Takes over its new properties: Pacific Coast Co. assumes active control of Black Diamond mines

Originally published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 15, 1904

The Pacific Coast Company yesterday morning assumed active control over the coal mines at Black Diamond, a confirmation of which company’s purchase of the property from the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company was contained in a telegram to the Post-Intelligencer from San Francisco yesterday. Though the exact purchase price is not known, it is certain that the new owners of the mines paid in the neighborhood of $1,000,000 for the property.

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Victim’s failing sight blamed in auto death

Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, May 11, 1934

C.M. Thomas, retired Enumclaw farmer and well-known resident of that district, was injured fatally in an Enumclaw street last night when struck by an automobile while walking to a Danish Brotherhood lodge meeting.

It was the second tragedy to strike the family in recent months. A son, Arthur, was killed in a fall into an eighty-foot well at Henry’s Switch, north of Black Diamond, February 22.

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The mines left, but Frank stayed

By Lou Corsaletti
Times Suburban Reporter

Frank Grens at home with his dog, Tom — Staff photos by Kathy Andrisevic

BLACK DIAMOND—A faded, mahogany-stained crutch hanging on a wall in Frank Grens’ home is mute testimony to 27 years of work in the coal mines.

He’s been using it off and on ever since suffering a back injury December 6, 1941—“the day before Pearl Harbor”—when a roof beam in a mine tunnel near here slid and pinned him.

Grens said he was intent on quitting the mines then. But he stayed on until after the war. And he hasn’t been far from the area since.

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College of Mines

Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, May 1, 1930

The College of Mines Building on the University of Washington campus. See article by Professor Joseph Daniels.

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Saved miner describes 20 hours in tomb; two dead in Black Diamond coal disaster

Originally published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 30, 1924

Trapped worker is reached by life savers in strange disaster at nearby colliery

Hope of reaching Wise’s body given up after comrade describes fate; another hurt

By J. Newton Colver

Figure in Black Diamond mine disaster. These pictures, taken at the scene of the Black Diamond mine slide, show the officials who directed the rescue operations that brought one of three men alive from the depths of the mine, where they had been entombed. Above, from left to right, are: Ray Smith, chief engineer of the Black Diamond mine; Frank Koepfli, King County deputy coroner; D.C. Botting, manager of mines for the Pacific Coast Company; N.D. Moore, vice president of the company; Jack Parker, deputy state mine inspector. Below are Botting (left) and Parker in conference. Photos by Post-Intelligencer staff photographer.

Face to face with impending death for twenty hours, in the depths of the Black Diamond coal mine forty miles from Seattle, Manley Cooney walked forth at supper time last evening, free, unhurt, happy to greet his young wife.

Less fortunate were two comrades, caught in an earth shock and resultant slide, spoken of in mine terminology as a “bump.”

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Buried alive, tells of rescue

Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, April 30, 1924

Mine worker snatched from jaws of death

Manley Cooney calmly walks out of Black Diamond colliery after being imprisoned for twenty hours

Manley Cooney (left), who was rescued alive after being buried for twenty hours in a mine cave-in at Black Diamond. “I walked into the mine, and I’ll walk out,” said Cooney when the rescuers reached him, and he made his way to the surface without assistance. He was photographed a few minutes after he reached the mine portal. D.C. Botting, manager of mines (right), who directed the work of rescue.

How it seems to be face to face with death for twenty hours and be snatched back to safety just in time to escape an avalanche of rock and coal, was described this morning by Manley Cooney, Black Diamond miner, whoso two companions were killed Monday night in a “bump” in the twenty-ninth chute in the eleventh level of the Pacific Coast Coal Company’s mine, 1,600 feet below the surface.

The body of O.C. Wise, Cooney’s partner, was recovered at 6 o’clock this morning, about twenty-five feet from where Cooney lay uninjured for twenty hours. The body of Robert Doucett, third miner caught in the avalanche of rock and coal, was recovered yesterday.

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Black Diamond Bank is state institution

Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, April 18, 1914

The State Bank of Black Diamond, circa 1921. The former bank building is located at the intersection of Baker Street and Railroad Avenue.

The State Bank of Black Diamond at Black Diamond, King County, formerly a private bank, has been incorporated as a state bank with a capitalization of $15,000. The officers are Otto K. Stirzek, president; D.D. James, vice-president, and Charles McKinnon, cashier.

The controlling interest of the State Bank of North Bend, capitalized at $10,000, has been purchased by Strizek, who will act also as president of this institution. He resides at 5254 Fourteenth Avenue Northwest, this city.

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Mammoth new coal bunkers

Originally published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 17, 1904

Loading capacity of 1,000 tons an hour—to be completed in August

New coal bunkers north of Morans’

The new coal bunkers of the Pacific Coast Company, on the waterfront, at the foot of Dearborn Street and Railroad Avenue, shown in the accompanying photographic views, will have ship-loading capacity of 1,000 tons an hour. The storage capacity of the bunkers is 7,000 tons. But with the company’s splendid equipment it is possible to ship in the coal from its King County mines, elevate the product into the bunkers, and carry it on by its electric conveyors down into the vessels loading, at the astonishing rate of 1,000 tons every sixty minutes.

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Strolling around town

Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, April 6, 1934

It happened ’way back when— A quarter of a century ago, before some practically minded person discovered that the average bloodhound could not track a piece of Brie cheese across a croquet court, it was popular to pursue murderers with a baying pack.

Two reporters, representing rival papers, were sent to Black Diamond to accompany Deputy Sheriff Bob Hodge and his squad of canine manhunters. They arrived at Black Diamond late Saturday afternoon, and each went about his business of making reportorial preparations.

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Going north

Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, April 1, 1930

The Pacific Coast Cement Company’s Dall Island crew just before boarding the S.S. Queen for the island. We’ll endorse any statement to the effect that this is a fine-looking bunch. All went north with the exception of W.H. Green, plant manager, standing at the extreme right. Bon voyage.

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