The Indianapolis journal., 1893-10-15
STEAM ENGINES IN THE HOLY LAND.
Damascus to Witness Revolution
Now that Trains Are to Run There.

Now that Trains Are to Run There.
A network of railways will soon be ex-
tended through Palestine, from Egypt to
Damascus. the trains passing en- route the
IomD or Rachel and the tower of Ramleh,
nylng through Joppa and along the coast
TO Jerusalem, where there is a neat little
station. .. Joppa you viii remember as an
ancient seaport of Palestine, and was at
one time the harbor of Judea, when it was
fortified by Simon. Josephus speaks of it
as the haunt of pirates, and on this ac-
1t would now be an insignificant place were
1T not for its commanding sea front, which
gives 1t advantages over any seaport east
of Alexandria.
In the immediate vicinity stands the pride
or Joppa-the new railroad depot, which
was formally opened with imposing cere-
monies by the Governor of Jerusalem,
Ibrahim Haiku Pasha. A grand banquet
followed the opening and the Sultan's spe-
ciai envoy, who had been sent in advance to
see that the terms OF concession were
strictly observed, was leading guest.
Ine engineers of the new road who made
the surveys and directed the building oper-
ations are nearly all Europeans. Not in
many generations has Joppa seen such
a gala day as that upon which the new
ger traffic. 1t was interesting to observe
how the various nationalities regarded the
enterprise. The Turkish officials. accus-
-Cmed to Western ideas, regarded 1t as q
source of prospective revenues.
rhe townsmen, Syrians, Mosems and
others went IN mobs to the depot to in
spec the pu1nng engine ana It's tender, and
remarked in amaZement and superstition
how IL could move Of its own accord, draw
ing the heavy cars behind 1t. AS 1t moved
away, with a shrill shrek of the whistle,
the women and children put their hands
over their ears and screamed, while the
Arabs scampered away. badly frightened.
From Joppa to Jerusalem the distance
is about thirty-six miles by cars, and the
trip requires about three and one-half
hours. Through a beautiful open country.
Sharon. In the distance the little village of
Beth-Dagon is barely visible, and is not of
sufficient impor lance to warrant a depot.
The plain surrounding Remleh is still in
tested by robbers, but the advent of the
railroad will tend 10 lessen these despera-
does. The next station of interest is at
LYDIA, called Ludd, where the apostle
Peter and friends once lived. II is reached
through dense orange groves. The ruins OF
the old church erected in honor of ST
George are plainly discernible, as are also
the artistic heights OF Ajalon and the dis
tant Judean mountains. short distance
beyond a group Of Bedouin horsemen
stand awaiting the arrival OF the train
but their statuesque pose Is interrupted
by an ear-splitting whistle. which so ter
rorizes them that they put out in all d.
rections the riders clinging with diff
Guilty TO their saddles. We pass solitary
ruins; villages and hamlets miserable in
appearance, like most OF the places in
Palestine; past Samson's old lighting
ground and battlehelds. now nearly for
gotten; then the hills Of Judea loom up
ahead, and then the engine stops at the
gate OF Jerusalem. The trains run from