City Left in the Dark by Gas Failure
A mechanical error at the gas works plunged Tacoma into darkness, ruining breakfasts and sparking public frustration.
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.
The trouble occurred about 9 o'clock last night, when the valve that controls the flow of gas into the mains was accidentally shut off. When the consumption began to fall off after 11 o'clock, the supply from one holder was cut. In turning off one of the valves, the other became fouled and in some unaccountable manner both valves were closed and every gas light in the city went out. The steady boarder at a downtown restaurant who makes a morning meal of hot waffles and maple syrup was greeted with the announcement, 'No waffles.' The business man who makes a hasty breakfast of coffee and toast, and depends on the gas range for its preparation, had to split kindling to start a wood fire or go without his breakfast. In either case his temper was spoiled for the day. Hundreds of people had to grope their way to bed in the dark, and the things they said as they stubbed their toes and bumped their noses must have burned the ears of everybody connected with the gas company.
“The business man who makes a hasty breakfast of coffee and toast... had to split kindling to start a wood fire or go without his breakfast.”
A 1904 power outage captures the sudden vulnerability of an urban population shifting from traditional fuels to modern utility dependency. The frustration expressed by the residents is a precursor to the modern 'smart grid' anxiety we feel today.
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