The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
SOUDAN'S CAPITAL CITY
khartOam 70 Be Result on an In
posing Scale.
An English Church and Mosque to
He Erected Mt the Expense of the
GOVERN cnt-Rcsurrcction of the
Cities Destroyed by the Dervishes
Tributes to General Gordon.

Another considerable work undertaken
by the Government has been the rebuild
| ing OF the cities which the Dervishes had
destroyed or had allowed to decay. OF
| these by far the most important was, of
course. the rebuilding of Khartoum, in
volving as it did the traIsference of the
seat of government from the Dervish city
OF Omdurman. A variety of motives
urged the necessity of this step; it was
| gratifying both to British and to Egyp-
tian national sentiment to see the .cstora-
4, ton of the old capital of the Soudan TN
dertaken almost as matter of course, in
| tribute to the memory of Gordon, imme-
| diately after the dispersion of the rebels
| who had sacked the city and taken the
Pacha S life. 1t was undignified and there
| fore dangerous for Government whose
| strength is not Independent of its prestige
| to accept capital from the Dervishes at
second hand; to destroy the Mahdis city
was the logical continuation of the policy
which destroyed his body and his tomb
independently Of these inducements how
ever, khartoum was chosen on its merits
| as the true national site of the capital OF
| the Soudan. There were not wanting those
who urged the claims of the Khalifa's city;
| that the site Of Omdurman was higher,
/, drier, and healthier could not be denied
The great expense, both to the Govern
ment and the people, of moving across the
river was one which ought not to be lightly
undergone. 1t was military considera-
ton, always paramount in the Soudan, that
turned the scale. The strength of forth
fed position at Khartoum would be so
great that no future Mahdi. even though
he came with Maxim guns, would ever
again be able to plant the black flag OF
his jehad over the ruin Of civilization.
When it became known that it was Lord
Kitchener's determination to rebuild
khartoum, host OF claimants to the soil
sprang UP where previously there had been
none. 1t was found necessary to appoint a
commission, under the presidency of Lieu
tenant Colonel DrGge. to adjudicate upon
these conflicting claims, and to award com,
pensa;ion in cases where the land was re-
qufred by the Government. In some cases
the old title deeds had been preserved; in
others these had persisted, and the testi-
mony of witnesses alone was available; in
others again restitution had previously
been made by the Egyptian Government in
1885. Assisted by two mamours and by two
ancient notahles. Lieutenant Colonel barge
sat for four months, receiving claims and
ccunterclaims and issuing certificates to
those who succeeded In establishing their
followed in many instances by their sale
for trifling sums to the Greek traders, who
had already arrived upon the scene, and
much of the most valuable land In the new
city passed thus at once into the hands OF
few wealthy capitalists; striking ex-
ample of the necessity Of the ground land
lord to the constitution OF the infant COM
munity!
The whole city has been laic out en- a
rot Tha Ill
the banks of the Blue Nile is more than
three miles long; the depth inland is near |
ly mile and a half. The public buildings
lie along the river bank. At the extreme |
southeast the Gordon Memorial College. a |
large red brick structure with shady gal |
leries and portfcos, covering three sides o. !
square. has far outstrippsd its scholars, and |
in few months it will be ready for work. |
In the centre of the lines. on the exact site
of Gordon's palace, rises the palace OF he ,
now practically COM /
pleted. 1t is handsome Venetian looking
red brick edifice, with white stone arcad-
ings and ogives; the facade overlooks the
river; the open court, fanked by Two
wings, looks out over the city across a spa
cious garden in which there still flourish q
few of the old palms and lemon trees OF
Gordon's day. Farther northwest are other
large buildings which will soon be finished,
ordnance stores. The road in front f tn en-
will be thanked throughout by a stone river
wall.
Parallel with this imposing river front
run several long avenues-Sirdar's Avenue
Victoria Avenue, Shasta Cromer. These
ire regularly crossed by main streets, not
ess than ninety feet wide The block.
hus formed are further intersected by
iiagonals, the cross roads forming the KEY
of he ~ dofa !
n such way that four Maxim guns could
control the whole interior OF the city. Near
he northeast corner Of the river front there
S being rapidly built by British capital the
lotel which at the end Of their long desert '
Quincy will receive the weary visitors to
he capital of the Soudan. Nearer the CEN :
re of the town are the shops, restricted to
he quarter round the sock or bazaar, and
lose at hand a covered market on Indian
models is about to be built In Abbas ,
square. A mosque and an English church
re also 10 be erected at Government ex-
ense, and the Christian cemetery of the
austrian mission. which had been utterly
wrecked by the fury OF the Dervishes. has
een restored. and the gravestones replaced
" Colonel Drage's care. Outside all these
buildings on the desert front line of 6e-
ensible barracks, with redoubts Will he
rawn along the narrow ere from Nile 10
lile.
Such is the new city of Khartoum as it
les behind the fringe of palm and orange
roves which rise, true mirage among
he false>to greet the traveller approach ing
cross the barren deserts of the north; a
ity OF broad streets and handsome build
ngs, of tramways and electric light plant
in the heart of Africa by the auI ocratic
'ill OF a single man, designed in its en- h
irety and equipped with all its public d
uildings within year by the grorp of | l
rilliant young officers of the Royal En- &
ineers on whose devoted shoulders the !
urden of this work has lain.-London C
lines.
Arlington md MOunt y~rnor r