The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-29
THROUGH THE DESERT BY RAIL

Lieutenant Girouard, the other cores
pondents and myself met at Wady Hal
ia station at five p m. on the 21st to
take the evening water train to rail-end.
At the station we found number of
Sudanese refugees, patiently sitting by
the line amid their bundles of baggage,
awaiting the starting of the Kermeh
train to carry them back to the homes
which they deserted years ago, fleeing
the Mahdist reign of terror Our train,
drawn by fine engine Weighing forty
two tons, carried quantity Of food and
fifteen thousand gallons of water In
large tanks for the use Of the railway
hattalions 1t was smooth travelling
over the well-laid line, and our speed at
first was upwards of twenty miles an
hour. When darkness fell we were well
out in the desert, and therefore in far
more pleasant climate than that of the
Nile bank, with it's damp heat. Here
the air was dry, pure and deliciously
cool; it became even cold before dawn;
one often needs three blankets to cover
one at night at the summit of the line;
here, too, we escaped for a time. the
ever-irritating Egyptian flies. Even the
air of mid-ocean is not more sweet and
invigorating than that of the wind
swept, open desert, where, say the
/ Arabs, the only diseases are hunger and
thirst. So healthy, indeed, is it here
that out Of the two thousand men work.
j ing hard day after day In the sun on the
railway construction there are rarely
more than twelve on the sick-list; and
accidents account for the majority of
these cases. 1t is noticed, by the way.
that the men put on this work, receiving
as they do regular and wholesome ra-
/ tions, rapidly improve in physique, in
creasing in size and weight to a remark
able extent.
Every twenty miles or so we came to
group of white tents-a station with a
siding to enable trains to pass each 9TH
er, with five or six men in charge. In
the middle of the night we stopped for a
time at station No 4, which is seventy
seven miles from Halfa. When Lieu
tenant Girouard planned this railway he
had to base his calcula tons on the as
sumption that not a drop of water
would be found from one end of the line
to the other. But, happily, on digging
for it at No. station, he has found an
abundance of water at depth of fifty
six feet. Three wells have here been
sunk, connected with each other by tun-
nels. In this desert, beneath the thin
layer of loose sand, the earth is almost
as hard as rock, so that no timbering is
needed to support the well sides A
] steam-pump will shortly be placed over
this we'll, The engineers are also now
digging for water at station No. 6, one
hundred and twenty-six miles out. 1t
now seems probable that water can be
found in any portion of this desert by
digging to no great depth If this is the
case the engines will be supplied at the
various stations, instead of having, as
now, to draw trains or trucks heavily
laden with tanks of Nile water.
AT an early hour on the morning of
the I'D our train reached its destination,
an extensive camp, one hundred and
thirty-one miles from Halfa, where on a
plain OF hard yellow sand stood the
white tents of the two railway battal-
ions, and the three companies of the
newly raised Eighteenth battalion, un-
der Captain Ford Hutchinson, which
guard rail-end. When we arrived the
camp was almost deserted, the men be.
ing at work at rail-end, which was five
miles further on. This entire camp is
advanced a few miles every three OF
four days as the work progresses; we
We're told that it would be struck that
very evening, to be pitched again about
six miles on. A temporary siding, two
hundred and fifty yards long, to permit
the passing Of trains, is carried along
with it, and is rapidly relaid at each
fresh encampment. The men are ex
tremely comfortable in camp; their ra.
tons are excellent, and an enterprisine
Greek sutler has been allowed the use Of
a large covered truck which follows the
shifting camp down the railway. Here
the men can purchase anything they
need, from clothing and tobacco to tn,
sugar sweetmeats of which they are Sc
fond; but the sale of Intoxicating LIQUOR.
is kept under strict control
Shortly after nine a. m. train rolled