File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [‎198r] (404/488)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty s Government.]
PERSIA AND ARABIA.
CONEIDENTIAL.
[September 29.]
Section 1.
No. 1.
Sir N. O'Conor to the Marquess of Lansdowne.--(Received September 29.)
My^Lwd^ Constantinople, September 21, 1902.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 129 of the 23rd March last, I have the
honour to transmit herewith to your Lordship copy of a despatch from the Acting
Consul at Damascus, reporting the inauguration of a section of the tledjaz Railway on
the anniversary of the Sultan’s Accession.
I have, &c.
(Signed) N. R. O’CONOR.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Acting Consul Monahan to Sir N. O’Conor.
Damascus, September 8, 1902.
WITH reference to the passage in my last Quarterly Report (despatch No. 73 of
the 10th July, 1902), respecting the construction of the Damascus-Mecca and Hedjaz
Rail wav, I have the honour to report that on Sunday, the 31st ultimo, an invited party
of eighty, consisting of some high Mussulman officials of the vilayet and of the Hedjaz
Railway Construction, military and police officers, Ulemas, Herr Meissner, Chief
Engineer in charge of the Hedjaz Railway Construction, M. Tonnant, Directeur of the
Beyrout-Damascus-Hauran Railway, M. Shaoul, the Maronite Christian Manager of
the Imperial Ottoman Bank, Damascus branch, and Mussulman Notables, among
whom were two Delegates from Cyprus, were taken by train from Damascus to
’ Ain Zerka, a place on the Hedjaz line 92 Idiom, distant from Mezerib, or 192 kilom.
from Damascus. There travelled by the same train from Damascus to ’Ain Zerka
about 100 Mussulmen, who were given return tickets at the cheap rate of 2J medjidiehs
each. At ’Ain Zerka there was a banquet on the evening of the 31st, and on the
1st instant, the anniversary of the; Sultan’s Accession, an inaugural sacrifice, with
prayers and speeches. The party returned by rail to Damascus on the 1st instant.
The line is, I understand, not yet quite finished to ’Amman, about 8 kilom. beyond
’Ain Zerka. No trains for the public are yet running on the line.
The “ Suria,” the Turkish-Arabie official Gazette of the vilayet, of the 4th instant,
published on the 7th instant, contains in each language over five columns about this
inauguration of the railway, and promises to give more on the same subject in its
folio win o * 1 number. It gives the text of telegrams to Constantinople from the Yah
an d from Razim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , Superintendent of the Hedjaz Railway Construction, and of a
congratulatory and complimentary reply to the Yali from Ahmet Izzet Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the
Sultan’s Second Secretary.
F have, &c.
(Signed) J. N. MONAHAN.
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