Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-20

Copyright, 1905, by Frank @. Carpenter.)
--ASHINGTON, Dec. ~f.-(Special
correspondence of The Bee.)-
WV Uncle Sam should keep his eye
- skinned as to the developments
I2aYEE3H going on in West Africa. That
gs part of the world is practically
unknown to us and still its trade is grow
ing like a green bay tree. All along the
coast from Senegamhia to German South
west Africa railroads are building, expert
mental plantations are being set out and
here and there mines Of various kinds have
been discovered. Away down near the cape.
in the German possessions, there is a place
called Otavi, where valuable deposits OF
copper are now being mined. The ore in
sight is said to be 9OO,OOO tons. and it is
claimed that it can be produced so as to
net s19. Oo0.0 900 clear profit. Portuguese West
Africa has copper, iron, petroleum and salt
and its oils and asphalt fields are now be-
ing worked by a British syndicate. I have
already written of the great Katanga con-
cession, which King Leopold OF Belgium is
working in connection with the English on
the watershed between the Zambesi and
the Congo. This is to be reached by a rail-
road 1900 miles long through Portuguese
West Africa to the Congo Free State. 1t
will open up larger copper deposits than
any ever discovered and will flood the
world with that metal and with tin. The
tin mines run through O range of hills 150
miles long and the copper mountains are
something like 800 miles in length An ex-
tension of the Cape to Cairo road has just
been projected to this great mining region
and within a short time II viii probably be
a beehive of industry.
There are valuable minerals in the north
ern part OF the Congo Free State. and the
French Congo contains gold. copper and
iron. Gold has been recently found in the
Kamerun, belonging to the Germans.
which lies just to the north; and a little
beyond that is the famous Gold coast, on
the Gulf Of Guinea, from which the Bng-
fish got the name Of their s. gold pieces.
The mines there have been worked for
generations, and they are still turning out
COZ siderable. The output now is some
thing like 100000 a year. which is forty
times the product Of 1901. In 1905 $4,000
ounces OF gold were taken out, and there
has been a steady increase In the product
for more than five years. At present both
quartz and placer mining are going on. and
large crushing mills have been installed.
West Africa's New Railroads.
As to the railroad development, it en-
braces the whole coast of the continent.
TIE herman have several large projects
under way in Southwest Africa. They
have already built a line 2S7 miles long
from Swamkopmund. their port, near Wal
fish bay. to Great windhoek. the capital;
and they have made arrangements for a
railroad 300 miles long to so from Swa-
kopmund to otavi and the copper mines.
This road will probably some day be con-
Lected with the Cape to Cairo line, rum
ning northward from Capetown to the
Zambesl; and, in that case 1t will shorten
the distance between England and Bula-
wayo by 1900 miles,
The Lobito Bay railroad has already been
constructed for a hundred miles or so
inland from the Atlantic; and there are
now several thousand laborers working
upon it. This road will be over 1000 miles
long, and It will be made after the usual
South African fashion. It's guage is three
feet six inches. and the rails weigh sixty
pounds to the yard. The ties are to be
Of steel, on account OF the white ants,
which eat every thing wooden; they will
weigh seventy pounds each. All the bridges
are standardized. and the rolling stock is
the same as that used in Rhodesia Some
OF the engines are being built in England.
but the heaviest ones are to be supplied
by the Swiss and the
By the time this road reaches the copper
mines the Cape to Cairo extensions will
De IleTe, ana tho IOuNo ~ oOulh ! II
will probably change. as far as fast travel
is concerned. Passengers will be taken
to Lobito bay, and will thence go by rail
to the Transvaal. and especially to all
parts OF Rhodesia- There will probably be
an extension TO Lake Tanganylka, and we
shall have a line across the southern part
OF the continent. There Is no doubt OF
the completion OF the Lobtto bay road.
The company which Is Interested in 1t is
the one which owns the copper mines;
and there are tens OF millions Of dollars
i might say billions OF dollars-of minerals
awaiting It's traffic possibilities.
Railroads OF the Continent,
The Lobito Bay railroad win be largely
controlled by the Congo Free State. Tn
king Of Belgium and his associates own q
majority OF the stock In the great copper
concession, and they will sec that it IL
operated IN the interests of Belgium's
colony. II will probably be connected with
other roads which win open to trade the
navigabls tributaries of the upper Congo
n will form a part OF the extensive rail
way system which has been projected for
that country.
Few people realize what going on a.
70 railroad building In thet Congo Free
State. The Congo river is long as the
distance from New York TO An Francisco