Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎59r] (117/176)

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1921 it was 8,886. The Government pumping stations for irrigation or drainage
worked uneventfully, except for temporary interruption by two breakdowns, one at
Mex and one at Atf. This latter station is in process of being equipped with new
machinery, replacing some very interesting old steam plant driving large scoop-
wheels, which has, however, gradually become inefficient; nine new internal com
bustion units were in use this year for the first time. A similar replacement of
machinery is under consideration at Kassassine. The installation of the machinery
at the new pumping station at Aboukir is well in hand ; reference has already been
made to the project of which this station forms a part. The Shubra research works,
which the Government had opened during the war to assist economy in fuel consump
tion, were closed down and the plant disposed of.
55. Main Drainage Department.
339. The Main Drainage Department found their work of extending the system
of sewers in Cairo hampered, like the work of other services, by lack of money, but
succeeded in laying 15 kilom., while private enterprise, profiting by lower prices of
materials, was active in connecting houses to the new drains. Trouble has been
caused by the action of sulphuretted hydrogen upon the large concrete sewers, and
the matter is being investigated by a committee of engineers and chemists.
Important provincial works include progress on the drainage of Mansura and Suez,
and in either town part of the system has now been brought into operation. The
scheme for Tanta has been retarded for financial reasons. A scheme for the drainage
of the new quarter of Port Said on the east of the Canal is under consideration, and
the department has been consulted regarding the drainage of Jerusalem. The
carrying out of sundry schemes for Government Departments and for the Anti-
Malaria Commission and the inception of a survey for the improved sanitation of
all State buildings complete the record of the year's work.
340. It is to be hoped that the large centres of population throughout Egypt
will take further advantage of the presence in the country of the chief engineer of
the Main Drainage Department and his staff of experts, and that the great improve
ment they have introduced and are still introducing in the capital may be widely
imitated.
56. Physical Department.
341. The work of the Physical Department expanded in all sections and its
premises require extending.
342. Nile gauge readings were received from eighty-one stations on the river
between the equatorial lakes and the sea. Normal values for all the years during
which the gauges have been read were computed and plotted on a diagram with the
current year’s readings so that, at every station, the current year's gauge reading
and rates of rise and fall can be compared at a glance with the normal values. The
readings of the most important gauges were published in the “Daily Weather
Report” and in a Nile gauge diagram, which was published fortnightly during the
flood season and monthly during the remainder of the year. Returns were registered
from 216 rainfall stations in Egypt, the Soudan, Abyssinia, Uganda and Kenia
Colony, and monthly mean and normal values computed. This was done for certain-
obvious geographical groups of stations as well as for the individual stations. The
readings from twelve stations were published in the “ Monthly Weather Report."
A general supervision was exercised over river discharges; a number of existing
or proposed discharge sites were inspected as far south as Mongalla and a regular
series of discharges was measured on the Upper Blue Nile. The discharge com
putations from all the river discharge sites were checked and 226 current-meter
ratings were carried out. An improved apparatus for the automatic rating of
current meters, designed and manufactured by the department, was installed in a
large tank at Abbasia and a considerable amount of experimental work was done.
1 343. The numbers of the meteorological stations controlled were 22 in Egypt, 30
in the Soudan and 17 elsewhere. All the Egyptian stations were inspected and some
in the Soudan and in Palestine.
344. The “ Daily Weather Report " was issued regularly containing the forecast
for the following twenty-four hours. In addition, a special forecast of early
morning flying conditions, based on later information, was issued to the Royal Air
Force everv evening during the winter and the same force were given a special daily