The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-07
THE DIAMONDS HOME
THE IMMENSELY RICH FIELD or
WHICH KIMBERLEY IS The CENTER.
Abundance Of Jewels In a Very
small Ars--Ihe Peculiar Formations
Which Surround and Lie Above the
DfAmOnds-How They Are Taken.

I
discovered most Of the diamonds added
70 the worlds stock came from either
I 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 were In the Indian and Brazilian
fields it was plainly not native 20 the
soil and was picked up out OF differing
/ formations. IN south Africa il 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 q
the London Standard, are situated with
in circle about = miles in diameter.
There are five principal mines, the
largest being only about 45 acres in ex-
tent They are the famous Kimberley.
Bultfontein, DE- Beers, Du Tots Pan
and Wesselton mines. They are Of fab
ulous richness. Here the town OF Kim
berley has sprung up.
The district is about 4, 900 feet above
sea level and lies at the northern edge
Of 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 80, the other 60 miles
away. with several more Of less impor-
tance both there and in the Kimberley
district. The river washings are still
continued, hut the yield Of gems from
them is not very rich or steady. Mining
in the rock was carried on at first in
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 excayator comes upon
dark, coaly shale 100 feet or more
thick. Beneath this lies a mass Of igne-
Gus rock allied 10 basalt, more than
three times as thick, and that Is succeed
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 j. Of rusty yellowish |
color. Then in about 100 feet il turns 70 !
a dull green and becomes a little more |
solid-sCmCImes distinctly harder than |
dry clay. The two rocks are identical |
in origin, but the upper OF yellow |
ground" Is more decomposed than the 1
lower or blue ground. Gradually |
the rock ceases to yield 10 spade or pick. |
1t has TO be quarried in the usual way |
and is quite as hard as a bit of good
limestone. 1t has now quite a 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 10 |
very small grains. Some evidently are |
pieces Of rock, others are minerals (cf- |
ten broken, but occasionally looking |
like crystals). All these are set in a |
dark greenish colOred matrix. This, |
then-whether rotten or solids the !
bearing rock. 1t seems TO fill i
huge pipes or shafts, which somehow
Dr other have been driven or punched"
through the shale and underlying rocks,
and these 90 vertically downward TO
what distance is unknown, but certain
y not less than 800 feet.
AT first the material was "pegged
nut" in number of small claims, and
he soft stuff was comparatively easy to
work, but by degrees many difficulties
arose. As the excavations were deepened
he claims were with difficulty kept sep
rate. Slips and falls Of material were
occurring, not only in the
pipe" itself, but from the Country
rock" at its side. Water became treu-
1lesome and working expensive. Co
operation and command Of capital were
soon absolute necessities.
About 1880 the mines had been ac-
luired by companies, and they are now
united under the name Of the DE Beers
Consolidated mines. Deep shafts have
teen sunk through the country rock"
rom which levels are driven to the
pipes" The diamond bearing rock is
Iuarried away, as it were, layer by
aver and is taken up to the surface.
During this process diamond may he
but that is mere chance.
The rock is then conveyed to an in.
closure, where it is exposed to atmos-
1heric action in order that, if possible,
{ may crumble naturally to pieces and
he risk be avoided of splitting the con-
aimed diamonds by crushing it up.
This, however, IL sometimes necessary.
At last, after being subjected to various
processes, including washing, the min.
raj residue is picked over for diamonds.
The quantity Of diamonds which have
5een produced by these mines is some
hing astonishing. Indeed the directors
ind it needful to limit the output lest
hey should glut the market 1t is said
hat by the end Of 1892 about ten tons
# diamonds had been yielded by these
mines, valued at $50, 900, 600. They
would fill, as CIookes, the well known
English scientist and lecturer, stated in
4 recent lecture on the diamond and
hese mines, "a box 8 feet square and g
eet high. The annual product is now
about half ton, and some 5000 per.
ions, of whom rather more than one
fifth are white, are employed in the |