File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎63r] (132/488)

Meisner Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. did not favour the construction of a port at Alexandretta, owing
to the dimculty of traversing the hills which overlook the town on the east, and he
»eemed to think that the port would he made at Kestabol, as referred to in the
Bagdad Railway Concession.
Kestabol, he said, has no real existence, even on the map, and is only a convenient
expression to include the most favourable site in the vicinity, such as Ayas or
imurtaluk, a few miles farther down.
/ . He was strongly in favour of making Tripoli the principal port in North Syria, as
being the best harbour on the coast, well sheltered, with a sandy bottom, only requiring
dredging to obtain the necessary depth.
An easy route for a railway could be found following the present road from
Tripoli to Homs, there would be no steep gradients, the northern end of the Lebanon
range would be turned, and this gap between it and the Ansarie Mountains would
give access to the fertile Plain of Homs, and afford an outlet to the coast for the broad
gauge line Aleppo-Homs-Rayak.
In this connection it would perhaps be well to quote Article XII of the Bagdad
Railway Convention, in which specific mention is made of Tripoli:—
“ Dans le cas on le Gouvernement Imperial deciderait 1’execution d’embranche-
ments reliant le chemin de fer faisant 1’objet de la presente Convention a la mer, en un
point situe entre Mersine et Tripolis de Syrie, il ne pourra accorder la Concession des
dits embranchements qu'exclusivement au concessionnaire, sous reserve, toutefois, de
sauvegarder les droits deja accordes a la Societe du Chemin de Fer Damas-Hamah et
Prolongements. ’ ’
The idea of making a branch to Tripoli seems, therefore, to have been under
consideration when the Bagdad Railway Concession was drawn up.
The Tripoli-Homs line could be cheaply constructed. The total cost for the
95 Idiom, between the two places, Meisner Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. estimated at 150,000b, not including
the construction of a port at Tripoli or the dredging work there necessary.
He maintained that Beirut as a port had gained an entirely fictitious importance
after the events of 1860, which led to the creation of the Lebanon province, and owing
to this the claims of Tripoli as the principal port of Syria were overlooked ; but the
place might now be restored to its proper importance. At the same time it is difficult
to agree with Meisner Pasha’s condemnation of Alexandretta as a Mediterranean port
for the Bagdad Railway, as it is naturally the port of Aleppo and of the rich districts
near, while Tripoli lies rather too far south as an outlet for these places.
The difficulties of traversing the hills east of Alexandretta are not very formidable,
and when the project was proposed by an English Company, surveys proved it was
quite feasible.
It must also be remembered that the Bagdad Railway itself will have to traverse
the same range higher up near Kazanali, and will encounter similar difficulties but
only at a different point.
5. Proposed Connection between Egypt and the Euphrates Valley at Nejef.
In view of the experience gained by the working of the Hejaz Railway, I would
venture to put forward a proposal for a line connecting Egypt and the Euphrates
Valley at Nejef, where it would join the proposed Bagdad line. This would connect
up the two countries of Egypt and Mesopotamia, one already rich, and the other with a
soil as fertile awaiting development. It would follow the ancient route between Egypt
and Assyria, on which the rock city of Petra, near Maan, the old capital of Edom,
was a station.
From Cairo the line would pass near Suez and across the Sinai Peninsula to the
head of the Gulf of Akaba. Thence the ascent would be made to Maan through Petra,
water being found on the way and at the latter place, where there is a good supply.
From there the line could be taken across to the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan over gently undulating
stony desert, with no hill ranges to hinder construction. It is true that this section is
nearly waterless, but there are good wells at Hudruj, and at other points wells could
be dug and water found. When the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan is reached, several wells and a fair
water supply is assured.
Jauf is an important oasis on the northern edge of the Great Nefud Desert whic
is thus avoided.
The oasis contains 50,000 inhabitants, Skaka and Kara being other important
places in it.