Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-04
PHASES OF LIrr ACROSS THE SEAS.
moiNSiNGs or = Nrw iIpE IN rnE
HOLY LAND.

AlNlHN lNNNs
lPdiuhHe Ld,,r IN Phaadsiptir Tine,l
The new railroad from laila To jeusa-
lem IS merely the precursor to the great
railway system that is now preparing to
girdle iheHoly Land from north TO south.
A French company has secured con.
cession Tor line from Beyrou, to Dam.
ascus and has already begun operations
Tor the constructions Of a nartow.guagc
road. An English syndicate is now
building a railway from Haila 10 Dam.
ascus, and this will be the most import.
ant section OF the system. The distance
as surveyed is about scventy.nyc miles.
Starting from Haila, with short eight
mile branch round the famous bay OF
Acre to Aka, this road will run along
the northern base OF the long elevated
range OF Carmel; thence 10 the plain OF
ksdmelon, aud, proceeding northeast
crly TO the valley east OF Nazareth. and
passing the villages OF Main, le1reel and
Bgisan. 1t is quite probable that
brasch may be run to Nazareth, which
is iavorite resort Of prilgrims. Leay.
ing Mount Tabor il will traverse the
plain oi Bulthauf and cross the river Jor-
dan On trestle near the point known as
Maiamcth, the Bridge Of Meeting where
the little Jordan joins the great river.
The line will here skirt the southern
shore OF the Sea of Galilec for a brief
distance, andthen run almost without q
curve along the western border Of the
famous wheat region, called in Bible
times the Plains OF Bashan and now
known rs the HauTan. to the southern
gate Of Damascus. II will be about 40
miles long, and must prove Of the great
est advantage to the commercial and
agricultural interests Of the country,
opening the vast wheat fields to the
markets OF the seabord and developing
section OF Syria rich In mines and in
grain, cotton, wool silk, aloes and trop-
ical fruits, and which only awaits such an
enterprise to become an important factor
in the food supply OF the East.
The cost OF this Damascus road will
be about SIC, 900. As a supplement
10 this new road aud prospective
feeder. both to il and to the Beyrout
line, Belgian company is pushing work
on a road from Damascus, a distance Of
sevenly.hvc miles, into the heart OF the
grain district Of the Hauran. These
roads will ultimately be extended to the
valley Of the Euphrates. and thus, before
the century dies, civilization aud COM
merce will have pushed their rcsistlcss
way into that mystical land so long
neglected as 10 be well nigh forgotten,
end which is believed to have been the
cradle Of the human race.
But there IS still another part OF the
| Holy Land, further south than any vet
mentioned, where the pick.aN OF the
navy and the hammer OF the iron-worker
are waking the echoes OF the historic
| hills and Wales, The lalii road is TO
have a branch TO GAIA, IN ancient Philis.
tia and this will continue down to Egypt,
with is probable terminus ut Port said.
This latter road will tap the great grain
producing region of Southern Palestine
and Upper EGYPT.
As aresult OF all this railroad building,
the whole OF syria IS now experiencing
such boom" as has never before been
felt In the East. A new life is beginning
for Palestine, and the inCt is being rec
oguized ina most practical way by many
I Europeans Who are making Investments
in lana here. Building schemes ON
large scale are talked of and there Is In
prospect an early and literal hilflment
| Of the prophecies relative to the restOra-
ton OF the waste place and the building
/ up OF Jerusalem, for which such net
work Of railways on every hand the
ancient capital OF the Jewish kings is
| already giving signs OF feeling the
impetus Of modern enterprise and pro.
| gross.
The harvests of the Hauran-where
/ the finest wheat and barley in The world
/ are rlised-nnw exceed 200 900 tons Of
cereals, OF which hyc.cighls are export
| ed, being carried on camel back to
| Damascus, which adds hity per cent To
| the cost. Caravans from Damascus,
| which, with rs population of 10000, Is
| the commercial center OF Syua, travel
/ through Mcsopotama, boy the Tigri5 and
IupAatcs 10 Mu9ul, Blgdld and llillvh
and to the most distant parts OF Arabia,
Africa and Egypt.
10 Is impossible TO forcshldow, even in
I the llinttsi degree, i've great changes
I that must follow the new regime in these
1uoic countries Damascus, the |, arl
| Of the East" hitherto dlticul, Il access
1 to travellers, will become an Asauc
| counterpart, u Paris Or London Old as
history itself its fchirih will diIuse new
hlc and energy into he surrounding
peoples wiki whom IT'S merchants have
relations. The West, which drew It's
| Life and intellect from lhy East, Is now
ryplying the dept of thc ages hy viyi.
Nng TRANSMISSION that set, the future ul
THESE oriental lands agluw with hope.
one recalls the pp,tIcdl idea of Mat
| thew Arnold who pictures the East as q
sage holding himself superior 10 the
young and bustling West, and who tired
OF the rush and rlaf Of the tempest that
comes 90 disturb his peace from that
quarter shuts mis- ears and with bowed
head returns 90 his contemplativt mood.