The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-07
The Niger ShnrI line


The French colonial press finds new
ca'is' FOR enthusiasm in the completion
OF stun another railroad leading from the
Ailantic 10 the interior Of Africa The
new line, which runs from konakrv. the
port Of French Guinea. TO kur,lssu ON IN,
= Niger. Is upward Of ~, miles long and
w'lih"n"eforth bc the shortest route FROM
the ocean TO the navigable Niger
) " III" present time freight for Tim
hukuI, and all the Niger River ports. is
landed at Dakar IA Senegal. transferred
by rail- 10 ~ LOUIS AT The mouth OF the
S"n"gal theme" trans-hipIed 10 Senegal
RIVER steamers and al Raves AZ the
head Of navigation, again PLACED on a
train and earned 10 kulikoro on the
Niger, ~h"r" the last transshIpm.n, To
IN" Steamer takes place Th, total dis
tanc" by this route from pakar TO Kuh-
koro II Thousand miles. lgn Of which
represent M" Senegal River parr
Although IN" Senegal Niger rou,. was
A tremendous Improvement upon IN"
older route, that j. the trans-aharan
and brought Euroyn within steam con-
ncctlon with Ilmbuktu and Gao. M.
frequent 'ranSehlpmrn'S made 3, .y-
ccssIv"ly 0Npenslv" As 'ompared with
the cost OF shipping Llropean uroduc,s
across the desert from Tripoh Algeria
"r Morocco, It was sufficiently shorter
and cheaper 10 bring about an almost
compiled" abandonment If the caravan
traf'iC, but m" frequent trauS-hipnen,
and m" fact that Senegal i navigabI.
for only n portion ~ the wear led IA
IN" search for "A new and better line Of
approach Ia th.. Niger.
The new railroad runs stral ght from
IN" seacoast 10 the Niger and thus
eliminates IN" changes from rail 10
water and vic" versa AZ ~ Louis and nj
kave- on the Senegal rou'. KurIssu
the point wher" u reaches th. Niger -
about 10 miles above kulikoro. where
th" Niger b"ro nav gable for larger
river steamers. An extension Of the
lin" FROM kurIssu 10 kulikoro will
therefore b. necessary before the new
rout" can compete with the older for
passenger and mail ser, ice FOR fr,igb,
and supplies that can H. shlpued IN
barges the new route will doubtless AT
ono" replace IN" older
tn" konakrv Railroad also opcns
up valnabl" and productive hin,ar.
land living north Of the British COLONY /
OF Sierra Leon" and also OF iberia
Already IN" traffic on the portion of |
IN" lin" m operation has been l,rV.r
than was expected and even rrmun.ra-
tlv" upon IN" Investment For IN.
French colonial journals the fac, thu,
neither M" estimates nor the tune fixed /
for III" construction have BEEN exceeded
j. ALL" sour" 81 gratlfi, alton
Two Other important railroad proi. !
ects are also being carried ort IN this /
West Airi"an region bv the French
Government From BingrrviIle IN.
port Of the IVORY Coast colon. and fro,,
Porto Novo IN Dnhomev lines are being
pushed north The latter w,u nj M
distant tim" reach the Niger a, Say
Jn-' hbov" IN" point where II enter.
British territory In the end tins leo
will probably 10 To- AusouRo. the min,
on the river abOy" IN" great rapids anil
'he lower limit Of steam navigation -,
ia" French Niger "a kulikoro - IA. I'm
per bfw""n ih''~" two points stretch
thousand miles 81 navIgaba river.
4 third PROJECT that ~ a railroad en-.
ting m" Dakar-St Louis lin. and Tho,
leading directly east 10 kavns il AL,
projected. Such line would rlimins,.
all III" trans~hipm"nts b"tWcrn Dakor
and ID" Niger and possibly restore tom.
Senegal ront" the supremacy thrrat.r.J
bv III" COMPETITION Of the KouaLr,. .
hu1Is-u route. In view Of IA. r..c,.,,
progress II French admini-t ration IN ~.
construction ~ railroads m tins s.,ti,,
II Africa II = not dIfiicui ~ Understand
b" growing national prid" m N" IVES,
Afri"an colonial experiment.
We have nhs"rves that ofiio .hoId.-s
following tho illiIstripus exampI. -, t,