File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎78r] (162/488)

Besides these two points, the railway had to cross only a few valleys (wadis) with
low banks, and so a gradient of x^oo was found sufficient on the straight. In the
curves the gradient was even less.
Near Batu-ul-Ghul the straight route of the pilgrims road had to be deviated
from on account of the clay bed, which it was feared would cause a shifting of the
embankment. Near Mudewwere a layer of drift-sand 2 metres deep had to he
avoided.
The bedding consists of a firm mixture of lava, basalt, and flint rubble. On the
foundation, as far as Serka, are laid wooden, and from there on, iron sleepers, to which
the rails are attached.
The stone material for the bedding was found in plenty along the greater part of
the route and of the necessary size, so that it seldom had to be broken up.
The wooden sleepers have proved unsuitable to the hot climate. The wood soon
shrinks in the intense heat of the sun and then splits. In consequence, the nails
holding the rails loosen and cease to hold the rails in their vertical position, so that a
change in the gauge is unavoidable and the waggons oscillate when passing over the
lines. After this experience only iron sleepers are now used.
The weight of the rail per metre is 21‘5 kilog., that of the railway (rails, sleepers,
and appurtenances) 103 kilog.
The groundwork of the railway has necessitated a great amount of masonry. The
most important works, the tunnel and the large viaduct near Amman, have been
already mentioned. On the section Damascus-Mudewwere, including the viaduct,
there are, altogether, 462 bridges, 271 aqueducts, and 799 culverts, making a total of
1,532 engineering works. Only one, 15 metres long, bridge is of iron, all the other
works were carried out in stone. The culverts are either arches, or covered with rails
and beton.
The strength of the masonry in the construction of these works has been
measured with a liberal margin, to allow for the poorer quality of workmen employed,
and the pernicious efiects of great heat and dryness on the mortar. 1 he lime and
sandstone, which were found over almost the whole route, provided excellent building
material.
The heavy bridges are made with one or more arches, of breadths varying from
3 to 12 metres ; the opening of the culverts are from 0‘40 to 2 metres, according to
the rainfall expected during the rainy season. In what surprising quantities the rain
can appear in usually dry wadis, the Director of the Bailway Construction was to
learn in the winter of 1904-1905. Certainly there had been a rainfall on the east
Jordan highlands, especially beyond Amman, such as had not been known within the
memory of man. A wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. to the south of the station of Kassr, in which there was. no
perceptible watercourse, had been crossed by the railway by means of a dyke, which,
taking into consideration the expected rainfall, was provided with the following
openings:—
1 bridge of 4 arches each, 3 metres broad.
1 j, b 5>
1 55 ^ ,, ,,
1 „ 3
The openings were insufficient, in consequence, the water found no proper outlet,
and tore down the bridges together with 20 metres of the dyke. Shortly afterwards,
in pouring rain, a tram going’ at 20 kilom. an hour drove straight towards the breach.
The driver only discovered the danger when he was within 5 metres of the hole. It
was too late to stop the engine and tender, followed by five open and closed waggons,
dashed into the opening and only the five passenger waggons remained upon the dyke.
Wonderful to relate in this accident, not one man was killed and no one was ever
seriously hurt. The damage to the stock was also slight, and the Kraus locomotive
had scarcely suffered at all.
Except for the break in the dyke, the heavy rains of the winter 1904-1905 did
no damage on the main line, and one may say that it stood the first trial well.