The Washington herald., 1916-02-13

Rails Soon to Span Desert.
From Beersheba, where the desert COM
mences, the last definite advices received
were that the railway had been almost
completed for forty miles across the
desert to FL Audja, a well on the Turkish
side of the Egyptian-Turco frontier, and
thlrty-four miles from the coast. The
rails were not down, but all the rest of
the work was done some weeks ago. It
was the positive information that this
road from Beersheba to El Audja has
been practically finished that led mei to
say, in beginning this article, that the
course of the campaign can now be out
lined up to the time when battle Is
Joined. There, are only three routes
across the desert which might be fol-
lowed by an invading army, and the
course taken by Meissner's new railway
shows which one has been chosen. The
building OF desert line was an absolute
necessity for serious attack against a
strong army entrenched along the canal
but such an attack cannot succeed with
out heavy artillery and a gigantic sup
ply OF shells, and motor transport
through the sands being impossible, a
railway must be constructed. A surprise
general attack by one of the two pos
siole lines along which no railway is
being built may. therefore, be ruled out
of the question
Fleet Bars Coast Route.
The route from Syria to Egypt followed
by all the Asiatic conqueTors OF history
who invaded the land of the Pharoahs
was the coast route. Leaving GAIA In
the PhilIstine plains, this track. still fol-
lowed in peace time by caravans, skirts
the coast for half the distance of 200
miles and reaches the Canal at Kantara,
thirty-seyen miles south of Port Said.
There are eight wells during the journey,
but this route is impossible for. Won
Kressenstein's army because of its prox-
unity to the sea. The guns of a hostile
fleet command the line Of march at some
points, and landings to interfere with the
communications of the Turks would be
practicable.
Another route across the desert is the
Pilgrims Road from Suez to Egypt. It
runs from Suez to Akaba, at the head of
the Gulf Of Akaba, and thence to Mecca
Akaba is near the Mecca Railway, but
trenches 1900 feet deep between ridges Of
two mountain chains make a branch line
impossible, and the only part of the route
that concerns the Egyptian campaign is
that extending ninety miles from Suez
to the oasis of Nakhl, because from
Nakhl a narrow depression with hard
sand, but waterless, called the Wady el
Arish, runs seventy miles north to the
we'll OF Ruafa, on the route across the
desert which is being followed by the
railway. The British will, therefore. be
compelled to watch for a small column
which might attack at Suez after march
ing down the Wady ell Arish and along
the Pilgrims Road, though it is not con-
cetvable that such an expedition could
convey heavy guns.
VIII Cross Arid Sands.
a..
Gen. Won Kressensteins great host will
march. What was always a probability
was made a certainty by the news of the
construction Of the railway from Beer
sheba to FL Audta. The route from Ell
Audja crosses the Egyptian frontier and
continues southwest for twenty-five
miles until water is reached at Ruafa, on
the Wady ell Arish. The next forty
miles to HANNA well are waterless,
across plain Of hard sand offering no
difficulties to Herr Meissner. From
HANNA to Rod Salem we'll and on to
Gifgaffa well, a distance of twenty-five
miles, the route passes through drift
sand, and between the two mountain
ranges of the Djebel Maghara and Djebel
YeIleg.
The railway, it is probable, must be
carried along the lower slopes of the
former range to avoid the loose sand,
but the highest point on the line. reach
ed by gentle slopes, will be 1,311 feet
above the sea level Thirty miles be-
yOnd Gilgaffa there is a water camp at
Er Rigm. and here the drift sand begins,
across which 1t Is almost impossible to
build a railway. Er Rigm Is fifteen miles
from the Bitter Lakes and twenty-five
miles from the most vulnerable point of
the canal at Tussum, but those miles of
loose sand, in British belief, make the
great ditch Impregnable. The drift sand
extends along the eastern side of the
canal for its whole lengtr.
Dig Desert Wells for Army.
The greatest problem which faces the
German engineers, after that of getting
plenty Of big guns and unlimited heavy
shells across the desert, is that of the
water supply. The wells which have been
framed are, of course. quite insufficient
for an army OF 100000 men. The Ger
mans are solving that problem with char
acteristic efficiency Guided by the ex-
isting wells, well-diggers from the
Fatherland are at work sinking new
ones at each basis in the zone now un-
der Turkish control and as the railway
is pushed ahead and more oases rendered
safe from the dreaded raids of the IA
nous Biganir Camel Corps Of the Egyp-
tian army, 1t may be presumed that still
more wells will be sunk by the Germans.
story has appeared in the European
press that the Germans are laying a
pipe line across the desert, to follow the
line of the railway and supply the whole
army with water. The main pumping
station is supposed to be at Beersheba.
All this is doubted by military authori-
ties in London, who point out that an
army which depended for its existence on
a single water pipe, which might be cut
or break down, would be taking too great
risks, and that the feat of building i'm
provised pumping stations to force the
water up 1900 feet between the two
mountain ranges in the middle of the
desert would be too much even for Ger
man skill At Beersheba, too, the water
supply Is small.
scant Cover for Attack.
The first problem that will confront
Won Kressenstein. If he gets his army
across the desert, will be to cut the
canal and keep 1t cut. To do this, 1t
Is not necessary to hold the canal, for
heavy artillery IL planted and main
tanned at a distance of FIVE or six
miles can prevent ships from passing
The canal is more than 200 feet wide,
and the banks in most places are forty
feet high. 1t is navigable for war