Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-05
Through the Desert by Rail.
(Wady Halfa Letter.


Lieutenant Girouad, the other CORE
spondents. and myself, met at Wady
Halfa Station at p. NJ. on the 2lst 10
take the evening WATERMAN TO rail-end.
Al the station we found a number Of
Soudanese 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. heeing
the Mahdist reign Of terror. our train,
drawn by fine engine, weighing forty
two tons. carried a quantity Of food and
1900 gallons Of water in large tanks for
the use Of the railway battalions. IL was
smooth travelling over the well-laid line.
and our speed at first was upwards o.,
twenty miles an hour. When darkness
fell we we're well out i'm the desert, and,
therefore. in a far more pleasant climate
than that of the Nile bank with its damp
heat. Here the air was dry, pure. ana
deliciously cool; IL became even cold be-
fore dawn; C7e often needs three blan-
kets 10 cover re at night at the summit
of the line Here, too, we escaped Tor
time the ever-irritating Egyptian flies.
Even the air of midOcean is not more
sweet and invigOrating than that Of the
wind-swept open desert, where, say the
Arabs, the only diseases are hunger ana
thirst SO healthy indeed, IS II here mat
out of the 1900 men working hard day at-
ter day I'm the sun on the railway con-
struction there are rarely more than
twelve on the sick-iist; and accidents ac-
count for the majority Of these cases. III
is noticed by the way. that the men put
on this work, receiving as they do regu-
lar and wholesome rations, rapidly inv
prove in physique, increasing in size ana
weight TO a remarkable extent.
Every twenty miles OF so we came TO
group of white tents-a station with
siding 20 enable trains TO pass each other,
with five or six men I'm charge. In the
middle OF the night we stopped for a time
at Station No. 4. which is scyenty-seyen
miles from Halfa. When Lieutenant
Girouard planned this railway he had 20
base his calculations on the assumption
that not drop of water would be found
from one end OF the line TO the other.
But. happily, on digging for II, az NO.
station. he has found an abundance or
water at n depth Of ffty-six feet. Three
wells have been sunk, connected with
each other by tunnels. In this desert
beneath the thin layer Of loose sand. the
earth is almost as hard as rock, so that
no timberlng is needed 10 support the
well SIDES. steam pump VIII shortly
he placed over this well. The engineers
are also now digging for water at sta
ton No g. 126 miles out III now seems
probable that water can be found IN any
norton Of this desert by digging 10 no
great depth. II 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
22d our train reached its destination. an
extensive railway camp, ld miles from
Halfa. where. on plain OF hard yellow
sand stood the white tents of The two
railway battalions. and the three compa-
MES OF the newly-raised Eighteenth Bat
TALON. under Captain Ford Hutchinson,
which guard rail-end. When we arrived the
camp was almost deserted. the men being
az work at rail-end. which was five miles
further on. This entire camp Is advanced
A few miles every three or four days as
the work progresses; we were told that
h would be struck that very evening, 10
be pitched again about six miles on. A
siding 80 yards long. to per-
nit the passing Of trains, Is carried along
with IL, and Is rapidly relaid at each
fresh encampment. The men are extreme
81 comfortable in camp: their rations are
excellent, and an enterprising Greek suit
Ter 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 the sugar sweet
meats. OF which they are so fond: but
The sale OF intoxicating liquors Is kept
under strict control
Shortly after 3 A. Nj. a train rolled in
rom rail-end. with ali lis trucks coy