The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-24

IL was Iurtner RESUMED tndt tne Teel
would be worked to vertical depth Of
not more than $500 feet. In that esti-
mate Prof. GEORGE +. BECKER, who
visited the Rand in 1885, substantially
concurred. Mr.. JOHN HAYS HAMMOND.
in paper read before the American
Institute Of Mining Engineers in Febru-
airy Of last year, put the total produce
ton from the central section Of the
Rand at three billion dollars, and from
the east and west sections Of one bill
lion dollars. or four billion dollars in
all. He expressed the belief that the
duration Of profitable operations on
a large scale would be less. rather than
more. than twenty-five years.
But inasmuch as Mr.. HAMMOND as
sumed that profitable mining will be
carried on to a depth If six thousand
feet, and asserted that there are no
factors operating against mining on
the watersrand to depth Of At least
eight thousand feet vertically, his COM
putation of the total production is re-
garded by some other experts as under
the mark Mr.. W. BLELoCH, for in
stance, though he puts the vertical
depth to which mining will be carried
at seven thousand feet for the richer
central section of the Rand, at three
thousand feet for the Vogelstruis to
Paarl- Central section, and at six thou
sand feet for the remainder. estimates
tho gold available for practical mining
in the area between Randfontein on
the west and Holfonten on the east
at fourteen billion three hundred and
ifty-fve million dollars.
According 10 the newspaper South
Africa the truth lies somewhere be-
tween Mr. HAMMoND's and Mr.. BILE
LoCH's calculations. A careful and eau
tious paper on the subject. was read
some weeks ago in London before the
Institute Of Mining and Metallurgy by
Messrs T. II. LEGGETT and F. II. HATCH.
in which these experts point out that
the sheets of "banket cropping out
along the Rand, with an east and west
strike and a variable dip to the south,
have been proved to be gold-bearing
for a distance along the strike Of forty
seven miles. Moreover, the continuity
in depth Of the conglomerate beds has
been proved by number of bore holes.
The estimate Of these experts is based
on the assumption that the Main Reef
series Of mines will be worked to depth
of six thousand feet. though it is pro-
nounced impossible for any one to fix
to-day the vertical depths TO which
mining will be ultimately carried, be-
cause of the many indeterminate fac
tors entering into the problem. After
dividing the total area into sections,
and allowing for variability in yield and
reef thickness, thoy arrive at the con-
clusion that the future production Of
the mines will be six billion one hum
dred and sixty-seven million eight hum
dred thousand dollars. Assuming that
eighteen months from Jan. /. 1902. will
be required to restore the industry to
the conditions existing before the out.
break Of the war, the output, according
to Messrs. LEGGErT and HATCH, should
equal one hundred and fifty million
dollars per annum by June. 1905. and,
should this output be maintained. the
total estimated production would give
a life Of forty-two and half years,
Those who look upon this estimate
as conservative point to the fact that
the extreme vertical depth assumed is
only six thousand feet. or two thousand
less than is pronounced practicable by
Mr. JOHN HAYS HAMMOND. In any
event. it seems probable that we may
count on the replenishing of our stock
of the yellow metal during the next
half century from Johannesburg alone,
by the addition of quantities valued at
several billion Of dollars.