File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎81v] (169/488)

18
The best solution of the question of labour and supplies would be to construct a.
short branch line south of Ma'an to the sea : or the suggestion of Gehimer Raaret
Kapp von Gulstein might be followed, and the line Damascus-Medina, might he me. by
a line from Jeddah via Mecca and Medina.
P_art IX .—The Work of Construction.
To understand the difficulties in the construction of a railway in the desert, it
is necessary to cast a glance at the work going on at the nead of the line.
Three chief zones of work must lie distinguished on the section now in course of
construction.
The most advanced is the reconnoitring (preliminary surveying) zone, then follows
the surveying zone, and lastly the building zone. The length of these zones vary
according to the conditions of the ground, but it is in general from 50 to 150 kilom.
In each zone there are special divisions, which, following the naming of the zones, I
shall call the reconnoitring, surveying, and building parties.
Since the 1st December, 1905, the preliminary survey party has been working
between the stations Tebuk and Medina Salih, the survey party between the stations
Mudewwere and Sal-ul-Hadj.
Note .—The building partv. having completed the section Mudew were-Sal-uT
Hadj in the course of this summer (1906). is now at work on the section Sat-ui-
Hadj—Tebuk, and the reconnoitring and survey parties have made a corresponding
advance.
The duty of the reconnoitring party is to make the necessary studies of the
ground intended for the railway with compass pedometer and barometer, and to mark
out the route of the line. The result of these studies, which take several months, is
embodied in a report with accompanying sketch. To carry them out a complete
caravan is equipped, frr the reconnoitring party must take with it not only all the
necessary technical personnel and instruments, but also, as it is to work on the desert,
tents, fuel, and provisions to last throughout the expedition, saddle and pack animals
for transport, and a cavalry detachment as guard against Bedouin brigands. Such a
caravan consists of:—
1 railway engineer as leader.
2 civil engineers or engineer officers.
1 doctor.
10 railway soldiers to assist in the survey.
20 cavalry as escort, and a number of camel*, horses, and mules for the transport of
personnel and provisions.
Among the soldiers there is a cook who looks after the feeding of the Company
during the expedition. The food consists of Kaurma (tinned, mutton^ rice, and rusks.
If there is no prosnect of finding water, a supply is carried in goat or sheep skins. A
camel carries four or five of these baos. which hold 30 to 40 litres. The nights are
spent in tents.
Similar caravans are necessary for the survey parties working on the middle zone and
following the reconnoitring party. As a rule the surveying zone is divided into three
equal parts, and surveyed by three separate parties, each of which has a section of 30
to 50 kilom.
Making use of the sketches and plans of the preliminary survey party, these parties
establish the exact levels of the projected railway line by means of the tachvmeter.
Eoch of the three parties puts down the result of these surveys in a book of measure
ments, which is submitted to the manager of the engineering works or to the
technical bureau which is under his supervision. This bureau, which moves along cis
the railway advances, is now at Ma’an.
In the zone which is furthest back, the real work of constructing the railway i«
carried on.
In this zone the work is divided as follows : earthworks, that is the making of
embankments and cuttings, the substruction of the railway, that is bridges, culverts.
&c.. superstructures or bedding, with sleepers and rails.
The work is so organized that the infantry detachments, which are scattered over
the whole zone of construction, do the earthwork : contractors and artisans undertake-