The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-08-05
NEARLY AS BIO AS EUROPE.
The, Sahara Desert, Which May KEY
he by a Railroad.

he panue by n Railroad.
We have but to look upon the map to see
how large a space on the eartns suilu.e
this mighty desert takes to ITSELF sa'S
Henry NJ. Field in the New YORK Evan.
gclist. 1t covers more square lniies than
the whole Of the Mediterranean. II II were
TRANSPORTED across that sea 1t would eAth-
guish Europe, for it has been computed
that II you leave out Scandinavia II wouio
nearly cover the whole OF 1t. IL IL were
only sunk In the sea the waves Wouio foil
over 1t and 1t would be reniemDefeu no
more forever. But it insists OH keeping lis
head above water and above ground. crowd
ing out fertile portions OF the earth, WINE
its barrenness renders 1t unit Tor human
habitation. There 1t lies on the face Oh
Africa, a huge black spot, deserted by man.
as it seems to be accused by GOD. 80 man
passes by it or Willingly puts his toot there
on. Even the lonely caravan that Sans II
like u bird leaves 10 track behind 1t any
more than the bird in the aid or the slid
on the sea. 1t passes and Is gene. leaving
not u trace OF life In man OF beast, or blrd.
or any living thing. SO far US we can rec
the desert is an utterly worthless spot OF
the globe. With such an tucupus covering
full half Of Northern Africa. there would
seen to be little hope OF making anything
out Of it, since the cause which renders It's
conultion SO hopeless cannot be removed.
You cannot abolish the desert any more
than you can abolish the SEA. There 1t Is,
and there it will remain forever. Yes; put
You can get over the sea Ia ships. or :!nu'a
It by telegraph, SO that IT IL no longer u
bar to the intercourse Vi nations. IS there
any way Of tanning the desert or suDauing
i SO 1 that ! it shall "a niy, IoaSeI ~ his ! sa' IS the he
mos. important question to be settled as
bearing upon ne future 81 Africa. - ,n.
habitants, all things would continue as tHey
were from the beginning. OF creation. NOE
has Europe at large any interest IN 1t. but
fhnro is n ENurpj.t1n ypyrpf that mas an III.
t terlst 7 in I" It. France iyannvc has large possessions
on this side of the Mediterranean. Aigeraa
as 8 one Of the kingdoms Of Europe, which,
France has the ambition to enlarge sun
further, 50 as to have a great great A amGire. e Az
pther great dependence in senegambia, on
the western Coast, 3 country covering 4 .oo,v
eens salisa TO- III Ah,Fs ns& ! sas e. WIZ, 81 s
once ASSUME, vast pf0Fortlons But the DIES;
empire Itei ike a wedge. it Cannot be removed,
but Is there not some way IN when ~ II , Gav
6 oec 6o9 qSet IS to tn' span a As tie continent from 20
Mediterranean to the Atlantic? That is the
problem which has long exercised the mlnd an
turn have referred to their engineers, Wh9
are among the best in the world, with VIVA
no E.FSf{ Of t. al eon ,asy poTtion ss0@ " III, !na' ds IS T
into Gases by the sinking Of artesian p Wsiis
sup tas siSi thousands ua nHss Of Arabs, with theil
focks and herds, but which was nearly early he
a supply Of water. Vegetation witheret
until the , wret ths le psoR %ete str II }ffe, o an %f to
ienorant to be able to. renew the supply
were in despair The and Fre 5egan en 20 teaye tool oo
tho matter in hand. md, instead OF tryln
to clear out the old wells, commenced BORN
the solid earth. and in five weeks st true
rushed forth that yielded double the quar-!
tity furnished by the great wells sasn OF Gr rene
miracle, and they began TO sing and dane
Or to bear tie expense. OF. course, to &C
complish a large result; IN the way OF pas
r repess 91 on as g tremendo IL w seaie. have to b
vast territories Of Algeria and ssnesambia
municatIon,. which can only be BY. railroad
across the destert Of Sahara; Is this within
the bounds Of possibility; Nobody's Opinion
and that ! have tried to obtain. In Algier
the American consul took me to see NJ
the d Sssaset to a sary es!'t tie ' aeia & sfo bafile. III Il
dia nSt s9p Cf tra fsGm hi 1,so5 miles tie e %ifh 9S
want Of water, the want Of wood for rail
road ties, the want Of everything. n
sand storms which might bury a railroad
train, as they have buried a thousand cara
vans. All this he had had taken into con
and dangers in the face. he did not hesitate
to assure me that in his judgment a rail
within the resources Of modern engineering
But were the dream already fulfilled, til!
desert crossed and the tide Of travel in full
course. the whole African problem woul.
not be solved. This would be one stel
toward 1t. It would pierce Africa at
difficulty in her geography. It would toucl
regions otherwise inaccessible. It woult
take the Soudan in the rear. 1t would max
q direct connection with the western coast
to take the Mace of the long ocean VOYAGE.