The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-06-02
NlLE CANNOT BE DIVERTED.
SHY Talk About Draining 1t in order
ro Rain Egypt.

Rain EGYPT.
There IS q good deal Of loose talk just
now. concerning tine possibility of some
power possessing itself OF 4 position on
the headwaters of the Nile. and then
cutting the banks in such q way that
the water would be drained away from
Egypt and the latter left without the
overflow which now gives her life.
What are the headwaters Of the Nile?
First. the basin catch of the Victoria
Nyanza, which joins the basin catch of
the Albert Edward Nyanza running on
as a Joint stream TO the north OF Con
dokoro All this way it IS cabined,
cribbed, confined between walls of rock
never less than 1900 in height After
that it runs on toward KLartoum
through a great open alluviaI valley,
receiving on the left bank the mighty
waters Of the Bahr-el-Arab. the Bahr-el-
Gazal, and a number Of other streams. |
Here would be place TO tap the Nile |
50 as to keep the waters away from |
Egypt? No doubt, for about one year |
at the most. But this very valley is It |
self surrounded by elevations OF 1900 |
feet, and consequently after the first |
soakage every drop of water led out of |
the Nile will flow back to the MILF: |
cannot possibly get away. At Khar-
toum runs in the Blue Nile from the
mountains of Aoyssiuia. and thence /
right away. At Khar-Suef, close 10
Cairo, there is a ridge never less than
800 feet high and with minimum
breadth Of $50 miles, sufficient. surely,
70 prevent anybody turning tue Nile
into the Red sea, and we have not heard
yet of any power with money enough to
spare to cut canal 500 feet deep and
15C miles long, or to drive a tunnel at a
similar depth for a like distance
So far for the right bank Of the Nile
The left is bounded by the Libyan des-
ert. There, of course. is the country
INTO which the enterprising E@yptruin-
ar is to divert the Nile. But all the Lib
an desert watersheds is toward the
Nile. The Wadies all make for the Nile.
lot from it. At various distances from
he Nile is range Of not less than 800
'eet trending northwest and southeast
o the very latitude of Cairo itself. so
hat on this side also the Nile is shut in
~ the Libyan desert, which is itself
hut in by the Tarso and Tummo and
Black mountains, and the chain of
which they form part and which runs
,ast until it reaches the GASES fed IN
foreground from the Nile to the north
If Assam.
Therefore the entire Nile basin is held
n an unbroken chain of mountains.
With a minimum elevation of 800 feet.
obviously to break the banks some [
where in this great area and let off the ,
water for the temporary injury of
egypt is possible, but it is not possible
o prevent the water returning TO the
'ed of the Nile. And a careful exami-
ation of the maps show that there is no
lace where the cut would not have TO
re several hundred miles in length 10
reduce any appreciate effect even
But there is a safeguard even against
his outrage. The Nile is not one
tream, but collection of streams. If
be waters of the Bahr-el-Gazal and its
eighbors were suddenly subtracted
rom those of the whole river there ,
'ould remain the true headwaters in
he great lakes. the SCbat, the Blue Nile
nd the Atbara. The configuration of
he river makes it impossible it should
e materially tapped at any one dis
-ict. Even if AbySsinia. cutting off
er nose TO spite Egypt's face. We're TO
ivert the supply from Lake Tana and
mhara district she would only have
urt herself, ard TIN would TO. have
revented two-thirds Of the stream o.,
le Blue Nile running past Famaka 10
hartoum. 1t is the Blue Nile audthe
TIARA which bring down the great
ullI OF the fertiIiz.ng a'luviaI raa%.er.
Ut their course can no more be altered
lring the lower part OF their streams
ian the Tay could be made TO d.
large itself into the CALIFORNIAN canal
Chronicle.