The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 50, October 21, 1897

The Mahdists are making a strong stand there, and it is expected that the decisive battle will be fought in the near neighborhood of that city.

A newspaper correspondent who is with the Soudan expedition writes a most interesting account of the rapid way the soldiers are building a railroad across the desert. The road is being finished at the rate of nearly two miles a day, and when completed will enable the army to bring men and supplies from Cairo in a few days instead of the many weary weeks which are now required.

The building of the railway through the desert has been entrusted to the engineer corps. These engineers are soldiers whose duty it is to build fortifications, railroads, bridges, or any works which the commander of the force may think necessary.

In building a railroad the first thing to be done is to prepare the road-bed, so that it will not give way under the weight of the trains that are to pass over it. This is done by digging out or banking up the earth so that the bed shall be level. When the earth-bank has been made as high and as solid as necessary, huge wooden beams, called sleepers, are placed across it at regular intervals, and on these sleepers the rails are laid.

The correspondent describes the laying of the rails as follows:

"A great sight was the actual work of laying the line. We went out in a car drawn by a spare engine, to see this at the place where the work was in progress. The second construction train had reached the scene of active operations just before we arrived, and the desert fairly hummed with busy turmoil. It has been given but to few to see a railway line made and used while you wait. Yet we had that experience on this afternoon. Everything was done at once. The long train moves slowly toward the end of the rails, getting as near to the bare bank as is possible. So soon as she stops, an eager army of workers attack her, with, of course, much wild noise of strange rhythmic chant. To the uninitiated this onslaught of the workers on the train bears all the appearance of a raid, yet, should one watch awhile, it gradually dawns upon one that marvellous orderliness and most studied method underlie every seemingly wild movement. The engine stops—say, ten rail lengths from the end of the track—and the game begins. The rail-cars are in front, just behind the tender, with the rails neatly ranged on racks. At once to either side of each rail-car rushes a party of, if Egyptians, eight men, if blacks, ten, upon whose padded shoulders the ton of sun-heated metal is placed by the car party. Then they run—they do literally run—away with the unwieldy thing to its destined place, where, once it is placed on the sleepers, the gaugers and strikers get at it, and it is put in position and pinned (to each alternate sleeper, the operation being completed after the heavy train has passed over the newly laid rails) in an incredibly short time, at the end of which a bugle sounds, the steam whistle blows, the engine moves slowly forward over the rails that less than five minutes ago were stacked on the cars behind her, and the whole operation is repeated."

Hawaiian affairs continue to progress peacefully, notwithstanding the fact that the story of Japanese soldiers being introduced in Hawaii disguised as laborers has been confirmed by so many people that our Government has no longer any doubt of its truth.

Orders have therefore been sent to the commander of the fleet at Honolulu to be on the alert, and in case Japan should attempt any hostile movement to land a company of marines and sailors, run up the American flag, and take possession of the island in the name of the United States.

The gunboats Wheeling and Concord have been sent to the Sandwich Islands, and a cruiser and several gunboats will be kept at Honolulu until all fear of trouble is over.

The Japanese ship, the Naniwa, has gone back to her own country to be cleaned and repaired, but will return to Hawaii as soon as this has been done.

During her absence our Government is taking advantage of the opportunity to make some necessary changes in the ships stationed at Honolulu, and when the Japanese cruiser returns she will find quite a fleet of American ships waiting to receive her.

A statement has been made that the Japanese Government is willing to settle the immigration dispute with Hawaii for $100,000.

Hawaii is not anxious to make any such arrangement. She is a little afraid that if she consents to do so, Japan will declare that she is bound in future to let in as many Japanese immigrants as the Mikado chooses to send. She is anxious to reserve the right of declaring what citizens she will allow within her boundaries.

The annexation of the islands is by some people regarded as assured.

The Senators and Congressmen who have visited the islands declare that there is no opposition to the idea. Some few followers of the Queen Liliuokalani would prefer to have her once more on the throne rather than to be under the government of a foreign president, but there is no serious opposition to the treaty.

With this news comes the information that Mr. Spreckels, the Sugar King of Hawaii, has offered to withdraw his opposition to the treaty when he is convinced that his rights in the island are not to be interfered with.

Mr. Spreckels is a millionaire who has made most of his money through his vast sugar interests in the Sandwich Islands. He was so afraid that his business would be hurt by annexation, that he threatened to spend half his fortune to prevent it.

Besides his sugar interests, he owns a line of steamers between Hawaii and San Francisco, and he controlled so many votes in Hawaii that he was a dangerous enemy to the project.

President Dole of the Sandwich Islands has been endeavoring to break Mr. Spreckels' power, but has made very little progress until the other day, when he granted permission to one of the Pacific mail steamers to enter into competition with Mr. Spreckels' boats for the carrying trade of the islands. The permission stated that the President would allow the Pacific Mail Company to increase the number of vessels on the line if they desired to do so.

This was a dreadful blow to Mr. Spreckels.

The carrying trade with Hawaii is hardly large enough for several companies to make money at it, and as the new line will endeavor by reduced rates and increased accommodations to get the trade away from Mr. Spreckels, the chances are that he will lose a good deal of money through it.

It is in consequence of this that he is reported to have promised not to oppose the annexation of Hawaii if his interests are not interfered with.

It is said that President Dole is so anxious that nothing shall interfere with the annexation treaty that he is willing to promise Mr. Spreckels anything he asks in return for his assistance.

Central America is in a very disturbed condition once more.

Revolutions are in progress, or have just been suppressed in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua; and Honduras is again in an unsettled state.

In addition to this, there is bad feeling between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, which may break out into war at any moment.

As this last quarrel concerns the Nicaraguan Canal, in which our country is so much interested, it is perhaps better to tell you about it before we speak of the more serious troubles in Guatemala.