The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-02-04
NEW DIAMOND FIELDS
Mining Fever Raging In German
Southwest Africa.
QUEST RICHLY REWARDED.


dsritx Say HsSIon--soms Found Z
Foot or Two Beneath the Surface.
The yellow desert stretching east.
+ ward from Luderitz bay, in German
Southwest Africa, has become great
/ attraction, though a few months ago
its monotonous sand dunes were hate
full and depressing Diamonds have
been found there, and new mining
fever IL raging Men are thronging
where TIL now wild beasts have held
undiSputed sway.
The discovery was made by the Ger
mans who are building railroad
across the coastal desert and through
the mountains and inland plains from
Luderitz bay TO Keetmanshoop, near
ly 300 miles from the Atlantic. They
were digging through the sands at
Colmanshoop, about ten miles from the
bay, to find solid basis for the tracks
when they turned up fine diamond,
says the New York Sun. Everybody
said that II one diamond originated In
that region there were others. Was 1t
possible that this thirsty district was
rich In the most precious OF all stones?
So the hunt began.
The quest has been splendldly re-
warded and Is still In progress farther
and farther afield. The first great fact
discovered about the new diamond
field was that geologically 1t has moth
Ing In common with the blue volcanic
earth sprinkled with diamonds that
choked the ancient craters at Kimber-
ley and has supplied the world for
years with most Of its gems. The
studies thus far seem to favor the
view that the diamond bearing area
near Luderltz bay Is Identical with
the so called Brazilian formation In
Brazil, where the gems are found not
In the soft blue rock, but In granite.
AS this plutonlc rock In southwest AZ
RIGA has slowly disintegrated 1t has
strewn its content of diamonds over
the sands
Hundreds Of men, most of them In
the service of the Kolonial Gesell- |
schaft, which owns this part of the |
desert, have been traversinR these
sands in all directions, hunting for
diamonds on the surface or foot or
wo beneath 1t. showing sand here and
here and raking as cleaners do in the
yheatfeld The Luderitz bay region
las never before presented SO novel a
pectacle. Other prospectors have not
ngaged haphazard In the search for
Individual gems, but have been hunt
ng for the most valuable grounds, and
With excellent success.
AT last reports several thousands Of
many Of them Of fine quail
s. have been collected, and this with
ut particle of systematic mining.
The diamond bearing territory has
cen found to extend some miles to
he north OF Luderltz bay, about fifty
liles south Of 1t to Elizabeth bay and
lland to Nautilus hill, about ten
lilies from the coast. Prospectors sup
lied with horses and provisions are
ow examining the country farther
Hand on the superstition that most Of
lie diamonds are among the granite
fountains bordering the sand waste.
The company specially organized to
airy on mining operations reports
nat thus far forty-eigbt prospects
orth development have ben dlscov-
ed In an area Of 975 square miles and
lat the actual mining ground now
lown covers about 81 900 acres Rep
Of the De Beers company,
who have visited the re-
on say that the quality Of the gems
first class, Reports seem to agree
at mining development here will be
FRIED on by close corporation and
at 1t is now practically supplied with
the skilled and unskllled labor 1t
quires.
It is possible that still another re-
mt discovery will help to make the
therto despised German Southwest
'rica the peerless land Of diamonds.
he exact counterpart Of the Kimber-
7 blue earth formation has been
lnd at Gideon, In this colony. The
'rmans began to find diamonds there
July last, but really the world at
esent is not in need of more rich
lmond fields II the price Of these
ms Is to be maintained