COALFIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 25 October 1901, Page 4

COALFIELDS OF SOUTH AFRICA

It is freely asserted by South African geologists that the whole of the vsfet Karoo in the Capo Colony is one tremendous coal bed at a moderate depth.

The Tr msvaal is almost *s r>ch in coal as in other minerals. In the eastern portion there are hundreds of square miles of exceptional quality, some of the seams in the Middleburg district being 30 feet thick. The output of the Natal collieries is sufficient to suply the whole of Natal. The recent riee in the value of Chartered shares is said to bo due to private advices confirmatory of statements respecting the existence of a large area of payable coal deposits in the Wankie field. The expert sent; out telegrams confirming tho existence of enormous deposits of coal of very good quality. The coalfield, which is about 200 miles north of Buluwayo, is said to extend over four hunbred square miles, with seams varying from oh to 16ft in width, which possess the inestimable advantage of being 4Cft of the surface, and consistent horizontalitv. Here alone the estimate is fifteen hundred million tons, and some of the coal is said to compare favourably with the bast Welch coal. So important 13 the find that the Cape to Cairo Bailway will be diverted from its origiual line, so as to run through the coalfield.