'File 73/7 II (D 22) Status of Koweit [Kuwait] - Baghdad railway, Anglo Turkish negotiations' [‎136v] (278/540)

Adana-Ma 5 moure is that recently officially inaugurated in the presence of the
Minister of Public Works. The Division Yenidje-Adana forms part of the
Mersina-Tarsus-Adana Railway; it is a strip of little importance from a traffic
point of view, as it merely joins Yenidje to the foot of the Taurus Mountains.
On the other hand, the Adana-Ma 5 moure line runs through some 75 miles of rich
cotton and cereal country, where the roads are execrable. Here the new
railway cannot fail to prove a great factor in the opening up to commerce of the
Adana plain, whch is now traversed from end to end by the Baghdad Railroad.
The station of Ma'moure (the village itself lies at some miles' distance in the
hills) is situated at the furthest north-east limit of the plain; from this point it
will climb to Baghtche, rising 1,500 feet in about 28 miles, where a two small and
one long (5 kilom.) tunnel are to pierce the Arslanli Bel.
As regards the general construction of the newly opened lines, it is obvious
that no expense has been spared, though the engineers have not, in every case,
found themselves able to cope with the natural difficulties of the country they
have to deal with. Thus, although the bridges over the Sihun at Adana and over
the Pyramus at Missis are justly admired as masterpieces of bridge construction,
and although the rail is laid with steel sleepers throughout and is exceptionally
heavy, the engineers would not seem to have taken sufficiently into account the
force of the floods which are a regular feature of the winter months in this vilayet.
Between Adana and Missis I noticed in February last that in no less than four
cases —there were doubtless more—culverts and waterways had been completely
washed out by recent rains; either the culverts had been made too narrow or
too wide and inadequately supported. In this connection I may point out that
parts of the Mersiana-Adana Railway are at much too low a level, as is evi
denced by the fact that the line frequently became impassable to traffic during
the rainy season.
The two larger tunnels also appear to be giving the engineers pause, especial
ly that through the Taurus at Bozanti. Reliable information is scarce, but I
have it from a good source that the site of this tunnel has not yet been definitely
decided upon ; it is variously estimated that from three to five years will see the
work completed ; the latter figure is the more likely to be correct. As to the
Arslanli Bel tunnel, the G erman delegate at Baghtche, Herr Anders (now acting
vice-consul at Adana), told me that excavation was going on at the rate of 2
metres a day on each working face, but, as during my short day's stay at
Baghtche he avoided showing Mr. Childs or myself the work in progress I venture
to doubt his statement. The boring of the two smaller tunnels between
Baghchet and the Amauns is also progressing, though not very speedily.
Buildings at the new station, which lies nearly a mile to the north of the old
and quite outside of the town, are about one-third completed. At Yenidje,
Zeitounli, and Chakir-Pacha, on the Mersina-Adana line, they may be said to be
ready. In the stations east of Adana work is not far advanced, though even at
Baghtche, more than 20 miles beyond the present railhead, some few buildings
are going up. Between Ma'moure and Baghtche the greater part of the embank
ment is finished, though in the valley of the Baghtche there is one large gap of
about 2 miles, and at one point there will be necessary a difficult piece of bridging
some 100 yards long over the bed of the stream.
At present it must be said that the work is going forward very slowly. In
the Taurus this state of things cannot be helped, as progress can only be made
during the summer and autumn. Moreover, prices are rising, and with them
the labour bill, which even in the beginning was very considerably underesti
mated. There are rumours that the finances of the railway are at a low ebb,
but I see no particular reason to believe it. Be that as it may, the company has
recently raised both the passenger and the freight charges on the Adana-Mersina
Railway by about 30 per cent.
(Copy sent informally to the Army Department for transmission to the Divi
sion of the Chief of the Staff.)