Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-06-12
DIAMONDS HOME
THE IMMENSELY RICH FIELD OF
WHICH KIMBERLEY is THE CENTER.
Wonderful Abundance of Jewels In Very
Small aren-The Peculiar Formations
Which Surround and Lie Above tho
Dlamonds-uow They Are Taken.


Before the Kimberley mines were
discovered most Of the-diamonds added
to the worlds stock came from either
fIindustan or from Brazil. Tho largest
deposits were found i'll Golconda, i'll the
Nydorubad territory, and i'll Minas Ge-
rncs, in Brazil The African discoveries
first showed scientific men what tho
origin and native place of the diamond
really were. 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 enrth's crust, and not a
mere superficial deposit, as the others
had been Tho great mines IN this re-
gion, according to u correspondent OF
the London Standard, are situated with
in circle about 33]s miles III diameter
There are five principal mines, tho
largest being only about 40 acres III cx-
tent They arc the famous Kimberley,
Bultfontein, Dc Beers, Du Toits Pan
and Wessclton mines. They are OF fab
ulous richness Hero 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 Il plateau which extends from the
Bokkoveldt mountains, near the cape
OF Good Hope. to the border of the
Transvnul. There are mines i'll the
Orange Free State, two being of consid-
erablo note, one 80, the other 80 miles
away, With several more Of less impor-
lance both there and in the Kimberley
district. The river wushinSs are still
continued, hut the yield of gems from
them is not very rich or steady. Mining
in the rock Was carried on mt first i'll q
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 eXcavntor comes uron
Il dark, cCaly shale 100 feet or more
thick. Beneath this lies mass of igne-
Gus rock allied to basalt, more than
three times as thick, and that is succeed
ed by blacliish shalc, with bands Of
hard sandstone. But here and there in
stead of the shale, though surrounded
By il, like a pond in field, is Il mass
of curious rotten stuff, III which some
times fragments of shale and sometimes
hard mineral grains can be seen.
This mt first is of Il rusty yellowish
color. Then in about 100 feet it turns to
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 ill the usual way
and is quite as hard as bit of coed
limestone. 1t has now quite different
appearance, seeming TO consist largely
Of fragments, varying i'll shape and
size, some angular, some rounded, from
AT lenst two inches IL diameter down TO
very small grains. Some evidently are
pieces of rock, others are minerals (of-
ten broken, but occasionally looking
like crystals). All these are set in n
dark grcenish coicreG matriN. This,
then-whether rotten CT solids the
diamond bearing rock. 1t seems 70 fill
huge pipes or shafts which somehow
or other have been driven or punched"
through the shaie and underlying rocks,
and these 60 vertically downward 10
what distance is unknown, but certain
IL nor less than 800 feet.
At first the material was "pegged
OUT in number of small claims, and
the soft stuff was comparatively easy to
work, but by degrees many difficulties
arose. As the excavations We're deepened
the claims were with difficulty kept sep
arate Slips and falls Of material We're
constantly occurring, not only in the
pine" itself, but from the country
rock" ut 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 &C
CURED 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, J"
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 lie
discovered, but that is a mere chance
The rock is then conveyed to an ill.,
closure, where it is exposed to atmos-
pheric action in order that, if possible
it may crunble 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 fer diamonds.
The quantity Of diamonds which have
been produced by these mines is some
thing astonishing. Indeed the directors
find it ncedful 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, eco. They
WOuIU HI, Us SICOkCSi tAS GA AHN"h
English scientist and lecturer, stated Ill
a recent lecture on the diamond and
these mines, a box 5 feet square and Z
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 rero, ard a slight yellow tinge
is commonly perceptible. Differences
exist between the diamonds found III
the several mines, SO that IN expert can
generally identify the locality from
which stc'.".''ns como
Disappointment Qualified.
LADY, YVES awfully sorry. professor,
I was unable to como to your lecture