still face challenges with well-based water systems and aging infrastructure when the temperature drops.
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