The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-12
HOME OF THE DIAMONDS.
THE GREAT MINES RUNNING IN
SOUTH AFRICA.
A Description of the De Beers Mine,

DlSaSlcF'
The De Beers Mine disaster in the
South African diamond fields, by which
twenty four whites and two hundred
natives perished, has awakened fresh in
terest among those who deal in the most
valuable of precious stones. BY far the
greatest portion of the diamonds now
obtained come from the mines Of South
Africa, which were discovered near
Hopetown in 1867 by some Dutch chill
dren. The mines are situated in Griqua-
land West, nov part of Cape Colony,
about six hundred and forty miles north
east of Cape Town and five hundred
miles from the sea coast. Although they
are at an elevation of nearly 1000 feet
above the sea level, the heat is excessive
during the sun ner months when the
work is principally arried on.
According to the first report of the
terrible calamity it was that ''the De
Beers Coal Mine at Kimberley" had
caught fire. The manifest error in re-
gard TO the character of the mine was
not corrected in subsequent dispatches,
but the cause of the fatal fire was eN-
planned in this way: "While the shafts
were being changed the hauling wire
broke and the skip rushed down the
shaft with frightful rapidlty. The oil
lamps were broken, and the blasting
fluid quickly ignited the wooden casing
of the shaft Flames in great volumes
shot up the shaft, completely preventing
egress The mine was soon filled with
smoke, and the lights carried by the
miners were rendered useless. The panic
stricken natives and whites, in their
efforts to escape, became massed together
in the galleries and were sutfocated to
death.
The Superintendent of the De Beers
Mine is Gardener +. Williams, of Oak
! land, Cal. He went to South Africa on
his second trip in the latter part of 1886.
He is a regular correspondent of George
f. Kunz, Tiffany S Co.'S gem expert
and mineralogist. A TimsS reporter
talked with Mr.. Kunz and obtained from
him some interesting facts about the
De Beers Mines.
The mine covers 49, acres or 610
claims, each 81 feet square with road
way of 15 feet between each claim. The
mines were originally worked in indi-
vidually claims, 3l43 IN number, each 81
feet square with a roadway q feet wide
between each p, ir Of claims. These small
claims are now consolidated into about
80 large companies and private firms,
having gross capital of nearly $50, ,000,-
600. There are four large mines, all
within radius of a milea half. The
celebrated Kimberly covers Il acres.
Thirty-thre million carats (over 81 tons)
of diamonds have already been taken
out, valued in the rough at eI5, 900, 900,
and, after cutting, at $50, 900, 900. The
absorption of the smaller by the larger
companies is constantly going on, and it
is proposed to consolidate all the COM
panies into one. Ten thousand natives,
each receiving 81 a week, are employed
in tine mines under the supervision of
1900 European overseers. The enormous
sum of over e1, 600, 900 is annually eX.
pended for labor.
This mammoth investment of European
capital would have been more profitable
to the shareholders were it not for the
thievishness of the native diggers, who.
instigated by the vicious whites that
congregate on the field, at one time stole
and disposed of from one-ffth to one
fourth of the entire field. More i'm.
proved methods of surveillance, recently
introduced, have diminished this
loss. None but authorized agents are
permitted to purchase or possess rough
diamonds, and large detective force is
on the alert to prevent any infringement
of the rules. A record is now kept of
every diamond found. The thieves have
been caught making chickens swallow
diamonds in the mine, and post-mor-
TEN held on one of the natives who died
suddenly revealed the fact that his death
was caused by G0-carat diamond which
he had swallowed.
According to the latest official reports
there were employed in the De Beers
Mine 304 whites and 1858 natives. OF
the latter 800 were hired from the Govern
ment at cost of SOS per annum. For
marly the natives were allowed to leave
the mines, but owing TO the fraudulent
traffic carried on ,; 90 of them were last
year compounded. They practically lived
in the mines, and were better off than
those who had their freedom. The old
system Of open WORKINGS has been to q
great extent abandoned for the shaft ano
Underground plan. Under the origina
method the excavations were carried OF
to u depth of 500 feet. There were many
accidents owing to the falling shale oil
reef. A rock shaft is completed to &
depth of Sil feet and taps low levels
Turing last year over 21, 62l feet of mail
tunnel were driven. There is one shaft
of 701 feet, another of Az feet, aad
third of l25 feet As many as Is tribes
of natives have been represented in the
mines. Some of the natives have beer
known to tramp thousand miles to &c
work.
Last year $50, 600 loads of 'blue stuff
were hauled out Of the mines, and $50, 80
loads yielded 97a, 1921 carats of dia
monds, for which the company received
e0S4, Osj 14s. cd. The a tual eX
peniiture was el15, lss, leaving prof
of e5GS, S07. The Ee Beers Mine is capi
talized at 60, 500, G20 in en-pound shares
From September /, 1852, to Decembe
81, 1887, the De Beers Mine yielded
344, Ol5 Carats, valued at SO, 4jO, 3}s, al
average of 81 ID. per carat. This in
cludes everything taken from the mine
In the beginning of the enterprise tn
mine produced 40 carat per load, bu
last year the yield was $40 carat pc
load, a significant increase.
Water rows from the mine at the rat
of $500 gallons per hour and at the rat
of 1900 gallons from the rock shaft
There are nine big washing machines il
use, VIII ch are more reliable than tn
hand or eye. 1t is so accurate that
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