The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-02
RAILROADS IN EGYPT.
Trolley Line to Be Built From
Cairo to Pyramids.
FACILITIES FOR THE TOURISTS
Queerer Things In the Ancient House
Of Bondage Than Moses Ever
Dreamed OF.
Railway Age.


The state department at Washington
City has received an interesting report ca
the railways OF Egypt from Frederic Z.
PenMld. agent and consul general OF this
government at Carlo II brings for the
FIRST time the Information that the Egypt
Ian ministry recently received from a
EreFscAman a serious application for per-
mission 10 build a ''funlcglss" or rope rail-
way, TO the top OF the great pyramid. I ne
request was not granted. Mr.. Penheld ;
report also contains the Information that
there are several bidders for a concession
for All electric tram line from Cairo TO the
pyramids, a distance Of ten miles. 20 ac-
commodate the enormous number OF WIZ
ter visitors TO the capital. He also says
tfar street railways with electric traction
are promised for Cairo next year, the con-
cessfoRaires being Belgians. The people
of Alexandria also expect 10 have the lux
ury OF trolley lines. There are several
bidders for the concession.
BY far the most Interesting portion OF
Mr. penfieId's report, however. IS that re-
iating 20 the steam railroads Of Egypt
In no way IS the industrial progress OF
Egypt illustrated better than by the
present development Of its railroad sys-
TEN Railway building Is not oy any
means a recent innovatoin in the dncieTlt
land Of the Nile. for the first line--fron
Alexandria to Cairo-was built in ~:
Robert Stephenson completed rail COM
rnunicatson between Alexandria and Susz,
making the overland route 20 India as
practicable for freighting as IL had been
for passenger traffic. This Mr.. Penf1eld
says Is now almost wholly AEperseded by
the great canal OF Isesseps. II Is said
that Egypt In proportion TO population
has more railway mileage and better ser
vice than Austria, Hungary. Spain or
Portugal All railways in Egypt are gov.
ernmental property, with the exception OF
a snort suburban road from AlexaDcrla
along the Mediterranean 10 Ramlen, a
fifteen mile line connecting cairo Win
the health resort OF Helonau. and steam
traznway on the bank OF the Suez canal.
between Port Said and Ismailia- These
private enterprises. as well as the gov
..rnrnental lines, are very profitable fne
Income Of the latter is pledged TO certain
European creditors OF the country as a
partial consequence. 10 use Mr.. Pentield's
own language. "of the pronigate eAtraF-
axance OF Khedtve Isulail."
a network of rails spreads over most
of the Delta and the main line has for
two or three years extended southwark
in the Nile valley TO Gergeh, $50 miles
from Cairo. Two years hence the road
viii be completed 10 keneh, sixty-six
miles further south, and contrasts nave
been signed for carrying it on to As
first cataract OF the Nile. 10 miles from
the Mediterranean This terminus is
expected to be reached In time for the
upper Nile tourist traffic of 1871 Inc
moderate speed at which all trains save
the expresses are driven. and the cheap
ness OF native labor permit the expenses
10 be kept much below the European
average A level country, with frost
and violent storms unknown, makes rail-
way construction a simple matter. Rock
blasting. tunneling. excavating and tres
tie building are practically unnecessary
bridging the Nile however, which has
to be done often is expensive. Thepres-
ent cost of construction in the Delta
where bridges over irrigating canals are
numerous, averages $4,000 per mile for
normal gauge; but in upper Egypt the
cost is not more than $500. The mar
row gauge q meter extending from
Keneh 10 ASsouan, is TO cost only 1880
a mile.
Most Of the locomotives come from
Belgium, and the first passenger
coaches from England. Rails are also
supplied by England and bridges by Bel
gian and French contractors. Most Of
the engineers and nremen employed are
natives the former receiving from $50
10 SIS per month, and tho latter from
Sc 20 10 $50 The few European engineers
employed average in pay 800 per month.
The railways are managed by an inter
national administrative board OF three
members. the chairman Of which Is an
EnGiishman. The others are respective
" French and Egyptian. and the heads
OF departments represent nearly every
European country