The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
THE xIMBhnIEY DIAMOND MIyKs.
Process of Getting out tho Gcms-Tre-
mendous Damage the Beers Might DO.

mendous Damage the Beers Might DO.
The military objective OF the Beers who
surround Kimberley is the destruction OF the
diamond mines from which Cecil Rhodes draws
his wealth aud. IL possible, to capture Mr..
Rhodes himself. The mines within tho limits
OF the city OF Kimberley furnish o5 per cent.
OF the worlds supply OF diamonds and are
unique In two ways. Tho De Beers and Kim
berley mines are probably tho two biggest
holes ever dug in the earth by man. and the
deDosit In which they are dug Ia the only one
known In the whole world where the diamond
is found In the original matrix in which It
was formed. Since the chemist Moissan
has succeededin making artificial diamonds, we
can now form some idea of how nature worked
in making these deposits, and 1t Is believed
that the diamonds found In the blue earth" OF
Kimberley were crystallzed there while the
whole mass was held under enormous pres
sure within tho more than white hot interior
OF mountain OF fre Whom tho workings
were begun at Kimberley the diamonds wcro
found in disintcErateh earth" at and near the
surface. but "a the workings were deepcncd
the blue earth" was found In its native state.
rock like and requiring to BIO blasted to be
taken out
When the Do Beers and Kimberley mines
reached a depth by open working OF some
fourteen acres each. that method OF pro-
cedure was abandoned and q new system
begun OF working from shafts dug to the
blue ground deposits at somo distance from
the original pits and working these by trans
verse. driyings. Some OF these shafts go down
TO u depth OF l.5OO feet Great care has 70 be
sGGous, them eav sna ct Would %s u'Bc' e "s
millions Of dD HSr wort" n Of mnins macn Gsp
about the pit mouths but also to MI NJ tho
pits so that 1t would be n work Of years TO re-
when the open pits were worked. these we're
strung with, miles and miles Of wire cables,
workings hundreds OF feet below. All 81 that
has changed and much more expensive and
clhhOrat" hosting machinery IL use now.
When the blue ground reaches the surface 4
Is stu long way from yielding IN its stor" Of
veal al tho s"%s boi. s HIDDEN %nT wouii be
2ut Of the question. for hy such a PROCESS the
Hoasver. s,"ns ro SY to nep aaI the Gre
earth softens readily under exposure to
suushIIc and moisture. Forthis purpose great
the mine compounds, where the blue
earth il taken on little cars and dump
soil TO G maks awn. Thesn "aoo1 g1%' as they
are called. cover. about 900 acres. The floors
are covered wi,h dtaHw9pditesons earth 70 .
begin to c'nmblc under the Influence OF sun
and moisture heavy horse harrows are set to
work upon tho earth. and tho scene Is like that
on n farm IN the spring when the planter IL
getting ready TO put IN his crops II TAX from
three to six months exposure 10 prepare tho
blue ground Tor the process OF searching out
the diamonds.
Running water ia the first agent usei In this
search. Elaborate. and costly washing ma
chimes. les ignel by Americana. 10 this work and
out OF perhaps each one hundred tons Of earth
these viii gather and save one ton OF what
looks like coarse sand and blue pebbles. An
other machine separates these into lots OF four
| diNerant sizes and these then 90 to the assort-
/ ing tables, whore a lot Of white men sort them
| while they are wet and another lot OF black
out the diamonds and dilcarding all other
| matter. Then they nre al boiled in a mixture
OF nitric and sulphuric acids to clean their sur
! iacsa. alter which they are again gone over by
| experts. who assort them for size. color and
| purity. The daily production Of the consoI-
| dated mines T. about $500 carats. worth at
| $40 carat, S22OOOO.
The works cmnIoy about l 300 Europeans
and 0,7un natives. and every one gets good
! wages Mechanics and engineers get from $40
| to $50 n week, miners from S25 To $40. and
| natives In tho underground work receive from
tos p a day Overseers on the floors &c!
! native laborers from S3 to So % n week. but In
addition to these sums each man gets a
| premium upon diamonds found 10y himself
| The native labOrers receive 81 premium for
| Is vi. for each carat, The men in the m ines get
! larger prom iums for the stones found by them
| Tho premium system Is meant to help break
| up the stealing OF stones aud the illicit dealing
| made. Extraordinary precautions are taken
! TO prevent these losses. the white men are
engaged Tor two years AT n time and are not al.
| lowed outside the compound during that time
| months each aud nre stripped and searched
every n Ight alter they leave tho workings.