Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-06-18
DIAMOND MINES.
1he Dangerous Process by Which the
Priceless Gems Are Obtained.

The Dangerous Process by which the
Priceless Gems Are Obtained.
The famous diamond fields near Kim
berly, South Africa, comprise four IA
nous mines. They are now easily
reached because Of the extension of tho
railroad from Cape Town to Kimberly,
and correspondent, who has recently
been over the ground, thus describes
the process by which the valuable gems
are obtained: The soil, he says, in
which the diamonds IRE found In these
mines is called in miner phrase "blue,"
from its color, and have never heard |
that geologists or mincralogists have
attempted to give 1t a scientific name.
This blue appears to be tough dry |
mud of volcanic origin, sometimes |
hardened into absolute rock. 1t is
blasted by dynamite and drawn to the
surface by aerial tramways, and then
carried to the depositing floors; for so
tenacious is the "blue'' that it requires
to be weathered for from three to twelve
months before it will give up its treas
ure, and finally washed and sorted.
Let us accompany 1t through the
whole process. The courtesy OF the
manager Of mining company places
every thing at the disposal Of the visit
or, and after inspecting the engine.
house and the powerful hauling-engines
you take your seat In an iron truck,
which travels on small wheels along
the aerial tramway. An electric bell
sounds in the engine-house, and you
begin to descend, not without an uneasy
glance into the abyss beneath, and some
envy of the nerve Of your guide, smart
young Englishman, who sits on the
frame OF the truck, with his legs dang.
ling in space, and avails himself of the
momentary rest to fill and light his
pipe. The heavy steel ropes on which
your carriage travels are firmly an
chorcd In the floor Of the mine, and you
arrive in safety at the bottom No
sooner have you quilted your convey
ance than another truck, filled with
blue runs up on rails and is tipped into
il. when il again ascends; and so the
work goes on. The scene at the bottom
of the mine is remarkable. Scattered
over the irregular surface are, perhaps,
two thousand Katlirs, well-made men,
stark naked and black as ebony. These
men drill the blasting holes under the
orders Of white miners, work out the
looscned ground with pick and shovel,
load and tip the trucks, take up and re-
lay the tramways as the levels alter, and
do all the hard work under white over
sccrs, who are directed by the claim man
agcr. To stranger the scene is weird
and uncanny. The noise Of the pump
ing engines, the resounding blows Of
the heavy hammers on the steel drills,
the jarring noise of the iron trucks and
their tipping, and the wild appearance
and unearthly shouts Of the perspiring
Kailirs, all combine TO make one cast q
longing glance upward, and hail with
inward Joy the sound Of the bell above,
which proclaims that the days work is
done. Tho ascending trucks now carry
up the white overseers and officials,
while the Kailirs swarm like black ants
up precipitous paths and hanging lad
doris, and in few minutes the mine is
silent, and apparently deserted. Then
the bell rings again, giving the signal
to fire the blasts, and solitary figures,
white and black. are seen rushing about
with tiny sparks, and then making for
the appointed shelter place. A few
minutes more and the cannonadc be-
gins, The explosions shake the solid
ground on which you stand, The blue
flies into the air or falls in masses.
Huge slices of dangerous reef or
wall, come down with laundering noise.
| Then once more all is still. The smoke
clears away, the dust settles, and again
the bell rings, and the might shift" Of
miners and Kaflirs go swarming down
to their work. The blasting takes place
at six and twelve o'clock, and the roar
from the four mines at midnight can
be heard for many miles around.
Before leaving the mines word
should be said about the terrible dam
ger of the work. On an average twenty
men are killed every month, chiefly by
sudden falls Of troacherous blue or
crumbling shale. Only week or two
ago mass Of at least two hundred
thousand tons fell suddenly from the
north wall of the Dutoitspan mine. For
tunatoly, ii was during the dinner hour,
when but few were in the mine, but
twelve Kaiiirs were instantly buried
alive, and still more horrible fate be-
fell eight Europeans who were taking
their midday meal in the engine-house,
which was overwhelmed by the falling
ground, so that the poor fellows, when
their bodies were dug out, were found
to have been scalded by the escaping
steam, while the roof OF the building,
though crushed down upon them, had
prolonged their agonies by preventing
the contact Of the earth.
The mines are, for tho purpose Of
safety, under the control of the Govern.
ment inspectors, whose powers, how.
ever, arc far too limited, and some
measures will have to be taken for the
better protection of the workmen. For
the management Of their affairs iate'
SC each mine has n mining board com.
posed OF claim-holders, who assess the
value of the CLAIMS periodically ant
levy rates, which are expended in pump.
ing out the water, removing dangerous
reefs, sanitary arrangements, the
searching system and other public mat
ters. The searching system require,
word OF explanation. The natives
/. going to work pass through tho search
house, on the bank, where In warn
weather they leave their clothes. On leav
ing work they again pass through The
scarch-houses and are searched, aftcl
which they resume their garments, The
system Is farce, and thefts Of dia
monds are constantly effected Tn,
white employees are not searched. Al
attempt to do it In 1884 led to serious
riots and some bloodshed, and, though
the workmcn were beaten. the mining
companies have not since then attempt
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