The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-22
THE DIAMONDS HOME
THE IMMENSELY RICH FIELD OF
WHICH KIMBERLEY is THE CENTER.


Wonderful Abundance of Jewels In a Very
Small Area-The Peculiar Formations
Which Surround and Lie Above the
Diamonds-How They Are Taken.
Before the Kimberley mines were
discovered most of the diamonds added
to the worlds stock came from either
Hindustan or from Brazil. The largest
deposits were found in Golconda, in the
Hyderabad territory, and In Minas Ge-
raes, in Brazil. The African discoveries
first showed scientific men what the
origin and native place Of the diamond
really We're. In the Indian and Brazilian
fields it was plainly not native to the
soil and was picked up out of differing
formations In South Africa 1t was
found in rotten rock, apparently form
ing part Of the earth's crust, and not a
mere superficial deposit. as the others
had been. the great mines in this re-
gion, according to a correspondent Of
the London Standard, are situated with
in circle about 8 u miles in diameter.
There are five principal mines, the
largest being only about 40 acres in ex-
tent. They are the famous Kimberley,
Bultfontein, De Beers, Du Toits Pan
and Wesselton mines. They are of fab
ulous richness. Here the town Of Kim
berley has sprung up.
The district is about 4, 600 feet above
sea level and lies at the northern edge
Of a plateau which extends from the
Bokkeveldt mountains, near the cape
Of Good Hope, to the border Of the
Transvaal There are mines in the
Orange Free State, two being of consid-
cradle note, one 30, the other so miles
away, with several more of less impor-
lance both there and in the Kimberley
district. The river washings are still
continued, but the yield of gems from
them Is not very rich or steady. Mining
in the rock was carried on at first in a
rough and ready fashion, but all that
has changed In most parts of the dis
trict, after clearing away some feet Of
surface soil, the exoavator comes upon
dark, coaly shale 100 feet or more
thick. Beneath this lies mass Of igne-
ous rock allied to basalt, more than
ed by blackish shale, with bands of
hard sandstone But here and there in
stead Of the shale, though surrounded
by it, like a pond in a field, is a mass
Of curious rotten stuff, in which some
times fragments of shale and sometimes
hard mineral grains can be seen.
This at first is Of a rusty yellowish
color. Then In about 100 feet it turns to
a dull green and becomes little more
solid-sometimes distinctly harder than
dry clay. The two rocks are identical
in origin, but the upper or yellow
ground" is more decomposed than the
lower or ''blue ground. . Gradually
the rock ceases to yield to spade or pick.
1t has to be quarried in the usual way
and is quite as hard as a bit of good
limestone. It has now quite different
appearance, seeming to consist largely
Of fragments, varying in shape and
size, some angular, some rounded, from
at least two inches in diameter down to
very small grains. Some evidently are
pieces Of rock, others are minerals tof-
ten broken, but occasionally looking
like crystals) All these are set in q
dark greenish colored matrix. This,
then-whether rotten or solids the
diamond bearing rock. It seems TO fill
huge pipes or shafts, which somehow
or other have been driven or punched"
through the shale and underlying rocks,
and these go vertically downward to
what distance is unknown, but certain
ly not less than 800 feet.
At first the material was "pegged
out" In a number of small claims, and
the soft stuff was comparatively easy to
work. but by degrees many difficulties
arose. As the excavations were deepened
the claims were with difficulty kept sep
arate. Slips and falls of material were
constantly occurring, not only in the
pipe" itself, but from the country
rock at its side Water became trou-
blesome and working expensive. Co
operation and command of capital were
soon absolute necessities
About 1880 the mines had been ac-
quired by companies, and they are now
united under the name of the De Beers
Consolidated mines. Deep shafts have
been sunk through the country rock"
from which levels are driven to the
pipes. The diamond bearing rock is
quarried away, as it were, layer by
layer and is taken up to the surface.
During this process a diamond may be
discovered, but that is mere chance.
The rock is then conveyed to an in
closure, where it is exposed 70 atmos-
pherio action in order that, if possible.
it may orumble naturally to pieces and
the risk be avoided of splitting the con-
tanned diamonds by crushing it up.
This, however, is sometimes necessary.
At last, after being subjected to various
processes, including washing, the min
eral residue is picked over for diamonds.
The quantity of diamonds which have
been produced by these mines is some
thing astonishing. Indeed the directors
find it needful to limit the output lest
they should glut the market 1t is said
that by the end of 1892 about ten tons
of diamonds had been yielded by these
mines, valued at $50, 900, 600. They
would fill, as Crookes, the we'll known
English scientist and lecturer, stated in
a recent lecture on the diamond and
these mines, box 8 feet square and
feet high. The annual product is now
about half ton, and some 5000 per
sons, of whom rather more than one
fifth are white, are employed in the
works The above estimate includes
diamonds of all kinds, bad and good,
for one stone may be fit for moth
ing but cutting purposes, while another
may be a gem of the first water. The
South African diamonds very frequently
appear to be broken. Colored specimens
are not rare, and a slight yellow tinge
is commonly perceptible Differences
exist between the diamonds found in
the several mines, so that an expert can
generally identify the locality from
which stone has come
In former times chapels were COM
monty built ON bridges at the entrance
of towns and villages, but the custom
has long since fallen into disuse, and
very few Of these structures remain to-
day. One of the best existing specimens
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