New-York tribune., 1874-09-14
ABOLISHING THE DESERT.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INTRODUCING THE MEDITERRANEAN
INTO PART OF THE sAHARA-PRoBABLE CONsE-
QUENCEs IN AFRICA AND EUROPE.
Few engineering propositions or modern
tunes are stupendOus their plan, or key 10 IN
yove more momentous consequences than that OF con-
verng portion Of the great desert OF Northern Africa
into inland The idea has been entertained al
various times previously, but simply as an indefinite
notion without any special attempt at determining the
possibilities.
line OF levels made in 1873 by Messrs. Roudare and
No captains in the French Army in connection with
certain geodetic operations required by the measure
ment Of the meridian Bskra first gave weight To the
project This operation enabled them 20 ascertain that
the Lake. or ChOtt Melghgh, is at Its northeastern
border q meters below the level OF the Mediterranean,
this deepening at the OF onefourth OF meter to
the kometer the westward This was the trst indl-
cation OF the absolute elevation Of any point around
Lake Melghigh a vast depression in the soil, which
formerly received the waters OF the lgharghar river
at that time 1900 klometers In length, which trans
ported the tropical rainfall from the mountains OF
Ahaggar the Algerian Sahara in the Province OF Con-
stantIne.
Capt Roudaire with this hint. began careful study
OF the topography OF Eastern Algeria, supplementing
this by an investigation into certain records bearing
upon this depression In 1unis, as published oT Guerin
and embodied in certain manuscript notes OF Capt
Pricot sainteMare, and he came to the conclusion
that about $50 years before the Christian era the Med
terranean extended westward TO a considerable dis
lance and that the salt lakes Of EDierd, EGharsa,
seIm, and Meghigh are simply the remainder OF the
great bay which, in his opinion. became dry by the
formation of sandy ishmus of about 2e kiometers In
extent TO the north OF the Gulf OF Glbes and or the
place where Triton Bay connected with the Mediterra-
uean he also found TO believe that the Wady OF
Ell Aporil represented the channel which formed the
connection between the dried portion OF TINS uay th @
fbarU vi
The date Of this change in the physical conditions OF
Northern Africa IN his opinion, scarcely anterior
the beginning OF the Christian era ana the cause o
it be refers partly least to the action OF Ins
it's physical conditions, deposited TINS Ie anounl VI
sand aud mud, ultimately ending IN perWanen nan ,nn 1o
with the Mediterranean. TINS separation once & eI
feeted II dd not require great ~ dy " tne Interior
basin, leaving only few salt ponds mere ana tsrc.
ration fOS tue S% surface Of the Medterranean
~ ABOUT 10 inches per annun Wouiu nos ~ ~ ,
fore this result mpshed; and tnc actual uu
up of the bay with saline matters while stl connected
with the Mediterranean, was only preYepucu ~ "" 80
mense volume OF fresh wafer when vas so ~
the Aowras Mountains. The ancient bay aceOrdlhg 70
Roudare, 80 Elonaters long ana oo WIut, anu fc
% sarreSa lrsM s % paters IN Edts n dept snd run
ming at the rate OF II meters per minute . -
ucaton betSesn the westernmost OF salt lakes.
FL Dierid aud the Mediterranean, IL appatehty Oiy
necessary TO open ihmus OF IS kilometers IA eng,
thus renewing the ancient bay and totally chanenk ns
physical ana commercial conditions Oh the in'eror VI
Africa.
Already reference has been made the fact that the
French Government has authorized certain expenul'
for additional observations LOOKING toWarus 'nis
work, and spocuations have been prese - W s
suggested OF cooling the siroeeo Winds OF the desert
which now cross ths Mediterranean and exercise very
ppreciabe affect upou the downward extension 0f tue
glaciers Of the Alps will extremely detrimental 70 tne
interests Of switzerand while Others rideue the idea
s prepostsrous Again. Is objected that tnis eyapora-
tion of the wafer (which will necessarily occur ~ very
mass of salt which wilI soon FIJI the bed of the sea-
To this, however, the experiences resulting from sne
construction of the 5uez Canal are hroagh ~ ~
rainfall along the slopes OF the mountains wiz 10 TO
stored. and that not oaly will sninsent 'olue m ~
fresh waller be brought down 10 supply tue waste Dy
evaporation. but that large extent OF country now
barren desert VII he rendered erue, ana tue "Ho'e
face OF Northern Africa altered Tor the pctteT'