100 YEARS AGO TODAY
January 23, 1913
That the Tacoma city officials were advised by the state board of health against the use of Green River water for domestic purposes is asserted in the report of the board for the years 1911 and 1912, just issued. The Green River gravity system is referred to in connection with a discussion of the water supply systems of the state. The report says: “The city of Tacoma has built and installed a water supply system on the Green River in the face of strong advice not to do so from officials of the state board of health.”
50 YEARS AGO TODAY
January 23, 1963
City improvement propositions one through seven, inclusive, made the March 12 ballot last evening on the strength of seven unanimous City Council votes. The ballot propositions line up as follows: City maintenance center, $1 million; storm drains, $1,759,000; streets, bridges and street lighting, $1,935,000; new transit buses and a diesel oil storage tank, $361,000; demolition of city hall annex, $57,000; two branch library additions, $65,000; Fire Department improvements, $660,000.
25 YEARS AGO TODAY
January 23, 1988
Fire apparently fed by natural gas gutted the Peerless Laundry & Linen Supply in Tacoma on Friday night, setting nearby power lines afire and igniting a power transformer. There were no known injuries in the blaze, which was reported shortly before 10 p.m. It escalated to a two-alarm fire within an hour and continued burning and smoldering well into the morning. It was the second major fire at the laundry. On Dec. 10, 1974, half the plant was gutted by fire, causing an estimated $500,000 damage. The fire was blamed on a firecracker tossed through a broken window into the laundry. Cause and extent of the damage in Friday night’s fire were unknown, but the block long building at 2902 S. 12th St. was gutted by flames .
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