Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-04-17
1IIE GREAT DESERT.
rs AREA or SAHARA NEARLY EoUAL
10 THAT or EUROPE.

O~veroome-Ths Important Point In the
ISOLATION OF the African PROBLEM.
We have bat TO lOoE upon the map 10
200 how large n space upon the worlds
surface this mighty desert takes TO e.
self. II covers more square miles than
The whole Of the Mediterranean. II u
were transported across that sea. Il
would extinguish Europe, for It has
been computed that II you leave out
Scandinavia Il would nearly cover the
whole Of It. If It were only sunk in the
sca, the waves would roll over Il, and
Il would DO remembered no more fol-
ever.
But Il insists on keeping its head
above water and above ground, crowd
ing out fertile portions Of the earth,
while its %barrenness renders Il unfit for
'uman habitation. There IL lies on the
saee Of Africa, a hinge black spot, do
.-rted by man, as It seems 10 be accursed
by God. No man passes by It or will
ingly puts his foot thereon. Even the
lonely caravan that skins Il like a bird
leaves no track behind II any more than
the bird in the air or the ship on the
sea. II passes and Is gone, leaving not a
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 the globe.
With such an incubus covering full
half Of northern Africa there would
seem to be little hope Of making any
thing ont Of II, since the cause which
renders its condition so hopeless cannot
DO removed. You cannot abolish the
desert any more than you can abolish
the sea. There it is, and thore Il will
remain forever. Yes, but You can get
oyer the sea in ships or under it by tele-
graphs. 90 that it is no longer a bar to
The intercourse Of nations. Is there any
way Of tanning the desert or subduingit
80 that II shall no longer be a barrier to
the progress Of civilization This IS the
most important question 20 be settled as
bearing upon the future Of Africa.
OF course If 1t 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-
gcther make a country as large as one
" the kingdoms Of Europe, which
France has tho ambition to enlarge still
further, E as to have n great African
empire, as England has her Indian en-
pire. As part OF tho materials for this
she has another great dependency in
Senegambia, on the western coast, a
country covering 400, 600 square miles.
II this could in any way be united to
Algeria, if the two could be consolidated,
the now ''empire" would ut once as
sumo vast proportions. Eat the desert
blocks the way. 1t splits the proposed
empire like a wedge. 1t cannot be re-
moved, but ia there not some way in
which 1t can be converted into a key
stone for tho mighty arch that is to span
the continent from the Mediterranean
10 the Atlantic; That is the problem
which has long exercised the minds of
French statesmen, and which they in
urn have referred to their engineers,
who are among the best in tho world,
with what result may 10 briefly indi-
Gated.
First Of all, they have shown that It
Ia 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 locks
and herds, but which was nearly de-
stroysd some years since by tho wells
becoming so choked up as TO no longer
furnish . supply Of water. Vegetation
Withercd 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 well of GTenelle at Paris. To the
Arabs il seemed a miracle, and they be-
gan 10 sing and dance in the widest
u to express their Joy. The mir
acle y one that can be wrought wher-
ever Uen are willing to take the labor
or to bear the expense. OF course to &C
complish a large result in the way of
pasturage or agriculture it would have
to be repeated on a tremendous scale.
But for the purpose of uniting the two
vast territories OF Algeria and Senegam-
bia the first necessity is that Of direct
communication, which can only be by q
railroad across the desert Of Sahara. Il
this within the bounds of possibility
E0bOdy's opinion is OF any value except
shat or an engineer, and that have
tried to obtain, In Algiers the Amer
lean consul took re to rec Mr.. Brous
sails, who has made q special study o.
the subject and taken long journeys intC
the desert to survey the field Of battle.
He did not conceal from himself the
difficulties OF travelling 1906
miles with the want Of water, the wan.
Of wood for railroad ties, the want o.
everything. flo hooked in the face thu
possibilities Of these sand storms. which
might bury q railroad train, as they
have buried a thousand caravans. Al
this he had taken into consideration
and yet, looking all obstacles and al
dangers In the face, he did not hesitatl
70 assure mo that in his judgment a rail
road across the desert Of Sahara wa
quite within the a Of mOderl
engineering.
But were the dream already fulhlled
the desert crossed and the tide of irave
in full course, the whole African prob
lem would not DO solved. This wOull
be n step toward it.-COr. Evangelist
Obsyod Orders.