The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-07
TO PALESTINE BY RAIL.
From the Mediterranean by Way OF LAX
Galilee to Damascus.

TO PALESTINE BY RAIL
From the Mediterranean by Way OF Lake
Galilee to Damascus
If the Turkish Government consents
it is probable that Palestine will be in
vaded by locomotives, and that before
long the conductor will have an oppor-
tunity of calling out "Galilee; all out
for Galilee." and In good Turkish.
Damascus passengers will please re-
tain their seats until the train comes to
full stop" Application has been
made by Joseph Elias, formerly Gov
eminent engineer of the Lebanon, for a
concession for railway from Haifa on
the Mediterranean. about midway be-
tween Tyre and Casarea, by way of
Lake Galilee over the River Jordan to
Damascus. Authority for the naviga-
ton of the lake and priority of right
for the extension of a line over any
other applicant for three years
is asked for. The line is to
follow the river Kishon for six miles,
going within three and three-quarter
miles of Nazareth, and then ascending
the valley to the water sheds Of the
Jordan. The line will proceed along
the northwest of the lake. close to the
plan of Genesaret, up the Jordan,
crossing it two miles below Merlin.
From that point the line turns toward
the east to Damascus, distance of 1O5
miles from the coast. A branch line
will go to Naoua, the capital of the
Hauran, with an option to continue on
to Bosra, the ancient capital of Bashan.
Permission is also asked to go on with
the Palmyra into Aleppo.
The practical part OF Mr. Elias ap
plication is interesting. He estimates
the population to be served at half a
million or about five thousand to the
mile. Damascus has about two hum
bred thousand inhabitants. and there
are ten towns with from one thousand
to ten thousand inhabitants and about
five thousand and forty villages. Al
though the district is very fertile. only
one-sixth of the arabic land is under
cultivation. There is an abundance of
streams however, so that the country
could be easily irrigated. Naturally
cereals are the principal produce. but
cotton can be grown and silk worms
reared. The cultivation of sugar cane
was undertaken there by the Crusad-
ers. Indigo grows wild. licorice is
plentiful, fruits are largely exported,
and olives are abundant The country
is rich in bitumen, coal. iron and sui
phur, and it abounds in forests of oak,
pine and poplar. Although it now
costs at least half the value to bring
the cereals to the sea, the export is fully
10000 tons. THE concession is granted
Mr.. Elias will construct the 100 miles
proposed TO be butt at first for f640, 900
to f6S0.O00. He calculates modestly
on $4,000 through passengers a year at
about three cents mile or 16f. Zoe, or
about s. for los miles. and 80, 600 local
passengers at the same rate. Freight
is expected to pay about four cents per
ton per mile, or about five or six times
what Western railroad commissioners
consider high rate. Even at this rate
there will be a much larger profit to
the farmer than at present, and the
profit on the actual cost is figured at
IL l-2 to IS 1-2 per cent A consider
able amount of corroboratory Informal
ton is given. More than ten years ago
Major Condor advocated the construc-
ton of a railroad on this line. Law
renee Oliphant says that 1000 or 5000
camel loads Of grain arrive at Acre and
Haifa daily during the season Flour
ground at Damascus is of very superior
quality. Even with this primitive
method of communication 675, 352 BUSH
els of wheat and barley were exported
from Acre and Haifa and 243. 100 pounds
of olive oil in 1877. The proposed line
will also cross the pilgrim road to Mec-
ca little above Mezarib.
Mr.. Julius V. Milingten. of the I'm
perial Ottoman Bank OF Constantinople.
is interested in the scheme, and it is
believed that the concession will soon
be put up for sale, in which event it is
not at all impossible that American
capitalists may become interested. -
n. Y. Mail and Express.