File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎107v] (221/488)

Lao-Kai-Yutansen line in China. It contains Herr von Kapp’s observations and
appreciations during an inspection of the Hedjaz Hallway in November 1905
By request of his Excellency Kiazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Director-General of the Hallway,
and Herr Meissner, Chief Engineer, and by order of the High Commission of the
Hediaz Hailway, and with the permission of his Excellency the Yah of Beyrout, I
have inspected the Haiffa Hailway and the complete section (Damascus-Maan) of the r
Hediaz Railway, as well as the extension now in course of construction to
the 75th kilom. south of Maan—altogether 533 kilom. (The extension lately
reached Mudevere, and 733 kilom. are now open to traffic, including tiie Hailia
Since 1901, when the Imperial Irade was issued for the survey of the first part of
the Hediaz Railway, the tracing of the line, the drawing up of the estimates and the
detailed reports to be presented to the High Commission, I have directed my efforts
to the execution of the Imperial Order. As Director of Railway Constructions m the
Ottoman Empire, I have built 1,800 kilom. of railway since 1889, and having through
my former experience thoroughly grasped the situation, I have arrived at an opinion
highly favourable to the enterprise. Trusting that my observations regarding so
important an undertaking as the Hedjaz Railway would he found useful, I thoug it it
well to draw up the following Report and present it to the High Commission. Before
so doing, a few remarks relative to the organization may not be out of place.—
In conformity with the Imperial will, the intelligent measures taken by the High
Commission at Constantinople, combining with the constant zeal of the Damascus
Commission, and the extraordinary activity displayed by his Excellency Kiazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. ,
Director-General of the Hedjaz Railway, and Herr Meissner, the work has followed a
regular course. The zeal shown by the local Commission and the loyal effoits of his
Excellency Nazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the Mali, who is the President of the local Commission,
deserve the highest praise. Moreover, the devoted efforts of the civil engineers and
of the officers in command of the ^Imperial troops employed on the line afford a
striking example of the administrative powers of his Excellency Riazim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. .
I need not dwell upon the merits of Herr Meissner, Chief Engineer of the Hedjaz
Railway. Throughout his technical career he has worked under my orders, and
always gave the greatest satisfaction. His work on the Hedjaz Railway hears ample
testimony to his abilities. Herr Meissner has been working incessantly for five years
and is in need of a little rest, and I hope that the Railway Commission will take my
suggestion into consideration and give him several months leave next spring, in order
that he might recruit his health.
Herr Schroder, who has also been under my orders for twelve years, and who has
ably assisted Herr Meissner, is w r ell qualified to replace him during his absence.
Willi the exception of Damascus, Kademi Sherif, Deraa, and Maan, the stations
are not yet provided with warehouses, &c. Only stone lodgings for the workmen
have been built, and these cover an area of from 6 metres to 16 metres, as on the
German military railways. mi • ^ -c
One of these buildings is intended for the use of the station-master. Ibis type of
building suffices for the needs of the line beyond Oman.
There are twenty-seven stations over a length of 458 kilom. Those between
Damascus and Deraa are separated by distances ranging from 7 kilom. to 21 kilom.,
and those between Deraa and Maan from 11 kilom. to 36 kilom.
Springs exist at the following stations : Damascus, the head of the line ; Deraa,
at kilom. i2 ; Zerca, at kilom. 203 ; Oman, at kilom. 222 ; El Hassa, at kilom. 378;
Maan, at kilom. 458 ; and Mudevere, at kilom. 572.
At present tank cars are used for the supply of winter to the locomotives.
As already stated in my Report of 1901, the scarcity of water can be remedied by
sinking a well"at every 50 kilom. or 60 kilom. or by building covered cisterns. The
delay in providing for the supply of water is due to everybody’s efforts being devoted
to the advancement of the building operations, to the exclusion of other requirements.
Thanks, however, to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, this state of things will soon
l 3 e remedied
If the pools, which have existed for centuries, and which serve the nomads for
watering their camels, are not covered in, they can only be of little use to the railway.
As, however, these pools are shallow and very wide, and the cost of covering them
would be enormous, it would he more advantageous to build new cisterns at every
6 kilom. to 7 kilom. The pools at Katran have a capacity of 36,000 cubic metres, and
those of Djeize 70,000 cubic metres, hut being open, the water evaporates very
quickly and both remain dry for months.