New-York tribune., 1902-06-29
THE TRANSyAAL MINES UNDER THE NEW REGIME.
ORE WILL LAS


of mining operations upon the scale existing I'M
| mediately prior to the war an output O. soid d
the f20.ce06e5 annually may De reSsoii
ably estimated; this rate OF production VIII oe
steadily increased, partly by the increase IN 'iie
crushing plants OF the companies. out more
especially ny the starting of many OF the deep e'ei
properties which Will then reach the producing
J stage Within the next three or four years a1ter
operations have been resumed on a large scale Ile
| annual gold production from the Nitwatersfahu
| may reach E25. 100000. Beyond this amount 'heIe
| should a further increase. the amount ol WIN
fl is impossible TO estimate. In from six to elsht
years some OF important gold producers fihos
the outcrop companies will fall of line. by re
son of the exhaustion OF their mining areas ~
what extent this deficit will be counteroaldiceu ~
increased Weld in the deeper level properties can
| NOT he as vet determined. Much depends upon the
| policy adopted by the larger companies owning
these properties.
In the reliability of its bearing formation the
Rand is unique in the history OF gold mif'ifs "'
in the minds of many exaggerated lhlpoi '"IiO'
is attached the persistency OF payable ore oodies
in strike and in dip There is. indeed coilslderd"e
ffuctuation in the value OF the ore wi'hh the s
reef even within short distances; but remark
ably even grade of has been maintained s'iee
the inception of the industry Where theie n"'
been an apparent falling off in yield ton during
any year fact is to be attributed rather 10 e
working lower grade ores. made possiple oS iii
proved economic conditions. than to deprecia'ii
in the ore values of the reefs themselves WIN 'i
axcention of the additional of hauiage, pump
ing and ventilation there are no factors ope '-,s
against mining the Wtwatersrahd 10 usf
of at least eight thousand feet vertically. These
costs will not afford any insuperabie opStdcie ~
proftable mining provided. OF course lhe seo
logical character of the deposit Is not au'eisl'
changed So reliable is the formation from d se
logical point of view. as regards It's MINING Po
alities that engineers have felt justified IN assnh
t. ,ha oxfstapce of payable ore depths of one
thousand feet vertically and upward oeEoto tie
extent in depth of any mining operations LINUS i
the results of actual operations upon these areas
have justified their position. 1t is estimated that
for every mile in length along the course or fhe
reefs down TO a vertical depth of one thousand
feet for the dip OF these reefs gold to the Fue {"
about f10 O006l0 will be extracted inns Is d CON
servative estiynate-at least applied to the CEN
-raI section of the Rand. If assume these con-
7itions 70 obtain TO a depth of six thousand ieet
vertically. have the enormous sum OF to',oV'''V
for each mile in length IT Is not unreasohaple to
supnose that these conditions will he malntalhe"
along most of the central section. say for uis-
tance of ten miles in which case we would nave an
auriferous area within practicable mining depths
containing upward of 1900 ooo,ooo value Of gold
If s less safe to make any prediction of the gold
produced to he expected from the east and west
sections: il is perfectly safe to say th't the
o,+n,t Of these sections would very greatly aug
ment the amount have named Messrs Hateh
and Chalmers. well known engineers OF extensive
South African experience. compute the a'dlia"e
gold from these portions of the Rand at f=o"nVr
II is irnnossirle to predict with any accuracy the
duration of mining in the Witwatersrand district
by reason especially. of the ince,frInlna'e factor
Of the rate at which exploitation will he carried on
IT may be observed. however. that the tendency Is
IN exploit the aurferous as rapidly as pos
sihle and that engneering methods are all adopted
with that end in view. If the exploitation of the
deener levels is not delayed pending the proving o
the ground lying above but is carried on concur
-entlv with the exploitation Of the higher horlzoS
Of the reefs the industrial life of the district Will
of course he correspondingy shortened The
working of lower grade made possible ny I'M
moved economic conditions other circumstances
o,,ld tend 10 increased longevity of the industry
Ru, were / called upon to express an opinion
world estimate future duration of prohtaple
onerations on large scale in the district al less
rather than more than twenty-five years
The future looks from all points of view encour-
aging We may reasonably anticipate important
improvements in economic conditions as the result
Of tbe establishment of better government.
heJieye that as the result of ecoEomic reforms
there viii be an ultimate saving OF 6s- ton OF
ore treated as compared with the conditions under
which mining has been carried on under the gov
eminent of the late South African Republic This
refers 10 all savings both direct and Indirect. a2G
especialy TO economy resulting from increased
conditions Positions formerly commanding a raj
AIRY of Sl5 coo a year will be satisfactorily hl!ed for
s1n ano For the tonnage Of crushed in 1873 TINS
,rouId result in an increase annual dividends or
20 1q9 aus