ملف رقم ٣١٤٢ لسنة ١٩٠٣ "سكة حديد الحجاز" [و‎‎٨‎٧] (٤٨٨/١٨٠)

various tribes, the leading members, merchants and others, proceeded to the Mosque*
and after making our morning prayer, we prayed also for His Majesty's health, after
which we returned to the magnificently decorated tents, where general congratula
tions were proposed to His Majesty’s name.
The Committee, with the one battalion accompanying it, and all the crowd again
offered prayers. The Inspector of the Damascus line wished for the full success of His
Majesty’s intentions, and delivered a few speeches appropriate to the occasion.
Numerous sheep were sacrificed as usual, and after my delivering the following oration.
His Majesty’s special envoy, his Excellency Rahim Pasha, read aloud the telegram of
our beloved Sovereign, through which the Imperial greetings and satisfaction were
transmitted to me. The whole congregation prayed again in great enthusiasm for the
long life of the Sultan, and then the band played the Hamidie March, and the inau
guration ceremony was accomplished.
Then those of the soldiers, who proved worthy to be released from working in the
construction of the line, received with flags in hand their tezkeres, the commemorative
medal of the line graciously sent for them, as w T ell as one month’s wages as a present;
and for all these benevolences, with tears in their eyes, raised to the Lord their inmost
prayers for the precious health of His Majesty. Afterwards, all those present traversed
by rail every single point constructed, and in two and a-half hours a distance of 2 kilom.
was travelled with extraordinary speed, and thus the fine work accomplished by
the troops has been admired by everybody. Five times during this, glorious day cannon
were fired, splendid illuminations were to be seen the whole night everywhere, and a
general enthusiasm was to be remarked. To-morrow morning the Special Committee
will proceed to Haifa.
August 19, 1322.
Telegram sent from the first divisionary his Excellency Rahmi Pasha, Aide-de-camp of
His Majesty, and a member of the High Committee of Military Inspection, to his
Excellency Izzet Pasha, Second Secretary of the Imperial Palace.
Early in the morning of this sacred holiday for the whole of Islam, which coincides
with the anniversary of the Imperial accession, we all went to the Holy Mosque of
Tebuk, and there morning prayers were read by the Mufti of Damascus. Further
prayers were raised for His Majesty s precious health, at the end of which we passed
in front of the standing Imperial troops, and went to the great tent, erected behind
a beautiful arch, where, the music playing the Hamidie march, the ceremony of
congratulations took place, and refreshments and coffee were offered to all those
present. • . .
A multitude of Arabs coming from Medina and Syria, prayed again for His Majesty,
sheep were immolated, several speeches delivered, and thus the inauguration of the
Tebuk portion of the great Hamidie-Hedjaz Railway line has been magnificently
celebrated. In the meantime I transmitted the Imperial greetings to the troops and
all the eminent persons of the congregation ; at the same time the inauguration of the
newly built Mosque of Tebuk, as well as of the placing of the foundation stone of the
military hospital of Tebhk having taken place, twenty-one cannon sent by Imperial^
order from Damascus were fired, and amidst the most enthusiastic exclamations of
“ Lon o' live the Sultan,” medals, wages, and tezkeres were distributed to a\l the retiring
soldiers of the construction battalions ; then a beautiful military review 0 f fhe
battalions found here took place, the cavalry detachments, and a great many Bedouin
cavalry gladly joined in the party, and thus the whole ceremony m< st imposingly ended
with the repeated exclamations of Padishahim tchok yasha.”
August 19, 1322.