The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-15
THE FIRST PALESTINE RAILWAX.

passengers for JOppaT' no probably did 20 very
much in the spirit In which Macauiay proph-
esled the New Zealander sitting on the
ruins Of London Bridge. as m event In tho
dim future. and ~ \ part Of some distant inn
pending social revolution: but the realization
OF the prediction Is becoming imminent. Tho
pre,imi nary survey has Just been completed a.
far M tho Jordan. Of the Hamidic or Aero and
Damascus Railway. which bids fair to 10 tho
FIRST Palestine railway.
1t IL called tho Handle line because It Is
named after his present Majesty tho Sultan
Abdul Hamid and probably one reason why
tho Firman has boon granted 90 easily
los In tho fact that Il passes through
Q great extent Of property which he has
recently acquired to the east Of the plain OF
Esdraelon. The concession Is held BY tea
or twelve gentlemen. some Of whom arc Mos
lens and some Christian. but all are Ottoman
subjects resident In Syria. Among the most
influential arc the Messrs. Bursock. bankers.
who own tho greater part OF tho plain Of Es-
draelon. aud who have therefore . large inter-
est In the success OF the line. From which It
will appear that this Is no speculation OF West
ern promoters or 1nanciers. but q real bona
nde enterprise. and one which Ia likolv to boz
come large source Of profit To the holders OF the
concession and 10 the shareholders. for II will
tap one Of the richest grain prod cing districts
In the East.
have myself ridden over the line for tho
first twenty miles. and have just seen tho
surveying party who have returned well
satisfied with the facilities which It ofrers from
an engineering point Of Wow. Starting from
Acre. It will follow the curve OF tho buy Tor ten
miles in q southsriy direction at u distance OF
about two miles from tho beach. Crossing tho
Kishon by sixty-foot bridge. 1t will turn east
hn esann nj ali hrnn linz
two n,iles long. at Haifa. Hugging the
foot OF the Carmel range. SO as to avoid
the KshOn Marshes It will pass through the
gorge which separates that mountain from tho
lower ranges Of the Galilee hills. and debouch
into the plain of Esdrael0n. This plain II will
traverse In its entire length. The station for
Nazareth will be distant about twelve miles
from that town ; there may. however. be q short
branch to the foot Of the hills.
80 far there has only been rise from tho
sea level In twenty miles OF two hundred and
ten feet 70 that tho grade Ii imperceptible
1t now crosses tho watershed. and COM
msnoes to descend across the plain Of
Jezreel to the valley OF the Jordan. Here
the Wady Jalud offers an easy incline az far M
Beisan. tho ancient Bethshean. and every mile
OF the country It has tIaversed so far Is private
property. and fairly cultivated. At Beisan IL
enters upon region which has. partly owing
to malaria and partly TO its insecurity. been
abandoned to the Arabs but 1t Is the tract Of
all others which the passage Of a railway Ia
likely to transhgure. for the abundance OF
the water. which Is now allowed to stagnate In
marshes. and which causes its unhealthiness.
is destined to attract attention to its great
fertility and natural advantages which would.
with proper drainage. render 1t the most profit
able region in Palestine. Owing to the elevation
of tho anrinua which Spnd THAR ppfioug
streams across the site Of Bcisan the rich plain
which descends to the Jordan. i've hundred
feet fee, below can BE- abundan,ly irrgateedI I'm
In his Land and the Book" few spots on
eurth. and none in this country possess great
er AGRICULTURAL and manufacturing advantage,
tratop on the part Of the Governm.nt
sea by rail. to make Beisan an important
commercial and manufacturing centre. All
expense by its nbounding brooks. and then
gated BY the Jalad. and the Ghor Besan below:
tion in and Of themselves. There is u little bit
to the vsey " IT, jordan hss eight
feet below the level of the sea, which it then fol-
Near this ancient Roman bridge OF three arches.
which is used to this day by the cprnynns OF
s ca mel wnien bring the produSSr 81 the Hanrnn
the Jordan. probably the only one in the world
which will have for its ncighhor an actual
thus, in this now mi-barbarons country.
bringing into close contact an ancient and a
dan. the line will still follow the banks
q at r wScb to wilt wsaa
about ut ys miles long by four vide to the base
This is the extent to which the survey has
Of the ridge which ovsrlooks the Yarmuk,
9T to follow the w sast shore q the Lake Ss Of
great adyantsses for GRADE BY W wheh to w.
eend nearly three thousand feet in about tiii.
sen ens %s This on The fs line toughest Ssa is f
close, proximity to the, steep place down
which the swine possessed by dovils are said to
twill traverse the magnificent pasture lands
OF Jaulan, across which rode four years ago
which it was watered wero flowing copiously.
and an the TIL waving grass reached nearly up to
This rich tract was the ono on which it is
herds-at least all tho local tradition, points
Inhabitants. the ruins Of whose Villages das
Who now pasture vast herds Of cattle Id upon
IT, and droves of horses which are fat,cncd
previous. to being exported to Egym The
course OF the line across this region has not
been definitely fixed, but it will probably take
as southern direction as possible. SO rs to tap
the grain-growing country OF tho Huurui
There may possibly DO u short branch to
MeZrib. which is the principal grain emporium.
ana one OF the most important hating places
on The great pilgrimage road from Damascus
to Mecca. IL Is calculated that the transport Of
grain alone from this region to the const will
suffice to pay u large dividend upon the
capital required for the construction Of the
rond. which will be about 1870 miles in length.
do not remember the number Of tons annu-
ally conveyed on the backs Of caniels to Aero
and luifa. but have seen thousands of these
ungainly animals collected ut tho gates ofboth
those towns during the season. and the amount
must be something enormous. This does not
include the whole OF the Damascus trade
which now finds its way By the French carriage
road across the Lebanon to Dcyrout and
WHICH will all be diverted to the railway. or tho
produce OF the rich country II truyersCs be-
tween the sea coast and the Jordan.
The grantees. have also secured the right to
put steam tugs upon the Lake OF Tibcrias and
under the Influence OF this new means II
transportation. the desolatc shores will undergo
transformation, Tho great plain Of Genne-
sareth across which rode month ago is now
a waste Of the most luXuriant wild vegetation.
watered by three fine streams. besides being
well supplied with springs II was celebrated
81 old Tor the amount and variety Of its pro-
duce. anu ! have no doubt is again
destined to DE SO. The plains In which
ChorMi m. Bethsaida. and Cnpernaum stood