RAILROAD ACROSS SAHARA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 64, 15 March 1879, Page 4

RAILROAD ACROSS SAHARA.

M. Duponchel, eueineer- in-chief of the Poinfz-et-Ghaueeg, was lately sent out to Algeria to examine the pcjlogiohl formation of tbe land Jo the south of the colony, with a view to f he fornifttion of a iracß-S'iharau rhilwsy, and to explore, as far as practicable, the borders of the great desert. He has now made his report, from which it appeirs that the piojocteil railway would ruu from Algiers to Timbuotoo, a distance of about 1500 miles M. Dupouchtl states that the principal portion of (he line—that which passes by Lugouat aud Taguio, croeoinfj the Oi-Bis of Jouat, and terminating at Tirobuctoo, m (lie Niger — would rtei during nearly its whole extent on querteroary deposits, layers of sand, ami towards tbe rod on rjrimin ye volcanic rocks, granite, gneiss, etc. No mouataiuona obstructions would have to be encountered. The Sahara has always hod the repoialiou of being a very hot region ; such is really {he case, although the thermometriu&l observations of latp. particularly by M. M.Duveyrier and Vhtione, reduce to reasonable figures the exaggerated statements of former travellers. The average hent does not appear to exceed about 73 deg. to 75Jpp. Fahrenheit, bnt account must be faken of the great variations which occur in the twenty-four houre. For instance, occasionally a very cold night succeeds a temperature of 104 d -grefs Fahrenheit in the daytime. Thaf, however, is not considered any obstacle. The great difficulty to ha overcome would be the want of the wator. M. Dopoochel considers thai this even can bo surmounted. He calculates for three trains daily the amount, cf water required would be 4000 cubic metres, and believes that the engineering scieDC ' of the doy is quite sufficient to eupply even a much greater quality at the nquisite points.