Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-07-23

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The erst railrosd built In The In
terror Of tropical Africa w1s tie little
line ninety miles long which connsess
the towns Of KAyss and nsfoulnho =
the Senegal river in Ssnegnn11A
Steamer run up the senegal from sAe
ocean TO Hayes, where the river b.
comes unnsvigable. and the railroad
line TO Bafoulabe il the firss section Of
the extension Of steam facilities u the
Niger river. which in time viii give
uninterrupted steam commanicatlon
between the s~s and the upper Niger.
Awhile ago. seeorting u the New
York Sun, gentleman who travelled
over this railroad aid that il wss in =
very shAbby condition A. one part Of
the line . force Of one hundred M
tivea. supplied with long ropes. wAs
employed 70 give helpful tow 70
traina-
Lieut. Jaime, Ut the French navy.
who made name By his trip 70 Tim
buitu In . gunbcaA eondSms the ~
port that the natives are uscd for
draught purposes to che out the insult
ncient power OF the locomotives
A picture IN the book Just published
by Lieut. Jaime shows tbs train
that took his party over the rosd.
He ssys that several times dur
ing tho journey the locomotive or one
Of the cars was dersilsd. and hours
were Loot in boosting them upon tho
track again Once In awhile every
body on the carr would Jump Oh. In
order 70 take pull st the TOW line or
apply their shoulder 70 the train.
The rosdbed has not been kept In
good condition The locomotives ara
more or less out Of repair. and for .
distance of six miles most Of the motive
force was supplied by the natives with
their long rope The picture shows .
place where only the members OF
Lieut. James party were eking out
the motive power. Some OF them are
seen in front Of the engine, hauling on
the rope, and others are At the sidcs OF
the cars, applying all their strength
toward forward movement
Though the condition Of this little
railroad Is something TO excite hilar-
ity there is no doubt that il Is the be-
ginning Of an important railroad en-
terprise. The line has been surveyed
all the way to the Niger river. and,
without stopping 20 repair the section
of the road now in operation. engineers
and workmen have begun 20 grade the
line beyond Bafoulsbe, and In the
course Of . year or 90 IL viii be ad-
vanced thirty or forty miles further
beyond tho Niger river. 1t will be an
important event when this railroad is
completed, for then Timbuktu can DO
reached from every center of civilizar
ton 10y steam; and by the time the rail-
road reaches the Niger there Is little
doubt that white men viii be admitted
freely into the famous and fanatical
city which so long has excluded for
eign intercourse. The last white man
70 enter Timbuktu was DIR. Lena twelve
years ago.
The news comes that Col Archinard
has completely established the SOW
ereignty Of France in the great country
of Macina, south Of Timbuktu, and
has placed on the throne one Of the
royal heirs who can be wholly con-
trolled by French Influences. The
most important result of this great
success Is that Archinard has thus
opened q way by the Niger 10 Tim.
bnxtu. for this city is dependent. CON-
mercially speaking, upon Aacina-
The French expect TO induce tho chief
Of Timbuktu TO accept protectorate,
and as they now control the region
that gives TO Timbuktu all the COM
merce and wealth itpossesses. there IL
no doubt that Timbuktu will be forced
TO come to terms and open its gstcs to
the world