The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-02-07
AFRICAN GOLD MINING.
Problems Conf-o1ti1g re Trans
vzzIs Great Industry.
I1F1z7s PRACTICAL EEXAEzz

TIE fols-i-r rezsrEs O tie re
-s-rces AZ o--l91k = tie Trsnsv1.l
are ertrrc-e5 f-o- 81 ctt-ess ceEv.
cred - NJ I1l1 Hays H1uug-d at
HarT1r1 AID Y-.e- TIE facts 81 f0.-th
tsTs 1- s-tH-es- - bearing O. tle cur
ret Er1--e. e1--e-ce c-d kls-1-y.
szys tse Neu Yo-E Pos ASIDE fr1-
TIE broad g1es-l9-s = the Eo1ey uar-
set l-vo'-ed l1 TIE problems to-cled
1-o-. tie -a-rers @ American E1p-
plies f5- tie Tr11sraaI AID % t5e
co---ry-s own iod-st--ll and political
future 1l1a-I very largely o. the de-
rei1p1elts DOW 1bg1- 20 be witnessed
0- tie Wltw1rers-lrd
M- Ha--1-I spoke c. follows.
The WIuate-s-1.I -9.d1cId iu the
T--rsrs-. is o. faF tle 11st i-por-
tart sod r--iuG district = the world
The WltuztersraD district is ln .ts
l-ys.r.-i ASPECT -ltlcz-y different from
t1e U7-ll conception % e mining cJU1-
t-y. Dc rather resembles a grazing
-ogntrv. where mining pr1spee-0rs
To-Id pass ~ co1telptg1 as -u1-
eol-e-irI 90 ore aud i1 that respect
tbe occu-reLce q god 60 tie Witwa-
,ersra11 district Illustrates tie truth
u the ad4-e ttrt gold j. where SOP
tut H. Cod rls --s- discovered l1
this district il rLe ge-r 1ss5 l. ~.
CURED ll what Is called fLe lal1et-
which is q eSs--- e.-z '.ue--'e le-ls
ing .ts name f.gu .-- --s.f-l l.lu-e o.
90 almond -1el candy called reaEet-
by tle Dutch THIS rJualc ltl-@ .s
about tie sole contribution o. THE
Dutch 90 tie mining Industry.
These al-.ter9ls deposits are unique
10 ,he history o. god mining and are
unparalleled 30 respect 10 their re-
uarsab,e consistency and consequently
commercial reliability. The gold bear
Ing cCugiOmerate beds are iuters,ratl-
ted With beds Of quarizite and sand
stone. The ore carries about SO in
god per ton ard iE mined and treated
netallurgicaiiy by the Csual methods
d gold mining and milling.
The principal mines extend east and
west from the town of johannesburg
twenty-five miles in either direction. To
give some idea Of the magnitude of
operations. / may state uIat about TO-
90 kafilrs aud over 1000 white men
are engaged directly 90 mining and
that nearly Goo stamps are working
night and day. crushing over 100000
tons o. ore annually. IT. order % oh
tain The supply Of ore Tor one year's
output Il is necessary 10 cXcavate eight
miles u solid rock five feet Co width
and 800 feet iu depth. besides the many
thousands Of feet Of additional shaft
sinking, etc The gold won as the re-
suit Of this stupendOus work IS valued
at about STJOCOOJO Since 1856 these
mines have yielded nearly S4OJ.OOOOyJ
worth Of gold.
Just previous 70 the beginning OF
the war the Witwatersrand mines were
producing gold with a value OF $780,
100000 per annum. more than ODe-thlrd
OF the worlds output The gold mines
support q district OF 10000 white pop
ulaton besides contributing 70 the sup
port Of thousands OF laborers in other
countries engaged IN the manufacture
OF supplies for this industry.
How long will these mines lastT'
1T is customary 10 speak OF such ex-
tenslye deposits as llllmitable. but as
an engineer ] am denied the use OF
such convenient hyperbole and must
endeayOr 20 satisfy the curious by
some reply more definite. But II Is in
deed a difficult question 10 answer. de-
pending as II does upon the depth 10
which mining can be prOftably car
ried on and upon the rapldiiy Of *
plOltatiOn as well As 10 ultimate
depths the geological and mining con.
ditions IN the Wtwatersraud district
are exceptionally favorable and admit
Of maximum depths. TIere IS but lit.
tie water 10 interfere with deep min
ing, II being for The most part seeuage
and Is taken up from the upper hori-
IONS. Also the Increment OF tempera-
ture With the depth Is very low, there
being only one degree Of increment IN
temperature for 300 feet OF depth. /
have on other occasions expressed the
opinion that mining will be found feast
BILE 10 depth Of about 10000 feet.
AS TO rapldlty OF exploitation we min
Ing engineers OF South Africa. chiefly
American engineers. pride ourselves 10
holding the worlds record in respect OF
speed In mining. and work that has
taken centuries IN the history OF Eu-
ropean mining viii be doue IN a decade
under the conditions that obtain with
Us. Therefore when | speak Of mining
out an area In the aggregate some
thirty miles long 20 a vertical depth OF
two miles must prepare you by these
! have just made as 10 our
'apabllity 20 undertake rapid explolta-
iion. II ! must hazard an expression
of opinion, from which the element OF
guess, though unscientlfc, cannot be
altogether dissOclated. would place
he life OF the Witwatersrand at thirty
years. II may be a short life. but il
will be n golden one, for within that
period more than S3,OO0OO0. 600 OF gold
will h0Va bpau pNfroctod from, ,bo