The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-28 00:00:00

RAILWAYS IN TURKEY.

Within the last few days a pamphlet of great in-
terest has appeared from the pen of Sir Macdonald
Stephenson,the enterprising chairman of the Smyrna
and Aidin Railway Company, under the title of
" Remarks upon the Practicability and Advantage
of Railway Communication in European and Asiatic
Turkey." Accompanying this practical work is a
large and accurate map of Turkey, which greatly
assists the reader in his perusal of the " Remarks.
The Ottoman (or Smyrna and Aidin) Railway is
the first line commenced in the Turkish empire.
The works upon the forty miles out of Smyrna,
constituting the first section of the line, arc in
course of rapid construction, and this portion of the
railway it is intended to open in September next.
To show the energy with which the works are pur-
sued, it may be mentioned that about three thou-
sand men, of different nations, are employed on the
line. The prospects of its success are most satis-
factory, and no doubt can be entertained that it will
prove an advantageous as well as great commercial
undertaking. The second, or tunnel section is also
in rapid progress. The third section, to Aidin, lye
arc informed, is easy of construction, and, as soon
as the second section shall be sufficiently advanced,
will be completed without delay or difficulty in time
to open these two sections together.
It appears that Smyrna, the first city in till
Ottoman empire, contains a population of 160,060,
possesses one of the finest harbours i i the world,
and takes the highest rank among the trading ports
of the Mediterranean. The aggregate value of its
imports and exports in 1856 amounted to £5,000,000
sterling, and the tonnage inwards and outwards to
869,380 tons.

In 1847 (according to a return of the Austrian
consul at Smyrna) the imports amounted • to
£2,447,493, and the exports to £2,397,342. The
tradellbf the populous district through which tile
railway will pass is rich in agricultural and mineral
wealth, and will doubtless be further most largely de-
veloped by the facilities which the line will give to
the conveyance of valuable merchandise hitherto car-
ried on the backs of thousands of mules and camels,
at heavy expense and serious loss from damage in the
transport, and from slow and tedious travelling. We
may add that the Sultan is a large shareholder in
the company, that he takes much interest in its
progress and success, and that he rightly estimates
the value of railway communication throughout his
empire.

Sir Macdonald Stephenson's "Remarks" com-
prise a brief abstract of the concession, the traffic
and general prospects of the Sinyrnaßailway,
with
much other matter both important and highly inte-
resting to all classes of the commercial community.
No doubt the opening of the Smyrna and Aidin
Railway will speedily lead to the construction of
similar great enterprises. Sir Macdonald Stephen-
son has large and comprehensive views in reference
to the gradual formation of railway communication
in European and Asiatic Turkey, by which the
whole of Europe, of Turkey, and of Asia would be
brought into close connection, conferring mutual
benefits on the interests both of civilisation and
peace. His ardent desire is to establish a national
highway, as he terms it, through Europe, to the
British possessions in Asia. The opening of the
Smyrna and Aidin Railway will, by demonstrating.
the practicability and remunerative character et
such undertakings, help that colossal scheme, by
which Calcutta would be united by railway with
London ; the British Indies with the British Isles.
With some the practicability. of this noble design
may -be questioned. But in these days of bold
enterprise, of engineering and mechanical skill,
and of liberal support to great works of world-wide
utility, what limit can be fixed to plans of this
nature ? Rapid intercommunication is the domi-
nant idea of the future : our children will enjoy as
realities what we now regard as Utopias.