‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎183v] (365/949)

parts is very tortuous with steep, rocky projections, and therefore, in tracing
the line with a view to economise labour, it will he necessary to make use of
the technical conditions adapted to mountain sections. From the settlement of
Imamzade-gashim to that of Menjil, the line, without counting narrow and in
significant mountain streams, intersects the Rivers Iskhala, Alizager, Siara, and
Giazan. The line crosses the Kizyl Uzin by a bridge of 40 sagenes and enters
the valley of the River SRihrud, whose fall is equal on an average to- 006 .
In the valley of the River Shahrud explorations were conducted along the
right hank, keeping to the direction of the “ chaussee the line, however, will
have to be carried by the left hank to the mouth of the Mulla-Ali, as the lett
bank has gentler contours, and will avoid building a bridge over the Shahrud.
On the last supposition the line will proceed from the mouth of the River
Shahrud to the Settlement of Kish Milamir by a river terrace a half to a
verst broad, and, further, by the slope of the mountains descending to the river
to the entrance to the defile of the Mulla-Ali. The mountains of the left bank
of the Shahrud consists of argillaceous slate covered with clay and earth to a
thickness of 1 to 3 sagenes, in places hound with vegetation ; w r ith the excep
tion of small defiles, the line will only intersect the mountain stream of the
Sen gar.
The local topographical conditions here, as on the Sefid-rud, will require
the application to the line of the technical conditions for mountain sections,
the more that the line along the Shahrud must be traced with a view to rising
as far as possible above the mouth of the MuUa-Ali. This is carried by the
circumstances that the defile of the Mulla-Ali is uniformly narrow with steep
slopes, making it almost impossible to wind the line, has a fall on an average of
•02 from the mouth to the station of Yuzbashichai for a total extent of 30
versts, and by raising the line at the entrance to the defile in connection with
winding it in the defile itself, it will be possible to reduce to 10 or 15 versts
the part of the most difficult mountain section requiring the application of
maximum falls of ‘015 to * 028 .
From the mouth of the Mulla-Ali, for an extent of 10 versts, the slopes
are earthy, interrupted here and there by short terraces and short, broad defiles,
while farther, to the station of Yuzbashichai for 20 versts, the banks are steep,
and almost continuously rocky.
The defile in this part is very narrow, in places 5 sagenes at the hot'om
and very tortuous; but, nevertheless, it is possible to carry a line along the left
bank, only once crossing the river Mulla-Ali by a bridge of 16 sagenes to enter
into the valley of the Abgar-rud. Without counting the River Mulla-Ali, the
line crosses only in considerable mountain torrents and ravines.
From Yuzbashicbai the line enters the valley of the Abgar-rud, whose fall
is, on an average, ‘ 03 .
Along the valley of the Abgar-rud the mountain slopes are gently con
toured, covered with soil; but, as in the valley of the iVlulla-Ali, there is no
possibility of winding the line from one hank to another. To come out into
the wide hollow adjacent to the pass—the Eliabad Valley—it was necessary to
wind the line by a tunel loop, to versts in extent.
Further on, leaving the narrow part of the valley of the Abgar-rud, the
line reaches the pass with falls of * 0286 ; the Elburz ridge is cut through by
a tunnel of 725 sagenes.
In conducting the exploration the main line was taken for the most part
along the “chaussee,” Enzeli-Tehran, leaving it only in those places where it
obviously left the limits of the belt suitable for tracing the line.
From the pass through the Elburz ridge to the town of Kazvin the line
passes through an unwooded valley watered by small rivers and irrigating
channels. On account of the general fall of the valley to Kazvin, and the pre
sence of shallow wide valleys, it proved possible to use a maximum fall of ‘ 008 .
The least radius of curvature here was 300 sagenes. The cost of the proposed
line from Resht to Tehran through Kazvin may be roughly determined on the
basis of the exact data already obtained, namely, the cost of the lines Allat-
Astara-Resht, and the two directions from the station of Kivrag to Tabreez.
The first section of the line from Resht for 35 versts is in the same condition
as the line Astara-Resht, and is therefore, estimated at 44,000 roubles per verst.