SoMK MuNicTPAT, Enginekkin o Prori.kms T N ■IHK Tucii'rcs 

 (With special rcfcrcufe to Kliartonm City) 



BY 



W. H. McLean, Assoc. H. Inst. C.E., etc. 



Municipal Engineer, Khsirtonni 



and 



Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering, Guniun Cullege, Kliai'touiii 



AND 



G. E. Hunt, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., etc. 

 Assistant Municipal Engineer ami Junior Lecturer in Civil Engineering 



Inteoduction 



In tropical countries, as in Europe, the development of a city is generally attended 

 by a series of engineering problems peculiar to each stage of its growth. The following 

 notes refer specially to some of the problems which have presented themselves in the 

 development of Khartoum and to the provisions made by the Municipality for the 

 future development of the city. The history of the new Khartoum began with the 

 reconquest of the Sudan in 189y, when tlie ruins of Gordon's old town were removed, to 

 a large extent, and a new and modern city was laid out. 



The meteorological conditions obtaining and the geographical position of a town affect, 

 to a large extent, the particular lines of its development. The following description of 

 the -conditions at Khartoum will give a better appreciation of the special problems under 

 consideration. 



Khartoum, the capital of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, is situated at tlie junction of the 

 Blue and White Niles in north latitude 15' 30' and about 1,260 feet above tlie level of the 

 Mediterranean. The climate is a semi-arid desert one, there being a rainy season from Meteorological 

 July to September, but the annual amount of rainfall varies considerably, and in some years ^"'^ °'^<='' 



... conditions at 



there may be only a few heavy showers. The maximum temperature m winter is generally Kimnoum 

 over 90° F., but the cool and dry north wind which prevails makes it very pleasant. The 

 maximum summer temperature is seldom over 110" F., but this, with a prevailing south wind, 

 is often very trying, more especially during the occasional dust storms. During the rains, 

 although the temperature may fall considerably, the increased humidity makes it equally 

 unpleasant. Comparatively cool nights are experienced however, practically throughout 

 the whole year. The temperature in winter seldom falls below 50' F. 



A description of these meteorological conditions, which, it will be observed, 

 are somewhat peculiar, is given by Dr. Balfour in the Third' and also in this Report- of 

 the Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories. 



Khartoum is built on a bed of alluvium, the surface of tlie ground being practically 

 level throughout, while part of the town is below the level of extreme high Nile. The 



' Loc. cit., pages 62-64, - J'o/iimc A, page 26.3. 



