The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-23
KHARToUM TO-DAY.
An English City Growing on the
Banks of the Nile.
From the Manufacturer.


From the Manufacturer.
Soon after the fall of Omdurman 1t was
decided that the seat Of government in the
Soudan should be moved back across the
Nile TO its old location at Khartoum. This
decision was based chiefly on two consid-
erations. The first was the fact that Brit
ish authority in the Soudan is largely de-
pendent on prestige, and It was considered
that the moral effect of re-esta blishing the
old capital aud the consequent decay of
the Dervish city would be salutary. and,
moreover, the attempt to work over ON
durham into a civilized seat OF government
would bring about conditions which might
lessen the respect Of the Inhabitants for
the energy and power OF their corquerors.
The second reason was the ease with which
the old city could be made proof against
attack. Omdurman. on the other hand, is
higher, dryer and less unhealthful than
the old city and much stress was laid
upon the public and private expense in
volved In the change.
Military considerations prevailed how
ever. and the new British capital was
planned accordingly. A correspondent of
the London Times gives an interesting ac-
count on the remarkable progress made in
the construction OF the new city, since
the plans we're adopted, as follows:
The Modern City.
THE whole city has been laid out on
metropolitan scale. The river front along
the banks of the Blue Nile is more than
three miles long; the depth inland is near
ly mile and half The public buildings
lie along the river bank. At the extreme
southeast the Gordon Memorial College,
large red brick structure with shady gal
lerles and porticos, covering three sides OF
a square. has far outstripped its scholars
and in a few months il will be ready for
work. In the center of the lines. on the
exact side OF Gordon's palace, rises the
palace of the governor general, now prac-
ttcally completed 1t is a handsome Vene-
tisn-looking red brick edifice. with white
stone arcadings and ogives; the facade
overlooks the river; the open court, flank
ed by two wings, look out over the city
across spacious garden In which there
still flourish a few OF the old palms and
lemon trees OF Gordons day. Further
northwest are other large buildings which
will soon be finished, the government Of
fces and the supply and ordnance stores.
The road in front OF them will be Ranked
throughout by stone river wall.
Up-to-Date improvements.
Parallel with this imposing river front
run along several avenues--Slrdar's ave-
nue., Victoria avenue, Shasta Cromer
These are regularly crossed by main
streets not less than ninety feet wide. The
blocks thus formed are further intersected
by diagonals. the crossroads forming the
keyponts of the city for purposes of de-
Tense in such a way that four Maxim guns
could control the whole interior of the
city Near the northeast corner OF the
river front there is being rapidly built by
British capital the hotel which. at the end
of their long desert journey, will receive
the weary visitors TO the capital of the
Soudan. Nearer the center of the town
are the shops, restricted TO the quarter
round the sock or bazaar, and close at
hand a covered market on Indian models
is about TO be built In 'Ahbas square A
mosque and an English church are also
10 be erected al government expense. and
the Christian cemetery OF the Austrian
mission, which has been utterly wrecked
by the fury of the Dervishes has been re-
stored and the gravestones replaced by Col
Drage's care. Outside of all these bunld-
iugs, on the desert front line of de-
fensible barracks with redoubts will be
drawn along the narrow arc from Mile TO
Nile.
work of Year.
Such is the city of Khartoum, as 1t lies
behind the fringe of palm and orange
groves which rise, a true mirage among
the false, to greet the traveller approa CHI
ing across the barren deserts of the north !:
buildings. of tramways and electric lights
planted In the heart of Africa by the au>
tocratic will OF a single man, designed in
Its entirety and equipped with all its pub
lie buildings within a year by the group
of brilliant young officers OF the Royal
Engineers on whose devoted shoulders
the burden of this work has lain"
A question has now arisen which prom
Uses some interesting developments. The
military headquarters are in Khartoum
and the people are in Omdurman. In a
progressive Western country the chances
are the people would philos9 officially
come to the mountain" but in the Sou
dan things are different. The provincial
government of Khartoum counted on a
general movement as soon as work took
definite shape. but this has not come. The
poor people cannot afford to move, aud
the merchants cannot afford to leave the
great mass of their customers. Further
more. the shipping facilities al Omdur-
nan are better than they are on the other
side of the river
An order has teen issued that each
holder of land in khartoum must erect
building, complying wi h the regulations
within two years. But this order cannot
be well carried out, as the buildings mus
be of brick. and there are not enough
skilled masons in the region to accom-
plish the work necessary within the time
limit set.
A prominent sheikh Is of the opinion
that II will require at least forty-five
years fer the people OF Omdurman 70 build
themselves houses in Khartoum, IL left to
their own resources