The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26


the third class. and ladies should al
ways go first. The first class has com
partments eight feet wide running
across the cars at right angles with tho
engine Each compartment has two
cushioned benches facing each other.
Its sides are walled with windows and
there is door at each end. The con-
ductor does not go through the cars.
but collects the tickets from the out
side walking along a step running tn.
full length of each car and holding Ia
an Iron bar which is fastened to the
outside some distance from the top.
The road Is picturesque and gives
magnificent views of the Lebanon
mountains. The track winds It's way
up and down the hills, and the western
side OF the range is SO steep that the
cars are taken up on cogs after the
same mannel as on Pixies Peak. Noun,
Washington and the Rigi. There are
twenty FIVE stations, mostly two-story
buildings OF stone.
The passengers are made up of the
conglomerate mixture OF humanity
found in this part of the Orient. There
are scores OF Syrinns In long coats
and trousers, some wearing red fcz
caps, and others having turbans or
handkerchief wrapped around the',
heads There are Turkish officers in
uniform. with swords at their sides.
other Moslems in turbans and gowns
There are Mohammedan women clad
all In black and wearing black Wells.
There are pretty Greek girls. with
bare faces. brown skinned women
srom the mountains. and Bcdouins
who have ropes tied about the ker
chiefs which half shroud their fierce
Druses and Christians OF all sorts and
conditions.
The trains go slowly in climbing the
mountain. The average express makes
less than sixteen miles an hour. and
the mixed train takes twelve hours for
the ninetyone miles.
BY itnil IN BnEhnd.
One of the chief subjects OF discus
sion In the Turkish empire at pres
cnt is the opening up of the rich VAL
ley of the Euphratcs. This is the re-
gion In which Babylon and Nineveh
nourishcd, and 1t has some of the best
lands on the face OF the globe II has
been suggested that 1t was the origi-
nal site Of the Garden OF Eden. 1t is
now reached only by tho rivers and the
Persian Gulf and there are no connec-
lions with the rest OF the world eN.
cept by caravan The caravan trade
now takes goods to Damascus, from
where they go to the Mediterranear
sea over the road l have just men
toned.
One Of the newest schemes is a rail
way from Damascus to Hit, a town on
the Euphrates River, and another Is
enc which connects with the railroads
of Smyrna and Constantinopie a.
Adana. The latter crosses the coun-
try above Aleppo and strikes the IT,
girls at Mosul. running down that river
10 Bagdad The road from Damascus
to Hit would be only about one-third
as long. 1t is backed by the British,
who have a great irrigation scheme
for the plains of Mcsopotamia. 1t is
headed by Sir William Wilcocks, who
has gone over the ground. and is push
ing the matter in London Sir VIII
liam Willcocks is the engineer who
built the great Nile dam at Assonan
which has redeemed about 100000
acres in Egypt.
His scheme includes irrigation works
in the plains of Mesopota mia. and also
a navigable canal from Bagdad, on the
Tigris. to point on the Euphratcs.
just below Fit. This would save
seventy-five miles Of railroad and
would make Hit the terminus, wills
the rivers of the Tigris and Euphratcs
TO draw from as water transportation
routes. 1t is claimed that this road
would pay largely from the freight
traffic. and that it would have also %
large pilgrimage business through! the
Mohammedans, who annually go from
Persia TO Mecca 1t would get many
passengers who now travel by the Suez
canal to India When the present Sys-
tenn is completed, they could go from
Paris to Copstantinople by rail and
thence by this route to Hit and Bag
dad. from where they could steam on
to the Persian Gulfan across to india.
It is claimed that the line will not
cost more than $4,000 per mile. or
about 100000 from Damascus TO Hit.
The German IlOnd to the TfEris.
The other road which is planned ta
go to Bagdad itself is the one backed
by the Germans. y concession for il
was granted by the Sultan in 1902
and part OF the line has already been
built. The headquarters OF the road
Is In switzerland and bonds for a
part OF II have already been issued.
The idea now is o begin the work
at several different points. The route
has heen divided up into sections OF
one hundred and twenty four miles
each. One Of these will be started al
Bagdad and more eastward; another
will begin at Bulgurlu, the end Of the
present line in Asia Minor and will
so to Adana and then on toward the
east. The climate OF the Adana plains
is such that the construction can be
continued this winter. and the Same
Is TRUE OF the F;uphrates valley. This
syndicate is managed by the Dcutschc
Bank, Of Berlin; The Imperial ottoman
Bank, of Paris: the Wiener Bank and
the Societe du Credit Suisse, of zurich.