Skip to item: of 368
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 3047/1909 'Railways: Asiatic Turkey; railway construction in Asia Minor' [‎118r] (240/368)

The record is made up of 1 volume (182 folios). It was created in 1908-1911. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
k
ASIATIC TURKEY AND ARABIA.
A
[45121]
CONFIDENTIAL.
IV r
[December 13. J
Section 6.
No. 1.
/-
Mr. Marling to Sir Edward Grey.—(Received December 13.)
(No. 945.)
Sir, ^ Pera, December 4, 1909.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 929 of the 22nd ultimo, I have the honour to
transmit herewith a copy of a despatch from His Majesty’s consul-general at Beirout
reporting the arrival at Tripoli of M. Piersin, the chief engineer of the Damascus-
Hama and Prolongement Railway Company, to start work on the new Tripoli-Homs
line.
The convention for this concession was signed here on the 30th October last,
but I have so far been unable to obtain a copy of it. The Imperial firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). sanctioning
the convention has not been published yet, but the company have summoned a meeting
to discuss the raising of capital for working expenses here on the 14th instant.
I have, &c.
CHARLES M. MARLING.
Inclosure in No. 1.
Consul-General Cumberbatch to Mr. Marling.
(No. 79.)
Sir, Beirout, November 25, 1909.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 17, Confidential, of the 16th February, on
the subject of the Tripoli to Homs Railway scheme, I have the honour to report the
arrival at Tripoli of M. Piersin, the head engineer of the Damascus-Hama and
Prolongement Railway Company, and his assistants, to commence operations on the
new branch line from Tripoli to Homs in accordance with the concession accorded to the
Damascus-Hama and Prolongement Railway Company, the particulars of which are, I
believe, known at His Majesty’s Embassy.
M. Piersin, who superintended the building of the Rayak-Aleppo line, has
expressed a hope of being able to commence the construction work proper in about
two months, and to complete the railway in eighteen months to two years if he is not
hindered in any way.
It is said that the company, instead of linking Tripoli with Homs direct, will try
to connect it with Kusseir, the last station but one on the Rayak-Homs section, to save
about 20 kilom.
It is to be supposed that the company will make Tripoli the outlet for the
extra traffic of the overburdened narrow-gauge cog-wheel line between Royak and
Beirout, which will automatically increase with the agricultural development of the
country, and though the building of the new line has been reluctantly taken in hand by
the company, it will probably be eventually found of great use in relieving their present
line to Beirout, whose limited carrying capacity has already been reached.
As the company is also interested in the Beirout harbour, and as the narrow- ’
gauge cog-wheel line from Beirout to Rayak does not enjoy any kilometric guarantee,
it is natural to suppose that it will do its best to prevent the Tripoli-Homs Railway
from seriously injuring these two concerns by extracting the utmost benefit it can
from the kilometrically guaranteed Rayak-Homs-Aleppo section by a reduction of
rates.
The present sanctioned rates are 35, 30, and 25 paras per kilometric ton, but for
whole waggons special rates can be quoted and other devices resorted to to make the
transport from Aleppo and the intermediate stations to Beirout almost as cheap as to
Tripoli.
I have, &c.
H. A. CUMBERBATCH.
[2546 n—6]

About this item

Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes relating to the construction of railways in Asiatic Turkey, 1908-1911, as well as oil concessions in Mesopotamia.

Correspondence outlines the proposal to develop a railway from Tripoli via Homs and Deir and along the Euphrates to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to compete with the Baghdad Railway. The company was designated 'The Anglo-Syrian Tripoli - Homs Railway and Tripoli Harbour Improvement Company'.

Correspondence also discusses the different consortia bidding for oil concessions in Mesopotamia and the relative significance of French, Russian and German involvement. Included in the volume is a letter (folios 49 - 153) from William Knox D'Arcy giving a 'List of Turkish concessions connected with oil now being sought'.

The principal correspondents in the volume include the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey) and the Ambassador to Constantinople (Sir Gerard Lowther).

Extent and format
1 volume (182 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 3047 (Railways: Asiatic Turkey) consists of 1 volume,

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 178; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 3047/1909 'Railways: Asiatic Turkey; railway construction in Asia Minor' [‎118r] (240/368), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/166, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100030544746.0x000029> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100030544746.0x000029">File 3047/1909 'Railways: Asiatic Turkey; railway construction in Asia Minor' [&lrm;118r] (240/368)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100030544746.0x000029">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00003b/IOR_L_PS_10_166_0240.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x00003b/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image