File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎82r] (170/488)

narfinr— im
19
the substructure, that is the engineering works, including tunnels and station buildings,
and the railway battalions lay the sleepers and rails.
The superstructure generally advances more rapidly than the substructure. The
contractors necessary for the latter are hard to procure as they object to the
hardships they would have to bear, and there are hardly any labourers to be found
in these almost unpopulated regions. Bedouins absolutely refuse to carry out earthwork.
It therefore sometimes happens that the rails are laid on a part of the line where
the substructure (bridges, culverts, &c.) are still very much in arrear.
The transport of water to the head of the line has been described in the preceding
chapter. Provisions are forwarded in the same manner.
Four divisions of the railway troops are at work on the substructures at the same
time, viz.:—
1 division for marking 1 the trace.
1 „ laying the bedding.
1 „ laying sleepers.
1 ,, placing the rails.
The laying down of the line is performed by hand. 1 he goods train with sleepers
and rails is propelled by a light locomotive advancing with the work. This train can
pass slowly over the line as soon as the rails are laid on the plates and two bolts and
three screws have been put in. _ . .
As soon as the men have had a little practice at this work, it was possible in this
way to lay 2 to 3 kilom. of rails a-day on the prepared bedding.
Further back there are still more parties of men engaged in supplementing
the work already done by filling up cavities under the sleepers, repairing embank-
The troops live to the right and left of the railway in tent camps that are moved
forward as the work progresses. Apart from the consideration that in the legion whic i
the railway crosses dwelling-houses are very rare, the quartering of soldiers in villages
is avoided on principle in Turkey. ^ c i c m i
Each battalion, each company, has a separate camp, where the food for ofhceis and
men alike is prepared in one great cauldron. The bread is baked on the spot in portable
camp ovens. The soldiers generally work in their cloth uniforms m winter, in ^summer
in white linen suits. As protection from the sum they wear the Arab “ kethje
The men continue to receive their regular pay during the time that the) are
commanded to the Hedjaz Bailway. Extra pay is granted them at the following
rates:—
Piastres.
1. Digging out 1 cubic metre of earth
o* ^ rock .. .. •• ••
3 ] Gathering up 1 cubic metre of stones from the neighbouring fields and piling
them up beside the railway .. • • • •
4 Soreading l cubic metre of stones of the railway .. • •
• “y' . .. per metre
5. Laying rals .. •• **
6. Propping and putting position rails pj..
(1 piastre = 2d.)
Presuming that by working hard a man can cut out 3 cubic metres of earth or
1 cubic metre of rock h a day, his extra daily pay amounts to 3 P^es (about 6^
Nor do the other sorts of work yield any greater increase of pay. I he soldier, can
only earn pay five days a-week, as Thursday is their washing -lay and Friday the
Turkish Sabbath, and a further reduction m their pay is caused, as only two-1 n _
the troops work at the railway at one time. The other third is occupied by service m
Cam ErtL'paf isalso granted to the officers occupied in the railway construction.
Salary and wages are paid by the War Office. Extra pay is defrayed from the
'“"The extra^pay^granteefto officers and men has borne good fruit, for more work is
done and with greater zest. In spite of the comparatively good pay only the greatest
economy and seff-sacrifice make it possible to bear for years such a life as the Turkish
troops engaged on the railway lead on those inhospitable regions But with then- eyes
fixed southwards towards the holy aim which they have in view, these courageous men
bear all the hardships of their lot—the burning hot summer days and the abiupt
changes of tempera Je at night, the tortures of thirst, “f 1 ^ bivoua^dre
tier, summer and winter. Even the severe cholera epidemic, which in 1J03 attacked
1
3
2
1
0-6
0-6