36 THE DIAMOND MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA
cline
should be used in hauling blue ground from the 700-foot level only, as
there were ample facilities in No. 1 and in the 7-foot compartment of
No. 2 for hoisting all the blue ground taken from the 600-foot level
and the levels above. Consequently no stations had been made ready for
the larger skips on the latter level. It was necessary, therefore, to
open tunnels, sink passes, and put in chutes to connect the 600-foot
level with the surface, besides excavating a pump chamber and erecting
new pumps, before the regular output of blue ground could be resumed.
During the month of August only 8613 loads were hauled, and this was
mostly of poor quality from excavations of the west end of the mine.
During September the output was increased to 57,408 loads, in October
to 87,225 ; but it was not until the following month of November that
the output reached 104,285 loads, or approximately the same amount as
in the month before the fire.
This
brief sketch may serve to show to the general reader something of the
terror, the peril, and the disaster which an outbreak of fire in any
great mine may cause. As soon as practicable after this fire, the
previously designed systematic and thorough opening of the mine was
advanced. In addition to No. 2 incline, the rock shaft (elsewhere
particularly described) was completed and connected with the mine by a
tunnel on the 800-foot level. A vertical escape shaft was sunk from one
of the terraces in the open mine to the 700-foot level. It had a
ladderway and a single cage compartment, and was connected with seven
levels in the mine. The Oriental shaft, situated on the east side of
the mine, was connected with it at the 500-foot level, from which all
parts of the mines were reached by ladderways. This shaft served to
ventilate the mine, and as an important passage for escape in case of
need. Besides these four shafts there was a tunnel into the open mine,
which was connected with the lower workings by a double ladderway. The
Oriental shaft and No. 2 incline were upcasts. The rock shaft, escape
shaft, and the tunnel into the open mine were downcasts.
The first consideration in working a mine is to have a safe exit for the workmen, in case a fire breaks out or the mine
