The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-08-29

Eline-with a space measure
ment at the surface of II
acres, and a depth of some 400 feet
There are, In addition to several small
er ones, four other enormous excava
tons. all witnessing to the tireless en-.
ergy OF men in a hurry to be rich.
The diamonds are found in a grey
rock called blue ground" which fills
q pipe or natural shaft of unknown
depth, widening towards the surface
INTO funnel shape. Below the few
feet of red sand on the surface comes
the yellow ground" -lime-for fifty
Or sixty feet.
Underneath that is the blue
ground" which, although the yellow
ground iG not without diamonds, Is
The true diamond-bearing rock. Scien.
lists believe that these pipes" are
the craters of extinct volcanoes, and
that at some time when the surround,
Ing country was under water, this dia
mondiferous rock was forced up in the
form of volcanic mud. How and wher
and where the diamonds we're formed
remains a mystery, but they are un
doubtedly OF earlier date than the
rock which encloses them.
Early Diamond Digging.
The first mining operations were re
stricted to digging and scooping out
the earth. But, by degrees. as the
hole got wider and deeper, troubles
pama I'm The shapa ~ communicated ~
water and falls of reef" In gold
mining the reef" is the gold-bearine
rocks, but the reef" of the diamond
mines is the surface shale and basal,
surrounding the pipes"
This was the cause Of great tribu.
lation to the early miners, as it caved
In again and again, and overwhelmed
those working below. After various ex,
pedients had been tried withiut per
manent success. 1t became impossible
20 work the mine any longer in the
Did way, and many thought the In
dustry was absolutely ruined.
Here vas the opening for the cap
ltalist, who 500 superseded the dig
ger"
The larger claim-holders bauded to
gether, and sank shafts outside the
area already operated upon, with gal
leries running towards the center, un.
til the blue" was tapped. In 1888
Messrs. Rhodes, Barnato, and Belt
having bought out the smaller hold
ers, formed the De Beers Consolidated
Mines, Limited, that great corporation
which has ever since controlled the
diamond mining industry.
The main shaft at the Central
connects with the pipe OF blue
ground by means of several CALLER.
les, the distance from shaft to pipe
being 1.134 feet. At the time of the
writer's descent the lowest gallery
was 1900 feet from the surface.
Armed with the necessary permit
we stripped and re-clothed ourselves
In a sort of dressing-room.
The outfit includes flannel shirt, and
coat and trousers of duck or some
such material, the articles being decid.
edly the worse for wear. Instead of
braces or belt, a looped leather thong
does duty. An ancient sou'-wester
with ear-flaps, and tied under the
chin, a pair Of socks that have seen
service, and rubber Wellington boots
complete the costume.
Accompanied by the manager. we
get into the cage at the top of the
shaft, and after a few seconds OF swift
motion, step out at the 1000 foot lev
ell. Each supplied with a composite
candle-but no candlestick!-we N
coed to explore the workings on that
level. We pass stalwart natives at
work. with here and there \ white
overseer. Some drill holes in the
.ock ready for blasting; others gath.
er up the fragments into small steel
trucks. which are pushed along on
rails TO the shoot" which conveys the
blue" down to the 1000 foot level.
These boys" handle many q lump
with q fortune hidden In It. Some
times their quick eyes detect the
stone" and not being without the de-
sire for pelf. they covet like Achan,
and, like Achan, take-if they can do
10 unnoticed. They will make an In
,Ision in their flesh as secure hiding
,lscs for their find" and even swal-