Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-01

Not Exclusively Massachusetts Affair
The Route Projected.
The Boston Adrertiser says: Since the
brief statement last month of the incOrpor-
alton of the Palestine railroad we have
learned additional facts concerning it which
give the enterprise new Importance. 1t is
certain to become, when completed, an
efficient element in eastern politics. In
case of peace, it will be OF continuous bene-
tit to the nations it connects !; in case of
war, it will give immense advantage to the
power which controls it. As was under
stood when the charter was first
made public, the Massachusetts, cor
porations are a small factor. The real
work is to be done with the financial sup
port of two large English banking houses,
and the charter was obtained with the
minimum amount of capital and number
of incorporators. There are in the COM
pany Is men, with each one share of stock
at 500. Eight fthe Is live in Massachu-
setts-just enough to come under the law.
Under the charter the proposed road will
extend from Cairo, in Egypt, to Mosul, on
the river Tigris, with branches to Jerusa-
lem, Jaffa, Nablus, Beyrout, Aleppo,
Iskenderoon and Erzeroum, if it should
be judged best to build them. In
detail the route is described as fol
lows: Beginning at Cairo, the
road runs northward on the Pelu-
siac branch of the Nile to Port Said, the
northern end of the Suez canal. At this
point connection will be possible with the
lines of steamers running between the East
and Europe. Turning eastward from Port
Said, the road will pass over the level
plain near the seashore, across the desc
late track between Egypt. and Palestine.
Soon after entering Palestine it goes
through GAIA, Esdud the ancient Ash
dod), and thence to Ramleh. At this place
the branches for Jaffa and Jerusalem will
leave the main line, the Jerusalem branch
ascending the Valley of the Nahl
Rubin and Wadi Suarar. 1t reaches the
city from the north and west of the Gihon
Valley, and the station will be at or near
main line runs north through the plain of
whence branch is proposed to Fablus,
the ancient Shechem. Continuing north
crly from Bethar to the Abu Zabura, the
road ascends that river valley and crosses
the Carmel range through the Megiddo
pass. From Cairo to this point the max
imum grade is 20 feet to mile, and
through the pass it is 40 feet to a
mile. From the base of the hill of Me-
giddo a branch is proposed, to run down
the plain of Esdraelon, and thence north
ward along the shore through Acre and
Sidon, and by the ruins of Tyre to Bey
rOut. Iskenderoon lies north of BeyrOut
at the northeast corner of the Mediterra-
mean Sea, upon the gulf of the same name,
The main line passes from MegiddO across
the plain of Edraelon, by the base of
Mount Tabor, and along the west side
of Lake Gennesaret. 1t crosses the Jordon
at or near Jacobs Bridge, and follows up
the valley, and gradually climbs to Jebei
Heish at a grade of 60 feet to the mile.
Crossing the summit and descending the
valley on the other side, it stretches across
the plain to Damascus. Thence it is pro-
.jected to the Euphrates, to connect with
the Euphrates Valley railroad, which is
about to be built by an English
company. From the river it extends to
Mosul, and will connect there with a pro-
posed railroad from Diabekir and
the Black sea, Branches to Aleppo and
Erzeroum will be constructed as soon rs
desired after the completion of the main
line. 1t is the intention of the officers of
the road to push its construction rapidly
as soon as the necessary authority can be
obtained from the Turkish government.
This authority is expected soon, through
the cxertions of the projectors and the
English and American ministers at Con-
stantiaople. The president of the road
will depart in a few weeks for London,
Constantinople and the East.