THE GREAT KIMBERLEY DIAMOND MINE. 
05 
sions of trap rock (d) called “ Floating Reef” by the miners. 
The whole is surrounded by trap rock called “ Main Reef,” 
as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and this commences at about 170ft. 
to 200ft. from the surface, and the portion above the trap is a 
loose shale with some intrusive trap. These upper strata have 
proved very treacherous, and several serious slips of the sides 
of the mine have occurred ; the worst of these slips has recently 
taken place, and is so serious in extent that the whole of the 
workings at the bottom are blocked up by the fallen material, 
and the progress of the mine is entirely stopped until this 
can be removed, which may require several months time. 
The result of this accident is a very serious check to the 
prosperity not only of the mining district but of the Cape 
Colony itself and the Government railways, from the loss of 
the traffic for the supply of materials for the mining works, 
and for the support of the large population gathered round 
the diamond mines. The distance of about 200 miles from 
Kimberley to the present railway terminus has to be 
traversed by bullock waggons, which are the only means of 
conveyance in the Colony where railways do not exist, 
excepting a ten-liorse coach that runs between Kimberley 
and the railway terminus for passenger traffic. 
The town of Kimberley, which has now 10,000 or 15,000 
inhabitants, extends round the margin of the great pit 
forming the Kimberley mine, the earlier buildings having 
been removed by the falling in and enlargement of the 
circumference of the pit. As the excavations got deeper the 
original wheelbarrows and carts had to be superseded by 
horse whins for drawing up the excavated material, and this 
was carried out by means of a very extensive system of 
wire-rope suspended railways—wire ropes suspended for long 
distances in the air, and stretched tight so that buckets on 
suspending wheels can be run upon the wire ropes like 
railways, and the excavated material from the claims in the 
middle of the pit at the bottom is drawn up to the surface 
over the heads of the other claims. The result produced is 
a remarkable net-work of wire ropes, like a gigantic spider’s 
web, extending over the entire area of the mine. For the 
last seven years steam power has been used in place of 
horse power for the hauling, on account of the increase in 
depth of the mine, and a large number of steam engines are 
now fixed round the margin of the pit for hauling and mining 
purposes. The work of removing the fallen material from 
slips of the sides of the mine, and of keeping the workings 
clear from water, is undertaken by the Mining Board, and the 
cost of this work is defrayed by a tax on the several claims. 
