" The
whole spectacle presented a seething mass of rapidly-moving, blue
smocked, brown figures, busily working on the bright yellow sand. The
result of four hours of this sort of thing would produce about 500 yards
of good level track including shallow cuttings and embankments. Then the
train would arrive with more sleepers and rails and these would be
carefully but quickly laid in position.
Another job we had to do in this neighbourhood was digging wells. When
"C" Company went off for a couple of days to do this they discovered
what a formidable business it was. It was necessary to go down to a
depth of about twenty feet, and as the well was sited in very soft sand
the task can be imagined. A huge hole, about forty feet square had to be
made to allow for the slope of the sand, and the deeper we went, the
higher grew the mountains of sand all round the hole, so that the men
had to be arranged on tiers above one another. In this way a shovel full
of sand from the bottom travelled up through various pairs of hands
before it was finally thrown clear. This tedious business continued
until water was struck, and then a corrugated iron frame was sunk at the
bottom, and the tall sides of the well built upon it. After this all the
sand that had been so laboriously chucked out, was heaved back again. A
pump was fixed by the R.E. and troughs made along side, to be filled as
often as the well could furnish sufficient water (in this case twice a
day) for the use of camels or horses.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52