"XXII\٨ سكة حديد بغداد" [ظ‎‎٦‎٦] (١٩٤/١٢٨)

Aleppo daily. This station is not on the
main line ; Moselmieh, a little to the
north, will be the junction of this great
system of Asiatic railways. All trains
will go to Aleppo, however, over the short
branch line connecting it with the junc
tion. A temporary wooded bridge has
been thrown across the Euphrates, which
is nearly a mile wide in the flood season,
for construction purposes, to be replaced by
a permanent handsome structure of steel.
because Great Britain has interfered,
which is the more probable. No doubt
we object to the Germans establishing
themselves on the Mediterranean ; in any
case the harbour work bids fair to hang fire
until a satisfactory understanding with
Great Britain is effected. Alexandretta
is in a marshy locality ; suffers from
fever; and extensive sanitation is re
quired to render the place healthy. Just
south of Osmaniyeh run the Amanus
‘Stnyrn*
SYRIAN DLSERT
WHERE THE BAGDAD RAILWAY WILL RUN
It] is intended that Alexandretta shall
be the Syrian port of the Bagdad railway,
and a pier has already been constructed.
It is proposed to run the rails from this
port to Osmaniyeh on the main line.
The merchants at Aleppo, however, are
endeavouring to induce the Germans to
run the line from Alexandretta to Aleppo
direct. The Germans were to build a
harbour at Alexandretta, and a large
quantity of material was assembled here
for this purpose. All work now has
ceased so far as the harbour is concerned.
Why ? Local rumour advances vary
ing reasons. Some declare it is for the
want of funds, which seems scarcely
creditable as money is being spent freely
on the main lines. Others say it is
Mountains, and here an army of men has
commenced the boring of a six-mile tunnel,
to carry the track through this ridge.
The greater part of the material—
rails, sleepers, ties, stone and ironwork
for the bridges, locomotives and rolling
stock, are being supplied by German
manufacturers. None but Germans need
apply for orders. The passenger-cars
are to be of the American type and include
sleeping and dining coaches. Naturally,
the principal engineers are Germans, but
thousands of Greeks and Armenians are to
be found among the navvies and also Turks
before most of them were drafted for the
war.
Taking the road from Scutari to
Aleppo, it is doubtful whether through