Evening star., 1922-09-02
PROSPECTORS RUSH
TO DIAMOND FIELD
Discovery of New Deposits
Causes Many to Visit
South Africa.
GIVES MINING METHODS
National Geographic Society De-
scribes Ways of Taking
Stones From Earth.
GIVES MINING METHODS

A rush" such as frontier America
knew in its free-land days, but in this
case TO peg out claims in newly
discovered diamond field was men
toned in recent dispa tches from South
Africa. This new diamond country
opens up possibilities of a rival TO
the great Kimberly diamond Held IN
the same general region, the world S
greatest source. of the sparkling
white gems.
The methods .of mining diamonds
at Kimberly, which may be followed
in the new fields if ~the formation
proves the same, are outlined IN
bulletin from the Washington head
quarters of the National Georgraphlc
Society.
The mines at Kimberly" says the
bulletin ARE in very ancient VOL
canoes which ages ago lost all sem
bianCe of activity. But during their
youth the great heat and pressure OF
these volcanoes created gigantic
laboratories in their depths in which
thousands of the hard white carbon
crystals which are diamonds we're
created. The precious little Jumps are
inbedded in a great volume or worm
less rock known as blue ground, ana
under old conditions Were as hard
to find as the poverbial needle in d
haystack. But just as a clever search
er could probably locate his needle
with a powerful magnet. despite the
straw, so engineers have eVoiVed me-
chanical means Cleverly TO separate
the few Tiny diamonds from the many
tons of dirt in which they are hidden.
THE effectiveness with which ma
ture has concealed the crystals is
evidenced by the fact that the blue
ground brought up from. the depths
of the mines and carrying its price
less gems is spread out in the open
for four months to year to the
weather The diamonds are perfect
ly safe for officials who have walk
ed over the weatherlng noors TOT
many years assert that they nave
never found a diamond in this way.
AS the blue ground weathers 1t
crumbIes, and great harrows hke
those used on the bonanza farms OF
the west are dragged over 1T to Ia
cilitate the progress.
Gems Trapped In Grease.
"Eventually the material is broken
down into relatively fine particles II
is then taken in truckloads to the
mechanical pIant of the mine for
treatment The ground is mixed with
water in great mixing machines ana
passed over screens of nne WIRE
meShing.
foreign material has been removed III
This way the coarse residue, contain
ing the diamonds, is passed over
sloping. vibrating tables covered with
thick grease. Because OF some little
understood physical property dla-
monds stick to thr grease. while tne
worthless material flows over the
edge Of the tables. The grease with
it's load of crystals is then scraped
into a perforated container and neat
ed by steam, The grease melss AVA wa,
and leaves the small but hlghiy val
uable object of these months or WORK.
Glow widely spaced the diamonds
are in their matriX of earth can De
shown best perhaps by comparison
~ volumes. The earth taken out IN
a year nv the largest mining COM
pany in the field would form a cuoe
more than 43O feet in each dimension.
This would fill a large city block 10
a height of more than thirty stories.
The diamonds found IN TINS .ast
amount of earth would fill only two
or three desk drawers or cuoicai
Roy less than three feet in each dl-
mension. But these few pecks of
stones for which mountain was
moved were worth perhaps in excess
of 5000, 900.
Laborers Are Exiles.
"One of the most striking features
of the mining of DIAMONDS by the
large companies in Kimberly Is the
existence of the unique labor COM
pounds Since diamonds are SO easl-
ly stolen, only those native laoorers
are EMPLOYED who will agree to en-
list for at least three months and
remain for that period (when not IN
4he mines or on the 'foorsD within
a walled inclosurS H. trr iar"est
compound. covering more than -FOUR
acres, 1000 men live. Not only are
these compounds surrounded by high
walls, but they are also covered
overhead by fine wire netting, so that
diamonds cannot be thrown outside 10
confederates.
"I,aborers entering or leaving a
compound must go through pro-
cedure not unlike that when entering
a foreign country having strict i'm
migration and customs laws. They
must pass a health examination and
IL diseased are rejected or placed in
quarantine, Only certain articles
may be taken INTO a compound, and
no boots, shoes or other hard or
solid materials may be taken out
only clothing which has been
searched. In the largest of the COM
pounds, where some laborers have
chosen to stay for, years, are stores,
n church. a school. a hospital and
dispensary, athletic ground and a SWIM
ming pool. The manager of the COM
pound is a sort of. mayor and judge
rolled into one and is called upon to
decide innumerable disputes