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File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [216v] (441/488)
The record is made up of 1 volume (242 folios). It was created in 1901-1908. It was written in English, French and Turkish, Ottoman. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
Fifteen engineers in all, including Herr Meisner, the chief engineer, are now
employed (there were originally seventeen, hut two have resigned), all but five of whom
are foreigners of various nationalities. I understand that their chief grievance is that
their numbers are insufficient, it being calculated that there should be at least three if
not four engineers for every section of line under construction, consisting of some
30 Idiom, (some more and some less), whereas under existing circumstances, if all the
sections were being made at once there would be only two engineers for every such
section. As a matter of fact, however, each of the four sections of the line actually
being made is being “ engineered ” by one chief engineer and two £ *' sous-chefs.”
I should state that two of their number who are Moslems and both of whom are
oddly enough, named Mukhtar Bey, have been ordered to accompany the Haj to Mecca
with a view to their making a preliminary study of the country from the 270th Idiom,
right on to Mecca itself. It is hoped that the line will be completed (not of course open
for traffic) as far as Ain Zerka, a distance of 100 kilom. from Mezerib (62J miles) on the
29th August next, being the anniversary of the Sultan’s Accession.
I understand that the two most difficult parts of the line will be from Mezerib to
Ma’an, chiefly on account of the absence of water, and from Medina to Mecca owingto
the natural (topographical) obstacles that will be encountered. I am assured that the
line ought not to cost more than £ T. 4,000,000, ie., at an average rate of £ T. 2,000
per kilom., the whole distance of the line, according to present calculations, beino*
2,000 kilom., say, 1,250 miles. My informant asserts that everything is included in this
computation, viz., all necessary buildings and rolling-stock, but that would seem almost
incredible. He does not maintain, however, that the undertaking, if it is ever completed,
will only cost that sum, because, as is invariably the case, wdiere Turkish public works (or
line’ else^ are concerned, the “ leabao-e ” nnfnrtnnntfOv 1 Cl n /"WTYl /Alln r* Vfc
indeed anything else) are
altogether incalculable.
leakage,
unfortunately, is enormous and
I have, &c.
(Signed) W.
S. BICHARDS.
I#
t
■0.
About this item
- Content
This volume contains copies of correspondence between British officials regarding the construction of the Hedjaz [Hijaz] Railway. The correspondence discusses a number of different aspects of the railway including its route, the progress of its construction and donations made towards its construction by members of the Muslim community in India.
A limited amount of the correspondence in the volume is in French, including a copy of a letter sent by Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador in London, to Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary (folio 15).
The volume contains a number of reports and related information about the railway. Of particular interest are the following:
- A report on the Hejaz Railway by Major Francis Richard Maunsell, dated July 1907 (ff 56-69)
- A memorandum respecting German influence on the Hejaz Railway by George Ambrose Lloyd, 1906 (ff 95-96)
- A list of the principal stations on the Hejaz Railway with approximate distances between Damascus and each station (f 100)
- A map of the Hejaz Railway with list of stations (f 106)
- A report by Mr Teofani Loiso, Vice-Consul at Mersina, based on information provided to him by his son who was employed as an engineer on the railway (ff 105-107)
- A report by Herr Otto von Kapp Kohlstein, a German engineer who inspected the Haifa-Damascus branch of the route and worked on the construction of the Damascus-Maan branch (ff 107-109).
In addition, the volume contains cuttings (and translations) of press articles related to several aspects of the railway and its construction. Also included are two maps. The Turkish (Ottoman) language material consists of the second of these two maps.
The volume includes a divider which gives the year that the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in it arranged by year. This divider is placed at the front of the volume.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (242 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 240; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. It should be noted that the covers of this volume have not been foliated.
- Written in
- English, French and Turkish, Ottoman in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway' [216v] (441/488), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/12, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100063527357.0x00002a> [accessed 18 February 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/12
- Title
- File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 2r:6v, 8r:50v, 52r:85r, 88r:88v, 91r:105v, 107r:119v, 122r:129v, 131r:200v, 204r:235v, 238r:239v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence