The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-04-27
THE GREAT DESERT.
THE AREA OF SAHARA NEARLY EQUAL
TO THAT OF EUROPE.

olution of the African Problem.
We have but to look upon the map to
see bow large a space upoa The worlds
surface this mighty desert takes to it.
self. It covers more square miles than
the whole Of the Mediterranean. IT it
were transported across that sea, it
would extinguish Europe, for it has
been computed that il you leave out
Scandinavia it would nearly cover the
whole of it. If it were only sunk in the
sea, the waves would roll over it, and
it would be remembered no more fol-
ever.
But it insists on keeping its head
above water and above ground, crowd
ing out fertile portions of the earth,
while its barrenness renders it unfit for
human habitation. There it lies on the
face of Africa, a huge black spot, de-
serted by man, as it seems to he accursed
by God. No man passes by it or will
ingly puts his foot thereon. Even the
lonely caravan that skins it like a bird
leaves no track behind it any more than
the bird in the air or the ship on the
sea. 1t passes and is gone, leaving not
trace Of life in man or beast or bird or
any living thing. So far as we can see,
the desert is an utterly worthless por-
ton Of the globe.
With such an incubus covering full
half of northern Africa there would
seem to be little hope of making any
thing out of it, since the cause which
renders its condition so hopeless cannot
be removed. You cannot abolish the
desert any more than you can abolish
the sea. There it is, and there it will
remain forever. Yes, but you car get
over the sea in ships or under it by tele-
graphs, SO that it is no longer a bar to
the intercourse of nations. Is there any
way of tanning the desert or subduing it
so that it shall no longer be a barrier to
the progress of civilization? This is the
most important question to be settled as
bearing upon the future of Africa.
Of course if it were left to the native
inhabitants all things would continue
as they were from the beginning of crea-
ton. Nor has Europe at large any in
terest in it. But there is one European
power that has an interest in it. France
has large possessions on this side of the
Mediterranean. Algeria and Tunis to-
gether make a country as large as M
Of the kingdoms Of Europe, which
France has the ambition to enlarge still
further, so as to have a great African
empire, as England has her Indian en-
pire. AS part of the materials for this
she has another great dependency in
Senegambia, on the western coast, a
country covering 400, 900 square miles.
If this could in any way be united to
Algeria, if the two could be consolidated,
the new empire" would at once as
sumo vast proportions. But the desert
blocks the way. 1t splits the proposed
empire like a wedge. 1t cannot be re-
moved, but is there not some way in
which it can be converted into a key
stone for the mighty arch that is to span
the continent from the Mediterranean
to the Atlantic? That is the problem
which has long exercised the minds Of
French statesmen, and which they in
turn have referred to their engineers,
who are among the best in the world,
with what result may be briefly indi-
Gated.
First of all, they have shown that it
is possible to convert portions Of the
desert into GASES by the sinking Of ar
tesian wells. A hundred and forty
miles south Of Biskra is the oasis of
Tuggurt, which has long supported
thousands of Arabs, with their f1ocks
and herds, but which was nearly de-
stroyed some years since by the wells
becoming so choked up as to no longer
furnish a supply of water. Vegetation
withered until the wretched people,
stripped Of what was to them the very
water of life and too ignorant to be able
to renew the supply, were in despair
and began to leave the country.
Then the French engineers took the
matter in hand and instead of trying to
clear out the old wells commenced Dor.
ing the solid earth and in five weeks
struck water to such a good purpose
that a river rushed forth that yielded
double the quantity furnished by the
great we'll of Grenelle at Paris. To the
Arabs it seemed a miracle, and they be-
gan to sing and dance in the widest
manner to express their joy. The mir
acle is n that can be wrought wher
ever men are willing to take the labol
or to bear the expense. OF course to &C
complish a large result in the way O
pasturage or agriculture it would have
to be repeated on a tremendous scale.
But for the purpose of uniting the TIVE
vast territories Of Algeria and Senegam
bia the first necessity is that Of direc
communication, which can only be by
railroad across the desert of Sahara. i
this within the bounds of possibility
Nobody's opinion is of any value excep
that Of an engineer, and that / hav
tried to obtain. In Algiers the Amer
lean consul took me to see Mr.. Brous
sails, who has made a special study o
the subject and taken long journeys int
the desert to survey the field Of battle.
he did not conceal from himself tn
enormous difficulties Of travelling $50
miles with the want Of water, the wan
Of wood for railroad ties, the want Q