ACROSS THE JORDAN

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1935, Page 16

ACROSS THE JORDAN

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY

ENGINEERING PIONEER

The completion of the Irak Petroleum pipe line is a constructional feat of which ■; British people may well be proud, says the "Observer." At various times -throughout- the ages British pioneers have gone to different parts of the world and carried out work which was seemingly impossible owing to the condition of the country and the climate. 18 There is living in Hull today, at the

advanced age of ejghty-threo years, a constructional engineer and pioneer who has done a great deal of such important work all over the world. He is Henry E. P. Count Cottrell, . and among other appointments that he has held he has been Colonial 'Engineer to the British Honduras Government, while for many years he was engaged in the construction of railways in South Africa and other Dominions. Mr. Cottrell was born and brought up in Italy and educated at a French academy. By inheritance he has the title of, Count He came to England when, he was eighteen to study engineering, and was an M.I.C.E. in the beginning of the 'eighties of last century:, • , ,'The construction of the Haifa and Damascus Railway' about fifty years ago; .was at that time considered a very remarkable event, and it is interesting to hear from Mr; Gottrell how he had to gain the confidence not only'of the Turks, but also of the Arab tribes who frequently came into contact with the engineers connected therewith.

•^lt is now fifty years ago since a syndicate was formed in Manchester to obtain concessions and build the

railway, the idea being to sell it completely when built. The syndicate considered that the railway would serve'a useful purpose and would realise a'profit to the members. The head of-the syndicate was a Mr. Pilling, and the idea was to connect up by the Syria .Ottoman Railway the coast and

the interior via Haifa and Damascus

across the' Jordan. . Jftr.. Cottrell went out to Palestine forty-four years "ago, made the survey, apd then started the construction from Haifa as far as the cliffs of the River1 Jordan. The Jordan is far below the level of the sea, and at the particular part that the railway line would have to be constructed it was actually 1100 feet below the v level of the Mediterranean. ■ ' For the first part of the Vay the land was 'fairly,easy to negotiate, because use was made of the plains of Esdraelon.\ The railway passed by Nazareth, and no exceptional difficulties were met with until they came to the Jordan,' then it was a case of making the line ; gp down some' 800 feet and up again,about 400 feet. The oil wells did not exist at that time, and, in fact, if anyone knew that there was oil they never mentioned it. Certainly such an idea as pipe lines never occurred to anyone. The town of Haifa is situated in a bay on the Mediterranean, and behind it. is Mount Carmel, the approach to the town from the north being by the cliffs of Sidon. On the nortMside of the Bay of Haifa is Acre. Here it was on the east side, just outside the town that Stichard pitched his tent, and Napoleon also camped on the same mount. Before the war Haifa was a stronghold of the Turkish Government. PERSIAN PRISONERS. , , . During the time that 'the xailway Wjas heing constructed- some Persian, Princes"were"irtterned at Haifa. They were •'adherents of the so-called religion, and the famous Diamond Shah of Persia arranged for them to be expelled from Persia .and interned at Haifa. This Prince received the name

was'fairly,easy to negotiate,

Diamond Shah, because he was always dressed very elaborately and seemed.to " be covered with diamonds. ■ The Sul-

tan, of Turkey took charge of the young ; Princes, and although they were ' ordered to be in" confinement they did ]more~or less as they liked, and were liked and respected. They tried constantly to maintain that -were not Mohammedans, but during a somewhat famous trial at Acre..in,wKfch they were severely cross-examined by the sheriff and asked what religion they belonged to, of them replied: "We are not followers of the Carpenter or the Camel - Driver." They did not explain what they were, but after that the "sheriff stopped his cross-examination. Mr. Cottrell said that he got on very well with the Turks, but outside Haifa* he had more to do with the Arabs and, in fact some of them are still alive and communicate with him. He found that with the Arabs one had tb; treat them as human beings, not divulge too much, keep a, firm hand, and not pretend to know everything. He received much assistance and advice as to conditions of surveying and constructing the railway from them.