Coal Beneath the Prairie
Drillers for the city water department strike a coal vein in South Tacoma, suggesting the city may be sitting on a major fuel field.
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.
Another strike of coal has been made in South Tacoma, indicating that the coal field discovered by the city well drillers is general in that section. The Standard Well Drilling company, which is drilling the deep experiment well for the city water department, encountered a vein of coal and has penetrated it for five feet. Drillers in another well went through seven feet of coal a short time ago. The experiment well site is some distance from that where the city first struck coal, with the latest vein found at a depth of 368 feet. The Northern Pacific railway is interested in the matter, and its expert, Mr. Todd, is now making tests. If investigations are favorable, it is likely some steps will be taken to develop the field, and in the near future there may be coal mining right in the city limits.
“It is apparent the prairie is underlaid with coal and a vast coal field may be opened up.”
This illustrates how Tacoma's rapid early growth was often tied to resource extraction right underneath its residential areas. The 'prairie' mentioned refers to the South Tacoma area, which was transitioning from open land to an industrial and residential hub.
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