The Grenada sentinel., 1889-06-08
TO PALESTINE BY RAIL.


From the Mediterranean by Way OF Lake
6alilee to Damascus.
II the Turkish Government consents
4 II is probable that Palestine will be in.
yaded by locomotives, and that before
4 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-
4 tain their seats until the train comes to
full stop" Application has been
4 made by Joseph Elias, formerly Gov
ernment engineer OF the Lebanon, for
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 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 lO5
miles from the coast. A branch line
will 60 to Naoua, the capital of the
Hauran, with an option 10 continue on
4 to Bosra, the ancient capital of Bashan,
y Permission is also asked to 60 on with
Il the Palmyra into Aleppo.
u The practical part of Mr.. Elias ap
u pIication is interesting. He estimates
q the population to be served at half
IA million or about five thousand to the
Y mile. Damascus has about two hun
4 dred thousand inhabitants, and there
8are ten towns with from one thousand
4 to ten thousand inhabitants and about
\ five thousand and forty villages AL
Nthough the district is very fertile, only
lone sixth of the arabic land is under
&cultivation. There is an abundance OF
#streams however, SO that the country
could be easily irrigated Naturally
&ccreals are the principal produce, but
Mcotton can be grown and silk worms
#roared, The cultivation of sugar cane
q was undertaken there by the Crusad-
ers Indigo grows wild, licoricc is
&plentiful, fruits are largely exported,
land olives are abundant. The country
4 is rich in bitumen, coal, iron and sui
8phur and it abounds in forests of oak,
Il pine and poplar. Although it now
&costs at least half the value to bring
n the cereals to the sea, the export is fully
u 80 900 tons. If the concession is granted
Mr. Elias will construct the 130 miles
proposed to be butt at first for G640, 900
to f6S0,000 He calculates modestly
on $4,000 through passengers year at
about three cents mile, or l6f zoe, or
a about $3 for l05 miles. and 30, 900 local
passengers at the same rate. Freight
l is expected to pay about four cents per
1 ton per mile, or about five or six times
what Western railroad commissioners
sconsidera high rate. Even at this rate
&there will be much larger profit to
Nthe farmer than at present, and the
#pro6t on the actual cost is figured at
#l7 l-2 to Is 1-2 per cent. A consider
liable amount of corroboratory informa-
#tion is given. More than ten years ago
&Major Condor advocated the construc-
Rtion OF railroad on this line. Law
Hrence Oliphant says that 1000 or 5000
fcamel loads OF grain arrive at Acre and
EHaifa daily during the season. Flour
kground at Damascus is of very superior
! squalty Even with this primitive
method of communication 675, 352 bush
Sels Of wheat and barley welo exported
#from Acre and Haifa and 243, 130 pounds
/ Eof olive oil in 1877. The proposed line
Twill also cross the pilgrim road to Mec-
Ica little above Mezarib.
Mr. julius V. Milingten of the I'm
Eperal Ottoman Bank of Constantinople.
Dis interested in the scheme, and it is
believed that the concession will soon
be put up for sale, in which event it is
mot at all impossible that American
acapitalists may become interested. -
ID Y, Mail and Express,