Gardner F. Williams
Encyclopedia
Gardner F. Williams was an American mining engineer and author, and the first properly trained mining engineer to be appointed in South Africa.
, Michigan, the oldest son of Alpheus Fuller Williams, who served for many years in the American frontier forces and rose to be a colonel. Alpheus became a civil and mining engineer and, even prior to having moved his family from Saginaw to California, became well known in the mining camps.
Gardner grew up in the Californian mining camps of Sierra and Yuba counties, surrounded by mining activity. His higher education began at the College of California
(later to become the University of California), where he obtained a BA degree in 1865, and was completed in Freiburg
, Saxony, Germany at the Royal School of Mines ("Frieberg Bergakademie": Freiberg Mining Academy – he helped Alfred Nobel
refine techniques of blowing up rocks with Alfred's new invention, dynamite). His mining degree was conferred three years later and, in 1868, he returned to California and rounded off his education by gaining an MA at the university (the 1st such degree conferred there) in 1869.
near what is now Tombstone
, Arizona – the main casualties were two of the white men's horses). He then (before June 1873) became an assistant assayer in the US branch mint in San Francisco, and spent 3 1/2 years as superintendent of the Meadow Valley Mining Company at Pioche
, Nevada. Early in 1875 he opened up a silver mine at Cherry Creek, and was later appointed manager of the Leeds Mining Company at Silver Reef
, Utah. In 1879 he became the consulting engineer to a New York firm interested in hydraulic mining in California and, as a result, became superintendent of the Spring Valley Hydraulic Gold Company at Cherokee at the age of 37.
With such a varied career and with experience in so many areas of mining, particularly quartz and hydraulic mining, it was not unexpected that he should have been recommended to manage the properties known as The Transvaal Gold Exploration and Land Company at Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga, Africa. He left America in 1884 to take up this position, travelling from Cape Town
by train to De Aar and took the rest of the journey by coach.
. Full of ideas about the exploration of the goldfields, he returned to Kimberley
and met, for the first time, young Cecil John Rhodes
, who was then 32 years old. The two men travelled to England on the same ship and spent many hours discussing the gold and diamond enterprises in South Africa. Rhodes was most impressed by his companion’s knowledge and enthusiasm.
In the US, two Americans had formed a company, The Exploration Company, in conjunction with Rothschilds in London. Their objective was to explore for gold. They persuaded Williams to return to South Africa as their consulting engineer. When Rhodes heard about this, he lost no time in getting in touch with Williams and persuaded him to cancel his agreement with The Exploration Company and to join De Beers
Diamond Company. Under pressure from Rhodes, he agreed to forget about gold and move into the field of diamonds, and finally accepted an appointment as manager of De Beers in Kimberley in May 1887.
(This was during Rhode's legal struggle against the Barnato Mining Company. The result was the formation on 13 March 1888 of the De Beers Consolidated Mines Co., with Rhodes, Barney Barnato
and Alfred Beit on the board.)
Williams immediately introduced wide changes in the mining methods at Kimberley. It had been the practice to dig haphazardly and to try to shore up the sides and roof of the diggings with masses of timber. Walking about was exceedingly dangerous and unpleasant, and there was a never-ending worry that the workings might collapse, with serious consequences for the lives of the workers and the financial success of the operation. Williams knew all about shaft-sinking and tunnelling and the use of explosives and, by the end of 1887, proper and relatively safe mining methods had been firmly established. Instead of haphazardly hoisting the ore from a large number of points, he arranged the mine so that all the ground could be concentrated at one point, and hoisted from one well-equipped level by a large winder. His methods were soon repeated on other mines, and on the Witwatersrand as well, and the Kimberley mines came to be known as the most advanced in the world.
In part due to these improvements in mining techniques, by 1889 Cecil Rhodes controlled the South African diamond mining industry, and fully 90% of world production.
Williams' talents spread far beyond mining. Rhodes had great confidence in his undoubted administrative skills and his talent for financial management, and drew him into the grand scheme of consolidating all the diamond mines under De Beers.
Williams laid the foundations for an excellent system of training apprentices at De Beers, a compulsory system which worked so well it was soon copied on the Witwatersrand. He had the miners’ welfare at heart and, in 1892, reduced the underground shift from 12 to 8 hours. He was one of the chief promoters of the South African School of Mines and was chairperson of its governing body for the years between 1896 and 1903, during which it functioned in Kimberley.
In 1902 he published the 2 volume "The Diamond Mines of South Africa; some account of their rise and development" (NY: Macmillan Co, 1902) with revised editions in 1904, 1905 and 1906. This work is still considered an important authoritative source today, with most of its 1000 copies being housed in various university libraries of the world.
After 18 years with De Beers, Williams retired in 1905 to America, and settled first in Washington D.C. and in later years finally in San Francisco.
In recognition of his achievements, the Royal Academy of Science in Sweden awarded him its silver medal in 1905, and the University of California an honorary doctorate of laws in 1910.
He also received an honorary doctorate of engineering from the University of Michigan in 1917.
Early life
Gardner Frederick Williams was born in SaginawSaginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, Michigan, the oldest son of Alpheus Fuller Williams, who served for many years in the American frontier forces and rose to be a colonel. Alpheus became a civil and mining engineer and, even prior to having moved his family from Saginaw to California, became well known in the mining camps.
Gardner grew up in the Californian mining camps of Sierra and Yuba counties, surrounded by mining activity. His higher education began at the College of California
College of California
The College of California was the predecessor of the University of California system of public universities. The private college was founded in 1855 by noted educator Dr. Samuel H. Willey...
