Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-08
TROLLEY LINE TO THE PYRAMIDS,
The Traveller Nowadays Has Many
COnVenieni'cs.
electrical Review

I
| The SOeiete Anonyme des Tramways
/ du Cairo commenced operations in the
year 1896. having laid about eighteen miles
/ of track. Four separate branches diverge
! from the centre OF the city, one going 10
! Abbaesivoh. the English cavalry barracks:
! ono TO Bulak. OF old Cairo. and TO the
| Citadel. the latter familiar to the reader
| because Of the massacre Of the Name
/ luEes.
! The financial success of these lines en-
couraged the company 10 commence ope-
ration upon an extension. Every visitor
/ TO Fgyut arrives there with one thought
/ 10 visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx.
I These are the centres Of attraction. as
much so as Niagara Falls is 10 the Euro
uean tourist in the United States. The
now tramWay line runs from the west
| end Of Kasr-el-Nil bridge. one mile from
| the centre Of Cairo. extending up the
bank of the Nile a distance of two miles,
TO Gizeh. and thence I'm westerly d.
rection for seven and one-haf miles TO
the foot Of the Gizeh Pyramids and the
Sphinx.
The native Egyptian looks upon his
venerable monuments Of antiquity with
great reverence and awe, and cannot
understand the hilarious manners OF the
Eurouear visitor. who make the occasion
of the visit one OF eating and drink
ing and singing irreverent songs. Per
hans much Of the irreverence of the
tourist NAV be ascribod to the usual me
tbod of approach p the pyramids. which
is painfully disappointing. The new
tramwav line affords views from several
noiuts and will serve TO increase the
strange fascinatio which grows gradual
~ when the Pyramids have been seen
several times.
At present the tramway Is not allowed
10 cross the Kasr-el-Nil bridge 10 con-
meet with the city lines. The members
If the Egyptian Railway Commission
have raised several objections, alleging
that the bridge is not sufficiently strong
. ro carry the cars. For considerable
+ time the commission would not allow the
. c-npanv TO cross railway tracks. but this
n.- since been waived. The desecration
of the Pyramids by a large number of
.re tourists may have had weight with
/ The minds of the commissioners.
Tho line 20 the Pyramids is single
/ track with turnouts for care to pass
each other but II is soon to be made
/ d0lt'e-track road throughout. as the traf-
/ nc is Increasing The usual over
/ head trolley wires are used. The motor
men and conductors are native Arabs.
Their uniform is of tight-ntting yellow
/ duck cloth. with a black belt
At present the fare is maintained at
what We should consider rather a high
rate. For each journey one pays five
piastres. and the same back, equal 70
about % cents. American money The
trip from the bridge TO the Pyramids can
be made i'm fourteen minutes but IL Is
usual TO occupy one hour for the round
trip The route taken by the cars Is
very attractive; trees line the road on
both sides for about eight miles. The
tracks for the cars are on the left edge
under the branches. The great value Of
this ride consists i'm the lons-distance
views of the Pyramids. The first thing
visible 10 the passenger is q great cone
sharply outlined against the densely blue
sky. Immediately i'm the rear of this
great cone two others loom heavily up.
This aspect of the three giants is of
startling impressiveness.
The trolley-cars rapidly pass the village
Of the Bedouins. 10 whom is entrusted
the care of the Sphinx and Pyramids.
The village seen from the car tracks,
resembles a series OF ruins standing upon
the sands Of the desert. These Bedouins
enjoy "a monopoly Of conducting visitors
TO the Pyramids. They are very expert i'm
rendering assistance TO those ambitious
enough TO desire 20 reach the top.
Experience has shown that. as facin-
ties aresranted, traffic Increases. The
small line of t-amway 10 the Pyramids
and the sphinx seems a trihe yet il will
afford the means for many thousands 10
visit comfortably these ancient monu-
ments.