The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-06-11
the Blue Nile 100000 cubic meters

the Blue Nile 100000 cubic meters
of water daily.
Khartoum is situated at the junction
of the White Nile and the Blue Nile.
Thus, the water that flows by the city
is derived from two sources. But the
people drink only the water of the Blue
Nile. because that of the White Nile is
SO. charged with decayed organic mat
ter and deadly microbes as to be dead
~ for human consumption, 1t is, in
fact, merely the drainage of malarlal
swamps. The White Nile, obtains q
small part of the water from the melt
ng. of the snow on the peaks Of RuWen
zori-those Mountains of the Moon de-
fined in ancient ptolemaic. charts and
only restored to modern maps by Stan
ley. The bulk of its supply, however.
is the ooZing of a gigantic sponge
formed i've a vast plateau by n
mcrable streams and morasseS. II
plateau is somewhat like that of Min
nesota. with it's countless lakes con-
tributing to the current of the Missis-
sippi. BY throwing up Il bank not
| more than a foot high across II of
| the marshes of the White Nile, the
| Abysinuian king could hold back an
amount of water equal to the whole
quantity now utilized for irrigating the
Nile delta.
Even the defeated Mahadists are
in Il position to. hold Egypt at rallSn,n
| at auy.,ime by thrCTtcning TO cut off
her water supply. Tho, situation lis
certainly rc~markahle. but it is likely'to
be altered before long by the carrying
out of IN engineering project now I'M
der consideration. sIlie : plan is the
filca of an American named Cope
| W~hitchouSc. He has discovered that a
great natural depression exists to the
west Of the Nile valley and about sew
enty miles southwest of Cairo. This
depression. which is 130. feet below the
lHvcl of the Mediterranean. might he
utilized as a reservoir, for holding a
supply of water during the season of
low Nile.
The depression referred to is known
CS the Wadi Raiyau. Mr.. WhiteiloUse
cannot be said to have discovered the
wadi. but he was the first to ascertain
the fact that it was below the level OF
the sea. He was led to the discovery
by Il Clew quite extraordinary. which
was nothing nor For less than a MAJ
preserved in Il monastery on Mount
Attic, and believed to have been draft,
ed by monks during the Middle Ages
The map itself was a puzzle more diff
cult of solution than the famous cipher
givcn by the Able Faria to Monte
Christie. but certain things set down
upon it led Mr.. Whitehouse to the con
ICluSion that the Wadi Raiyan had beer
III" location of an ancient reservoir fol
holding the surplus waters of the Nile
The casual observer. who knows nc
more Of Egyptian history than is to be
,cund in the Anthony and Cleopatra
of Shakespeare. must be struck Will
he enormous difference between tina.
wealth which lavishcd gold on coffir
ids and the miserable Egypt of to-day
whose peasants during five months O.
he year earn an average wage of little
esS than cents Il day. The aneicm
source of wealth. according to tn.
rible story of .iCseph and the descrip
ions Of Greek historians, lay in a res
TtOir situated in a depression to tn,
west of the Nile valley. This depreS
sion. now satisfactorily identified will
he .Wadi Raiyan. seems to have beer
)ut there for this very purpose. bein:
1t Il convenient distance behind TIT
,eck of the delta. where always mus
oe the chief city of Egypt.
AS has been stated, the depression
S 49, feet below the surface level o
he Mediterranean. 1t is 225 feet he
ow. the level of high Nile. According
Y, it is merely necessary to connect /
oy. a canal with the Nile river in OF
Ter to flood it with water. In this nat
lral rcsrrvoir can be kept a supply 0
water sufficient to render Egypt SAT
from water famine during the season
# low Nile. Did such an arrange
nent already exist. the country woul'
lOt now he at the mercy of a hord
Df barharians. who have il in thei
bower to destroy crops worth $4,000
t00 in n single season and to wipe on