The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-14
N THE DIAMOND MINES
Machinery Of Wonderful Power
Employed.
TEN MILLIONS OF PROFIT
A Former Butte Man Chief Engineer OF
the Dc Beers Mines at Kimberly.
Interesting Facts From
the Reports.

remember well Mr.. George Labram,
who was a number OF years ago con
nected with the Butte & Boston COM
pany Of this city and vas also in
charge of the machinery OF the Ana
conda smelters for som time. Mr.. La
BRAN is a brother OF Mrs. J. ii. Vivian
OF this city. He Is now chief engineer
and electrician for the DE Beers con-
solidated mines at Kimberly. South
Africa. A copy of the report Of the
directors was recently received in his
city. The report shows hat mining is
carried on on a scale there which would
surprise mining men even in Butte.
and machinery of marvellous size and
power Is used. The mines are diamond
mines. During the II months the dia-
monds produced realized SIS. $40, 500.
The total expenditures amounted to SS.-
447 1855. After paying interest, ETC.. a
net profit is left for the year Of $40. &c.,
sos. The average yield per load for De
Beers and Kimberly was .92 carat.
The average value per carat. &c pounds
10 shillings 8 pence, and the average
value per load was "a pounds s shil-
lings 6 pence.
In the De Beers mine the output for
the year OF the blue or diamond-bear-
ing ground was 1.542, 1913 loads OF 16
cubic feet. which was mined from lev
els running from $40 to LILO feet In
depth. There were 100, 900 loads of
waste hoisted. The total cost for min
ing n depositing has been 8 shilllngs
/ pence per load Of blue ground. The
output Is practically the same as for
the preceding year. while the total ex-
penditure Is $3.50. 900 greater. This was
for general repairs and development
work. There were driven 1.739 feet
more OF main tunnels. 1894 feet more
were timbered and $3.50 feet more OF
ordinary tunnels were driven and 49,
1856 feet more timbered tina during the
previous year. The excessive amount
of timbering is due to frequent mud
rushes which, as a rule, carry away the
timbers.
No greater depth has been attained
in the mine during the year. The
quantity OF blue ground remaining
above the 1200-foot level is estimated
at 400. 900 loads. There are besides l.
Dads of blue and 800. 159 loads OF
cylinder Jumps upon the floors. The
740 and 40 foot levels have been work.
ed out. This places the s00-foot level
as the top level OF the mine. The av-
erage quantity of water pumped from
the mine was 4.35l gallons per hour.
There was a bad mud-rush In Jun
on the 1000 foot level, filing up a large
number OF tunne for several hundred
feet In length. Two natives were shut
In a rise which was being made to tap
the water I'm that locality. They were
taken out after having been shut in
for % hours.
AT De Beers mine on Sept. z, 1896.
1914 loads of blue ground, equal 10 g.
s9l tons. were hoisted In "a hours from
the depth of 1.000 feet. Since they have
been winding from the 1.200 foot level
the best days output has been S.702
Dads or $3.50 tons. At Kimberly mine
the best days work from the LOO foot
level was 5.l3l loads I'm ~ hours, and
from the 1,590 foot level the maximum
output for II hours has been 1915 loads
or 3,740 tons.
In the Kimberly mine the output
Of blue ground was 972, 926 loads ex-
tracted between the 1,0O5 and the 1870
foot levels. There were 81, T99 loads OF
waste hoisted. The cost of mining was
5 shillings s pence per load. The 1,OO5.
1.o45 and LOSS foot levels were worked
out during the year. The quantity Of
blue ground in sight is estimated to be
!, 1O0,0 900 loads. The average quantity
Of water pumped was s,3s5 gallons per
hour. "A large amount of development
work Is being carried on. Several addi-
tons to and changes in the machinery
have been made during the year. The
large winding engine was originally
constructed for using fiat ropes, but
as the depth OF the shaft became great
er these did not work satisfactorily
After considerable discussion as to the
best means OF changing to round ropes,
there VAS adopted what is known as
the whiting" system, first used by =
II. Whiting. general manager of the
Calumet and Hecla Copper company
The engine. as changed. works splen-
didly. winding 500 loads or 400 tons In
an hour.
year TO work the Premier mine to q
depth of l23 feet. There have beer
handled from this mine during the yeal
271,7T7 loads OF blue ground.
The average number OF persons EN-
ployed in the mine OF the company
above and below ground. was LIZ.
whites and 7.S40 blacks. The larges
proportion Of the white employees ar,
English. George Labram was promot
ed to the position OF mechanical engi
neer N electrician during the year
While experimenting to find some me.
chanical means of separating diamond
from the deposits. Mr.. Labram alscoy,
cred that a shaking table with a rapiC
side motion when covered with greas,
of a certain consistency holds the dia
monds. while all other minerals o
which the deposit il composed fiow ov
er the grease to the end Of the table
So far experiments have been mad,
upon a small machine only. but the re
suits are SO favorable that a number o
large machines are being constructs
with the view OF doing all the sortin,
mechanically.
Since the formation OF the company
April I. 1883, the total number of load
of blue grounded holsted has been q,
3S2.967. The number OF carats of dia
monds found has been 1887. $3.50. Tn
amount realized from the sale Of dia
monds has been $3.50. $50. 040. The tota
mou OF dividends declared durin,