The Monte Vista journal., 1899-10-21

BLOW up the gold mines! Why. it's
the simplest thing in the world"
The engineer ofncer-one Of the best
known men in that corps of the army,
who has made explosives . special
study-scratched q match and lighted
his pipe. writes Washington corre-
spondent under date Of Oct. l.
ITS a. easy as that" he said, throw
ing away the match. "Of course. you
Know. 1t isn't necessary for the Beers,
II they carry out their threat, to In
terfere with the excavations. All they
nave to do Is to attack the machinery,
and 1t will only be requisite for them
to blow up the pumping works. A few
hundred pounds Of dynamite will do
the business"
The pumping works. then, are the
vulnerable point?" 'Queried your cor
respondent.
Decidedly 80. Once the pumping
machinery Is ruined. the mines are de-
stroyed. The shafts will fill up with
water. and to empty them after that
has happened is practically out of the
question. It would cost less to dig
new shafts.
The wonderful gold bearing depos-
It's OF the Rand in the Transvaal form
. single reef about thirty miles in
length-a narrow strip only a few feet
wide. but running down into the earth
slantwise. for miles. apparently. On
the very edge Of this reef 10 situated
the city Of johannesburg, and along 1t
are scattered more than sixty mines,
owned by different companies, repre-
senting British capital chiefly. The
peril to these 'outlander' Investments.
which run up Into hundreds of mil
lions OF dollars. Is very great Just now.
In view of the menace offered By the
Beers.
Necessarily. gigantic sums Of money
have been sunk in the digging Of these
great holes. Think for yourself what
. loss would be occasioned II they
should all be permitted to nll up with
water-a disaster which, as have
said. would be to all intents and pur-
poses irremediable. The gold deposits
would remain intact. of course. but
after the war is finished, all the work
OF getting at them would have to be
done over again. It should be remem-
bered. incidentally, that British invest
ments In the mines Of the Rand do
not represent the aggregated millions
OF capitalists merely. but the small
savings Of tens Of thousands Of Eng
lkh people. who have put their little
all into shares Of stock. hitherto re-
sarded a. admirable security. Wide.
spread ruin, involving the widow and
the orphan. As well as the rich share
holders. would follow the destruction
OF the properties.
Naturally, the choicest locations for
the mines are directly upon the out
cropping edge OF the great reef. Other
properties are located at short dis
tances from the reefs edge. but In the
direction OF Its slant. SO that the YER
tical I':ts may strike the ore body fur
ther alonE. after passing through bar
rem rtrate. The reef goes down at q
tilt. yca rec. like one side Of the peut
roof OF q house. Some OF the hole,
thus escsv:ted In pursuit OF yellow
wealth ere among the deepest ever dug
in the crus. Of this good old planet.
and ore OF them. the Victoria, has pen
stratod over half . mile into the bow.
els Of the earth.
Tho mines Of the witwatersrand. to
give the district Its full title. employ
today somewhat more than 60 900 Ia
borers. I understand. all OF whom would
n thrown out Of employment for an
indsdnitc period by the destruction of
the works. Enormous sums of money
hsvc tesn expended In the purchase
and Installation Of costly machinery.
which includes about 5000 stamps for
crushing tho ore. or '1anket.' as II Is
called. Rsnkst 10 the Dutch word for
nutcake. and the ore Is thus termed
because Of It's iescn blance to that ia