Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

THE HEDJAZ RAILWAY. 341 was that of the line linking Damascus with the sea—one of 105 metres, or 413 inches. Beirut was chosen as the landing-point for material for the first stage, which starts at Damascus. The Haifa Branch. At the time when operations commenced, a short line, built by French capitalists, already ran southwards through, a pro- fitable agricultural belt, which may presently be very highly developed. The route chosen for the sacred railway lay almost was in itself a notable undertaking. The country, rugged and broken by yawning ravines, involved the surmounting of numerous engineering difficulties. To secure the neces- sary easy grade the line has to follow a some- what meandering course, especially in the neighbourhood of the deep gully through which the Jordan finds its way after leaving the Lake of Tiberias. Though, the river lies 800 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, the work of carrying the rails up to the high SAILORS LANDING CONSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL AT THE WHARVES, HAIFA. parallel to and eastwards of the French track, as far as Deraa. This last was the natural point at which to run off a branch line to Haifa on the Mediterranean. Haifa is des- tined to become an important place as the sea terminus of the railway. A fine harbour is to be constructed to give safe anchorage to vessels of deep draught. On the land the visitor now sees substantial terminal buildings, surrounded by extensive sidings, and domi- nated by the imposing monument raised to commemorate the building of the railway. The construction of the Haifa-Deraa section ground on either side has been done so well that no abnormally heavy gradients are en- countered. On this 100-mile stretch, which includes seven long tunnels and a number of deep rock cuttings and large viaducts, a cosmopolitan army of workmen—Italians, Montenegrins, Greeks, Turks, and other Europeans—were kept busily at work. After crossing the Jordan by a handsome masonry bridge of seven arches, the line bends sharply to the north-east round a bluff, and turns eastwards to effect a junction