The
Big Hole, Open Mine or Kimberley Mine (Afrikaans: Groot Gat)
is an open-pit and underground mine in Kimberley, South Africa, and claimed to
be the largest hole excavated by hand, although this claim is disputed.
History
of Kimberley
The first diamonds here were found on Colesberg
Kopje by members of the "Red Cap Party" from Colesberg on the farm
Vooruitzigt belonging to the De Beers brothers.[when?] The ensuing scramble for
claims led to the place being called New Rush, later renamed Kimberley.[when?]
From mid-July 1871to 1914 up to 50,000 miners dug the hole with picks and
shovels,yielding 2,720 kilograms (6,000 lb) of diamonds. The Big Hole has a
surface of 17 hectares (42 acres) and is 463 metres (1,519 ft) wide. It was
excavated to a depth of 240 metres (790 ft), but then partially infilled with
debris reducing its depth to about 215 metres (705 ft). Since then it has
accumulated about 40 metres (130 ft) of water, leaving 175 metres (574 ft) of
the hole visible. Once above-ground operations became too dangerous and
unproductive, the kimberlite pipe of the Kimberley Mine was also mined
underground by Cecil Rhodes' De Beers company to a depth of 1,097 metres (3,599
ft).There is currently an effort in progress to register the Big Hole as a
World Heritage Site.Read More.........
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