File 2764/1904 Pt 2 'Baghdad Railway: General negotiations 1908-10.' [‎356v] (727/799)

One is templed to think that the engineers of the railway exercised some skill in so
aptly arranging for completion of the 200 kilom. demanded by the terms of the
Convention, for in approaching Bulgurlii Station the line makes a very wide circuit
which impresses the layman as totally unnecessary. The last 9 kilom. of the section
forcibly suggest the perniciousness of the guarantee system as followed in Turkey.
There is some reason in the carrying of a railway to Eregli, but none whatever in the
extension beyond. But as the terms of the Convention gave the Bailway Companv
the opportunity of making enormous profit in construction, these 9 unnecessary kilom.
were made, and now cost Turkey for guarantee no less than 5,000/. annuallv.
Discussion between the Bailway Company and the Turkish Government might easiiy
have resulted in this senseless piece of expenditure being avoided, had one of the parties
been disposed to play fair and to recognize that in some degree they were bound to
consider the interests of the country in which they were working. But the Conven
tion stipulates for 200 kilom. of railway in exchange for bonds for 54,000,000 fr.,
270,000 fr. per kilometre. As construction can hardly have cost more than half
the sum thus provided, the making of these last 9 kilom. meant a profit to the shaie-
holders of the Company of nearly 50,000/.
In discussing construction of the second section of the railway, from Bulgurlii
to Adana, it wall simplify explanation if the country to be traversed is divided into
subsections showing the different character of the ground at various points, as
follows
(a.) Erom Bulgurlii to Ula-Kishla, including the rise of 1,800 feet from the
Eregli Plain to the highest point which the railway will be required to touch.
(&.) The descent from TJla-Kishla to Bozanti, a drop of 2,200 feet.
(c.)Transit of the spur of the Taurus Mountains, Bulghar Dagh, which intervenes
between the broken country fringing the Eregli Plain and the low-level Cilician
Plain.
(d.) Descent from the above to the terminus at Adana, a drop of about 3,000 feet.
Sub-section (a).
Bulgurlu to Ela-Kishla is 35 kilometres = say 22 miles. A rise of ] ,800 feet in
this distance gives a general grade of about 1 in 63. As the measurement of
22 miles is along the Turkish post road, which winds in and out of the hills, the
actual grade from point to point would be much greater, hardly less than 1 in 50.
These figures indicate the difficulty presented by this part of the projected railway.
In addition to the grading there is, of course, the character of the ground to be
considered. Low hills lie in long folds with innumerable dips and depressions
between. A line traversing the hills and compelled to consider grades would be
forced to make wide curves and diversions from the true direction, The sandy and
gravelly soil, as far as I could observe, covered solid rock, the cutting into of which
would be almost continuous. An advantage is that this region of rolling hills gives a
wide choice of ground, and that detours of several miles on either side of the post
road would ^be possible. Of the 35 kilometres involved, 25 represent ascent to the
watershed, 5,400 feet, 5 kilometres are a sloping plateau on the top of the watershed
w here construction wuuld be comparatively easy, and 3 kilometres slightly down to
Ula-Kishla. Erom the watershed to Ula-Kishla the total drop is 600 feet, and the
giound coi responds in character very nearly to that on the w^estern side of the
watershed.
Sub-section (b).
Ula-Kiskla to Bozanti, 43 kilometres, drop of 2,260 feet, giving general grade of
1 in 63. At Ula-Kishla there occurs a remarkable change in the character of the
country, Hitherto the ground has been open and rolling, and entirely devoid of
engineering difficulties. Irom Ula-Kishla to Bozanti, on the contrary, every mile of
the projected railway will be difficult and expensive of construction. The rolling
hills give way to high jagged ridges which turn on.either side of the post road, and
from the regions on either hand. The wide upland valley east of Ula-Kishla changes
into a deep lavine, the bottom of which is scoured by a plunging mountain stream.
Hu oughout the 4 3 kilometres there are practically no flats bordering the river, for
the precipitous side of the ravine run right dowm to the water’s edge. The existing