Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-02
THE GREAT DESERT.
fHE AREA or SAHARA NEARLY EQUAL
TO THAT OF EUROPE.

A narrier 90 ihs Progress o. Civilization
which Engineering stlu 4 rrJing to
overoome-rhs important Point 10 tho
solution Of the African Problem
We have bat to LOOK upon the map 70
see how large a space upon tho world 3
surface this mighty desert takes 10 IT.
self. 10 covers more square miles thanl
the whole Of the Mediterranean. II u
were transported across that sea, II
would oStinguish Europe, for It has
been computed that II you leave out
Scandinavia II would nearly cover The
whole Of IL. Ifit were only sunk In The
sea. tb, waves would roll over 60, and
Il would be remembered no moro fot'
over.
But IL insists on keeping its head
above water aud above ground, crowd
ing out fertile portions Of tho earth
while a. barrcnnoss renders II unfit Tor
human habitation. There IL lies on tho
face Of Africa. huge black spot de.
serted by man, as Il seems 10 BE- accursed
by God. No man passes BY u or Will
ingly puts his root thereon. Even tho
lonely caravan that skins u like n bird
leaves no track bohiud It any moro than
the bird Ia the dir or the ship on tho
sea. 10 passes and ia gone, leaving nota
trace Of life in man or beast OF bird or
any living thing. SO far as we can see,
the desert Is an utterly worthless por-
ton Of tho globe.
With such an incubus covering full
half Of northern Africa there would
seem TO DO little hope Of making any
thing ont Of II. since tho cause which
renders Ia condition 20 hopeless cannot
bo removed. You cannot abolish tho
desert any moro than you can aboliah
the sea. There It is and there Il will
remain forever. Yes, but you can got
over tho sea IN ships or undor II by tclo.
graphs. 10 that II Is no longer a bar to
the intercourse Of nations. il thoro any
way OF tanning the desert or subduing 10
20 that II shall no longer be- a barrier TO
the progress Of civilization This "a the
most important question 10 be- settled ~
bearing upon tho future Of Africa.
OF course II Il were left 10 the native
Inhabitants all things would continue
as they were from the beginning Of crea-
tion. Nor has Europe NJ large any in
tercst IN II. But there IL one European
power that has an interest In Il. Franco
has large possessions on this side Of tho
Mediterranean. Algeria and Tunis TO.
gothor mako a country as large rs one
OF the kingdoms Of Europe, which
France has tho ambition 10 oulaIgo still
further. 10 as to have great African
empire. ~ England has her Indian EN-
pire. As part OF tho materials for thi'
she has another great dependency In
6onerambia. on the western coast, d
country covering 400. 900 square miles,
II this could IN any way be- united "a
Algeria, " the two could be consolidated,
the new empire" would at onco as
sumo vas, proportions. But the dcsor
blocks tho way. II splits the propose,
empire like n wedge. II cannot be 70
moved, but Ia there not some way Il
which II can no converted into q key
stone for the mighty arch that Is 20 spa
the continent from tho Mediterranean
TO the Atlsntici That Is tho problem
which has long exercised tho minds o
French statesmen, and which they II
turn have referred TO their engineers
who are among tho best IN tho world
with what result may DO briefly iudi
Gated
First Of all, they have shown that 4
"a possible 10 convert portions Of IA,
desert into GASES by tho sinking Of ar
tesiau VOLS. A hundred and fortJ
miles south u Biskra ia tho oasis oI
Tuggurt, which has long supporte,
thousands Of Arabs. with their hock
and herds, but which was nearly dc
etroyed some years since by the we'll
becoming 80 ehoked up ns to no longc
furnish a supply Of water. Vegetation
withorod until the wIotchod people
stripped Of what was 10 them the YER
water OF life aud too Ignorant 10 bo adj
to renew tho supply, were In despal
and began 20 leave tho country.
Then tho French engineers took IN
matter In hand aud instead OF trying 4
clear ont the old wells commenced Dor
ing tho solid earth and In fivo week
struck water 90 Suoh good purpos
that n river rushOd forth that yiolde,
double the quantity furnished By Oh,
great w6il Of GTenplle at Paris. To tn
Arabs II seemed miracle. and they DO
gan 10 sing and dance in the wiides
manner TO express their Joy Tho mir
acle 10 ono that can bo wrought whor
ever mon are willing 20 take tho labo
or 70 boar the expense, OF course to nc
oompliah a large result In tho way o
pattufage or agriculture IL would hay
TO DO repeated on a tremendous scale.
But for the purposoo Of uniting tho tw,
vast territories of Algeria and sonogam
bia the fret necessity Is that Of difoc
communication, which can only DO by
railroad across tho desert VI Sahara, /