NEW DIAMOND FIELD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 11

NEW DIAMOND FIELD.

RUSH IN SOUTH AFRICA. SPECTACULAR SCENh. AT START. A. and N.Z. CAPETOWN, Aug. 17. Ten thousand diggers and runners took part in a mad race for wealth at a farm at Welverdiend, Transvaal, when it was proclaimed as an alluvial diamond field. This was probably the last of the diamond rushes in South Africa, as new legislation provides for claims to be disposed of by ballot. Five hundred police were present, in consequence of rumoured threats of a deliberately planned false start, but the only trouble was a fight over pegs. The scene before the rush started beggars description. Thousands of motorcars and lorries departed from the tin town over a dusty veldt to the diggings. A motley crowd of city clerks, veteran diggers and professional runners in multicoloured garments, ranging from bathing costumes to pyjamas, raced for over three miles. Thirteen diggers were found hidden near the richest claims and were arrested. Most of them had hidden in water tanks. One man had lain full length under the water, with only his nose showing.

There were two great diamond rushes in South Africa in 1926. Both took place near Elandsputte, in the Transvaal, the first on June 11. A few weeks prior to this date Elandsputte was a village by virtue of a few tin shacks. The discovery of a number of valuable diamonds made it the centre of a colony of 10,000 P eo P le - The second rush on August 21 e^ SI »y eclipsed this, fully 15-000 persons of both sexes participating. Thus in just over 12 months Elandsputte sprang up from an insignificant reldt village to a mining centre with a population of over 50,000. Both rushes were accompanied by scenes of indiscribable confusion, the latter being by far the more spectacular. Mounted police cleared an area of 12 square miles and 15.000 persons of both sexes, clad in a variety of garments, from running shorts to Oxford trousers, formed a solid phalanx seven deep and a mils and analf long. , . , , ~ At the signal the line broke and the race commenced to the accompaniment of hoarse cries from thousands of throats. Dense clouds of dust marked the progiess of the race to the field.