The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-17
4 RAILwAr TO rnE DEAD SEA.


1t turns out that France gains something
by tho Berlin treaty after all. and that her pro-
tectoratc Of Syria. supposed 10 be- n nominal
concession. will proys Of substantial value.
French capitalists have secured q grant
for a railway line from jana 10 tho interior OF
Palestine. which will upon up the Jordan valley
and tbs whole region north " the suez Canal.
Ia certain contingencies this road inight be.
come o. great military usefulness. but ii APP
pears further that tho productive resources ui
the country arc considerable and. what In more
surprising. that tho Dead Sea itself can 10
turned to commercial account
The whole valley Of the Jordan. from Jerusa.
lem 10 Damascus. is extremely fertile. and well
adapted to the culture OF the olive and the vine.
The climate Ia dry and bracng aud well suited
10 northern racee as ~ attested by the fact that
the European emlgrRnts now resident in Paes-
tine. aud engaged in agriculture already num-
Der some 10000 We're Jerusalem and Danias-
Gus linked by an iron road to the Egyptian rail-
way system. or merely TO the coast OF the Le-
want they would become for Egypt what the
slopes VI this Himalayas. nnd other up
land resorts. are for the British deni-
zens VI India. The well-to-do inhabi-
tants OF Cairo aud Alexandria would
go thithcr In considerable numbers to restore
their health. Urd escape tho prostrutlng effects
OF summer in the Nile land. Moreover. the fast
increasing European colony in Egypt would
look to tho same quarter for their food staples.
II we except grain. whose production is fast
being curtailed, owing TO the greater profit
derived from cotton and the suRnr cane.
the banks OF tho Nile produce almost nothing
| III for tho nourishment Of emgrants from the
North. On the other hand. the uplands OF Pal
estine and Syria offer la abundance tho cattle.
the fowls the game. the wines. and tho fruits Of
the temperate zone Indeed. 1t may be said
that Egypt will only become habitable on q large
scale for Europeans when the opening OF Dwiit
and economical communication shall relieve
them from brngingiat high cost from Trieste or
| Mnrseies not only meats. fruit. and wine. but
brick. stone and plaster for buildings. and
combustiblcs for their manufactures. All these
products arc plentiful and cheap on tho north
ern side OF tho suez Canal. and only await some
miles OF rails to supply the Nile land abund-
antly as well rs all the desolate stations OF the
Rcd Sea. where at present all articles OF Euro
pean consumption must DO imported from Grea,
Britain.
II Is as q purveYor. however. OF fuel. rather
than Of food. that the region to be opened by the
new railway deserves particular attention. Hith.
erto the main obstacle TO the development oil
steam trafic in the Levant has been the total
absence OF combustible material Not only
Egypt but the shores OF Syria and the Red Sea
are completely stripped OF wood. and the Goa
imported from the West commands price
ranging from t12 to ga ton. Now the mnsses
OF asphalt continually thrown up by the Dead
Sea attest the presence OF vast subterranear
layers OF fossil vegetable matter and thdst
signs were not long overlooked by the enter
prisinG men attracted TO suez by the opening o.
the canal and the movement OF commerce In
that direction. Recently numerous sounding
have been made between Jafya and the Dead Sei
which. so far. have not disclosed any deposits
OF coal proper but on the other hand. have lait
bare inexhaustibe beds OF lignlte-a mineral
We need not say. which Is coming into genera
use in Europe for tho making OF smeltIron
and Ia in great request rs a combustible FOL
many other purposes. or itself this store o
Ignite Is likely 10 prove an inestimabl
gain to the industries and commerce OF hi
Levant: but we should add that the juxta
position OF asphalt In great quantities furnishes
the elements Of mixture OF Ignite and as
phaltum In the form Of bricks. which Is equa
in heating capacity to the richest bItuminou
coal. while its cost on the ground Is only s2.5O
ton. II 10 known that similar bricks. made vi
OF coal dust and bituminous debris from ga
works. are much sought after by French rail
ways. since. besides their heating power. the
greatly facilitate stowaRe. owing TO their regula
shape. OF course. tho bitumen OF lower Pales
tine has been known from immemorlal times
and was used TO impart solidity TO the struc
lures Of unbakcd clay In AssyriA and Egypt
bu; It may 10 said that the discovery OF tn
subterranean combustible has lifted once 70
all the curse which has 40 long rested upo
Sodom and GomorrAh, and will transform tn
wasted shores OF the Dead Sea into focus Q
. industry and u magazine Of wealth. We ar
evidently about 10 witness the Introduction q
modern civilization and activity into those an
Client and long decayed lands.