The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01
Cities of Turkey Are to
 Be Connected.
TURKS ARE PUSHING PROJECT
Over 800 Miles From Damascus in
 Use.
Ahddui Hamid Could Not Raise the Necessary Money, SO He Turned the Work Over to the Army
 Whtcfa is suc-
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 Constantinopie. Oct. 3f.-The He'd jas Railway Is rapidly nearing the holy places of Islam. Already the line has passed through Medina. which is second in sanctity only to Mecca it. self and the builders are pushing on to finish the 25o miles which remain to make up one of the most remark able railroads In the world
 The importance of the line Is mainly religious, for 1t is intended only to aid the Mohamnaedans in their pilgrim ages to the sacred tomb at Meca Trade as 1t Is generally understood will not be catered to on this line which the Sultan of Turkey has been So industriously pushing along for several years despite all the draw backs that a lack of money can en- tail Once completed it will rivet the grasp of the Turk on the sacred cities and win replace Derb- -el- -Haj. the fa- nous footpath of the countless thronR of pilgrims that has made the journey to Mecca.
 From Damascus. the chief northerfy point. a line extends northward to
 
 the most famous Of all is the new road that drops south to Maan near the great ruins of Petra, then bends to the southeast to pass the small oasis of Tebuk. about 146 miles south of Maan. Further south it reaches Me- dain Saleh and Ei Ala, spots which contain some Of the most extraordi- nary rock tonaba Then on again fl goes to Medina which none but Mo. hammedans may enter. though the rula has been broken in some conspicuous | cases and Is more than likely to be | broken again when pilgrims from all l over the world make the rail Journey I to Mecca.
 A few years ago when Abdul Hamld IT., the Turkish ruler. found it impos. able to obtain infidel money for the railway project on which he had set | his heart he turned the work over to l the Turkish army and to its credit the work has been we'll and rapidly done. l Officers and men alike entered into | the task with wonderful zeal The country Is not difficult from an engI- neering view and progress was there- fore faster than would have been the | case had great bridges or heavy cuta been necessary. Everywhere along Derb- -el-Haj. the advent of the road was the occasion of great rejoicing. The Sultan gave generously from his civil list and the people have made free offerings as evidence of their good will toward the railway which it is estimated will cost about S25,00O,000. Most of the rolling stock has been pur- l chased abroad but there is one notable exception, that being the praying-car which was specially butls In this city. Externally it resembles all the other 1 passenger coaches but for the fact | that 1t carries a mtnaret little more than six feet high. The interior Is luxuriousIy ftted. The floor is covered with the richest Persian carpets. while | around the walls are verses from the | Koran appropriate to the pilgrimage, done in letters of gold. A chart at one end indicates the direction or Mecca and at the other end are four vessels for water to be used for tho ritual ablutionE-
 1 PilgrimaEes will become easier and safer as well as more rapid when tne line is done. Doubtless In time it will prove a great aid to the commerce or tho country for it will tend to improve | the lot of the people by enabling them to obtain many things that are not at present within their reach. Wood and | iron are rarities In many portions or the land through which the road runs because the cost of transportation has been so great.
 There Is one disturbing feature in ! only 4a possibility the powers are not worrying over 1t as yet. It has to do with the growth of tha Mosiem scot known as the Senussia. The members are distributed over all Northern Afrl- ca with an especially large number Of them in Egypt. The sect was founded by Sheikh Senussi and the leadership passed to his son who is a man of great ability as we'll as tremendous energy. His influence has extended far an wide and the Senussta headquarters have been strongly fortified. Located on the frontier between Egypt and Bengazi at Jaghbub they have never been reached by Europeans and the nature of the sect is such that it may be the spark that will sooner or later l fire the powder mine of African re- volt against the Christian nations. The Sultan is believed to be in touch with this sect and his railroad will make easier communication with this war like band of MohAmmedans.
 l Arabs, Turks, Persians. Syrians, Ctr- cAssians. NubIans and British Indians ioin in the pilgrimage, the fierce guar dians of the caravan being the Basht Bazouks. who are mounted and armed to the teeth. The right to carry the carpet has been handed down from camel to camel in the male line for hundreds of years, but after thls years l eXDeEiGnCb IT IS AAAOAC NAtehh pt0beARAA | that The carpet will go by train so soon as the line may be ready to carry 1t
 The old carpet is brought to a spot A few miles from Cairo, where the pil- Rrfms pitch their tents facing the tombs of the Khalihs, and there, in a maRnifcently coIored tent, the holy carpet is cut into small pieces and distributed among the faithful. Ii has always been a picturesque cere- mony and this part of if will likely survive even the building of the iron path that is to make Mecca more accessible place.
 And the man who has made all tIlls Ipossible Is the Sultan, the accursed man of all Europe. One writer referred to lhim as the sluggish and impotent master of the imperial harem." a characterizat ton that is almost world wide and yet rather undeserved. ke is probably the hardest worked sow ereign of all with the exception of the Kaiser There is little or no recre- ation for him. His hours are spent boring over masses Of documents such las the most ordinary clerk would have left to him by any other ruler,