(later to become the University of California), where he obtained a BA degree in 1865, and was completed in Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Saxony, Germany at the Royal School of Mines ("Frieberg Bergakademie": Freiberg Mining Academy – he helped Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He is the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments...
refine techniques of blowing up rocks with Alfred's new invention, dynamite). His mining degree was conferred three years later and, in 1868, he returned to California and rounded off his education by gaining an MA at the university (the 1st such degree conferred there) in 1869.
Early career
His mining experience began with a survey of the salt deposits on Carmen island off the coast of Mexico, followed by appointment as engineer to a syndicate in search of gold and silver in northern Nevada. (About this time, he took part in a gun battle with the ApacheApache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
near what is now Tombstone
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
, Arizona – the main casualties were two of the white men's horses). He then (before June 1873) became an assistant assayer in the US branch mint in San Francisco, and spent 3 1/2 years as superintendent of the Meadow Valley Mining Company at Pioche
Pioche, Nevada
-External links:*...
, Nevada. Early in 1875 he opened up a silver mine at Cherry Creek, and was later appointed manager of the Leeds Mining Company at Silver Reef
Silver Reef, Utah
Silver Reef is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States, about northeast of St. George and west of Leeds. Silver Reef was established after John Kemple, a prospector from Nevada, discovered a vein of silver in a sandstone formation in 1866. At first, geologists were uncertain about...
, Utah. In 1879 he became the consulting engineer to a New York firm interested in hydraulic mining in California and, as a result, became superintendent of the Spring Valley Hydraulic Gold Company at Cherokee at the age of 37.
With such a varied career and with experience in so many areas of mining, particularly quartz and hydraulic mining, it was not unexpected that he should have been recommended to manage the properties known as The Transvaal Gold Exploration and Land Company at Pilgrim's Rest, Mpumalanga, Africa. He left America in 1884 to take up this position, travelling from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
by train to De Aar and took the rest of the journey by coach.
In Africa
After a year at Pilgrim’s Rest he resigned and spent some time visiting the new gold discoveries on the WitwatersrandWitwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. Full of ideas about the exploration of the goldfields, he returned to Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
and met, for the first time, young Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes PC, DCL was an English-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was the founder of the diamond company De Beers, which today markets 40% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%...
, who was then 32 years old. The two men travelled to England on the same ship and spent many hours discussing the gold and diamond enterprises in South Africa. Rhodes was most impressed by his companion’s knowledge and enthusiasm.
In the US, two Americans had formed a company, The Exploration Company, in conjunction with Rothschilds in London. Their objective was to explore for gold. They persuaded Williams to return to South Africa as their consulting engineer. When Rhodes heard about this, he lost no time in getting in touch with Williams and persuaded him to cancel his agreement with The Exploration Company and to join De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
Diamond Company. Under pressure from Rhodes, he agreed to forget about gold and move into the field of diamonds, and finally accepted an appointment as manager of De Beers in Kimberley in May 1887.
(This was during Rhode's legal struggle against the Barnato Mining Company. The result was the formation on 13 March 1888 of the De Beers Consolidated Mines Co., with Rhodes, Barney Barnato
Barney Barnato
Barney Barnato , born Barnet Isaacs, was a British Randlord, one of the entrepreneurs who gained control of diamond mining, and later gold mining, in South Africa from the 1870s.-Background:...
and Alfred Beit on the board.)
Williams immediately introduced wide changes in the mining methods at Kimberley. It had been the practice to dig haphazardly and to try to shore up the sides and roof of the diggings with masses of timber. Walking about was exceedingly dangerous and unpleasant, and there was a never-ending worry that the workings might collapse, with serious consequences for the lives of the workers and the financial success of the operation. Williams knew all about shaft-sinking and tunnelling and the use of explosives and, by the end of 1887, proper and relatively safe mining methods had been firmly established. Instead of haphazardly hoisting the ore from a large number of points, he arranged the mine so that all the ground could be concentrated at one point, and hoisted from one well-equipped level by a large winder. His methods were soon repeated on other mines, and on the Witwatersrand as well, and the Kimberley mines came to be known as the most advanced in the world.
In part due to these improvements in mining techniques, by 1889 Cecil Rhodes controlled the South African diamond mining industry, and fully 90% of world production.
Williams' talents spread far beyond mining. Rhodes had great confidence in his undoubted administrative skills and his talent for financial management, and drew him into the grand scheme of consolidating all the diamond mines under De Beers.
Williams laid the foundations for an excellent system of training apprentices at De Beers, a compulsory system which worked so well it was soon copied on the Witwatersrand. He had the miners’ welfare at heart and, in 1892, reduced the underground shift from 12 to 8 hours. He was one of the chief promoters of the South African School of Mines and was chairperson of its governing body for the years between 1896 and 1903, during which it functioned in Kimberley.
In 1902 he published the 2 volume "The Diamond Mines of South Africa; some account of their rise and development" (NY: Macmillan Co, 1902) with revised editions in 1904, 1905 and 1906. This work is still considered an important authoritative source today, with most of its 1000 copies being housed in various university libraries of the world.
After 18 years with De Beers, Williams retired in 1905 to America, and settled first in Washington D.C. and in later years finally in San Francisco.
In recognition of his achievements, the Royal Academy of Science in Sweden awarded him its silver medal in 1905, and the University of California an honorary doctorate of laws in 1910.
He also received an honorary doctorate of engineering from the University of Michigan in 1917.