Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-23
CAN THE BOERS DESTROY THE
SOUTH AFRICAN MINES?

[ am asked whether it is possible for
the beers to destroy the gold and dia-
mond mines in their country, and in
the event of such destruction of the
mines what the effect on values would
be. The question Of values is one to
be answered by an economist or a f.
nancier. For century gold has been
quoted at $20.67 an ounce. There is a
great deal more gold in circulation
now than there was eighty or ninety
years ago, yet the value has not
changed. However, [ would prefer not
to pass an opinion on this branch of
the subject AS to the possibilities of
the beers destroying the mines, as they
threaten, I can only say that complete
destruction is not within the scope of
possibility. A portion of either the
gold or diamond mines could be rem
dered imperative, but not the whole.
The total length of ground occupied
by the gold mines in the Johannesburg
district, for instance, is a number Of
miles-thirty or forty perhaps. All me
mines in this territory are not oper-
enough working mines to preclude the
possibility of the beers putting the en-
tire section of country, as it were, out
of commission. The mines are scat
tered over so much ground that it
would be impossible for any number
of men short of vast army to destroy
all. Such an army no doubt could do
damage to the extent of thousands and
perhaps millions of pounds sterling,
and could incapacitate portions of
mines for years to come; but even then
the mines of south Africa will still be
able to continue supplying nearly one
third of the worlds gold product. To
destroy or damage mine you must
burn it, or flood it, or blow it
up, or render it's machinery use
less. These methods of destruction
would be easy in almost any other part
of the mining world, but in south
Africa they would not so easily avail
For example, pumps, boiler plants, and
engines could be destroyed, yet the
mines in question would not be seri-
ously aflood. More fortunate tran
other mines the flow of water into
these is slight. Hence, the inflow Of
water would be so small that before it
could amount to a flood new pumps
could be put to work. To fire the south
African mines would be possible only
so far as the shafts are concerned. For
only in the shafts is timber used.
There is little or no timber in the boer
country. What timber there is is pre-
cious. The great expense of support
ing the roofs of the excavated parts,
therefore, is overcome by making the
mines self-supporting- is, by sup
porting the roofs by columns Of ore,
instead of a labyrinth of timbers.
Hence, the only way the beers can even
hope to damage the mines is to attempt
to fire the timbered shafts or to destroy
the hosting machinery. I have al
ready intimated that because of the
vast area covered the blowing-up pro-
cess would only be like the flea biting
the lion. Meanwhile, the mines are
owned and managed principally by
Englishmen, Americans and Germans.
The white men, the skilled laborers
employed by these companies, will be
loyal to their employers and will de-
fend their property. The Kaffirs, of
course, could not be depended upon
At the first sign of the hostile beers
approach they would scurry Off To
sum up, when the beers set about de-
vising ways and means for carrying
out their intentions of destroying the |
greatest gold mines in the world they
will find they are attempting the i'm
possible.