New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-05-13
The Great Pacific Railroad.

II VIII De seen from The letter OF ar WHITNEY.
tie proprietor OF the great Pacific Railroad. which
we publish below, tia, II Is purposed 10 maxi re
c9naelsseace oi the country lying between Lake
Michigan and the Rocky Mountains. N The coc,se
OF the coming summer. The location Of the road
should II ever BE- MADE, wll PROBABLY Dc on or near
ti!s parallel OF i2o North latitude Many consider
aitGn> would seem 10 point - this - tie fos: Y
PedIrnt location Considered IN reference 10 other
matters, II would b. the most direct Inc that copt
well be adopted Ia The frs place, The lands from
NJ lake 10 the mountains on this line are yerv isr
HE and WI lily unapproprIated-It i { finely I'm
bertd country all Ih- way-rh= streams woaid Or
crossed where they are sInasSt, ana consequently
es aO!- 10 those disastrous oyertiUwS so deStruc-
i've upon all the large Western riverS-and ,vh.-.
It Is believed rock viii more certainly Be found Tor
Tie Indispensable pqrpos-s OF construction. than
upon the Inc OF more Southern location These
OF the reasons, which, according 20 the IN
formation Of these acquainted with the face g.. -h,.
country. would be likely TO 3Ience lis location on
or near the line aforementioned The exarnina-
ton, however. which Alr WHITNEY and MS assist.
ants latend making this SUMNER. 10 lest the ac-
curacy OF this Information, and The force of these
reasons: and 10 determine. b. personal Inspection
the best practicable route for the proposed road
TIE important questions, however, at once pre-.
sent themss Ives, Would such WORK Be useful
and, It so, * IIs construction practicable AZ to
Is utility, moments consideration IL sutiicien, to
satisfy any one upon that point II constructed
the whole OF our trade with emma. India and win
al lae Islands OF the Pacific, wuuiG probably al
once pass over H. TINS trade Is not only immense
now. but increasing IN Il RAPIDLY increasing ratio
and i destined 10 augment, almost bsyGnd human
computation. And as TO the practcaoIllly oil con-
stlucing the wo-k, are satisfied that II can not
only BE- accomplished, but that It +. IN fact. not
very difficult We deem II By ne means as diff
cult work now. all circumstances being cons.d-
cred as wss the construction OF the great New
York Canal when that was undertaken. 1T that
immense woIk-thoUzh us projectors and adyo-
Gates were at first laughed at and derded-waS
easily accomplished. and all the advantages which
us most sanguyn- friends predicted have been more
than realized
Ii we reason little from known data the sjgan-
tic PROPORTIONS Of thu Pacific railroad will Cease 10
.trik4 US with any formidable lmpracucd5ity.-
The length OF railroad completed and now IN
the United States Is something upwards OF i've
thousand miles This has been constructed al an
average cost OF about twenty thousand dollars per
mile. As the proposed road would probably not
exceed Two thousand miles, and assuming twenty
thousand dellars as the average cos; per m!c, We
should have about forty millions OF dollars as the
cost ot construction for the whole road. IL Is con
tlfen. believed that there l. no extent Of country
IN the known world, IN continuous line, which
presents rs few obstacles 10 sucn work Lieut.. !
FRgMoNT, who has passed over what would be con- |
>lGsIrd the most difficult portions OF the ground
some four different times; who has surveyed ana
examined II with professional skill and who Is I'M
lueSuonaDlv better Informed upon that point than |
any other man, states, we understand. that the I
grade from the waters o, the Mississippi to those OF
The Columbia will not exceed seven and halt
feet per mile. THIS We know, practically speaking |
is no obstruction at all as locomotives can (
overcome about four times that grade per mile.
II. then, the road II both practicable and useiui-
lsciu! II certainly would be, beyond any enterprise
Dt the kind which has ever been projected by man (
q, l,,.t .s,
10 offer 10 Mr. WHITNEY every reasonable facility,
10 carry has plans INTO practical operation II we
understand his proposition rightly, 1t Is, that The
andS which he asks for lis construction, are 10 be
vested IN commissioners, appointed by the author-
y vi Congress- who are 10 sell The lands from time
o time, and apply the proceeds 20 the construction
II the work II progresses. These commissioners,
hen will be IN tac;, Trustees on behalf OF the
United States under whose control the whole sub
ec will be, from first 10 last II, from any cause,
he work fail, Mr.. WHITNEY gains nothing, and the
United States has the unsold lands. the nefypend-
Dad as far as completed-asd, certainly VIII nave
ost nolhIGg.
AT all events, the plans of Mr.. WnITyry are
worthy oi serious consideration and, 1t they can
,e carried out by the means which he suggests, we
AN perceive no good reason why he should not be
permitted 10 give them a fair trial. The following
lote 10 us NAV have interest tor some OF our
scientific and adventurous young men, and snti!-
:iently explains itself; =, 49,
DEAR SIs 1t il my intention 10 over and examine
md partially survey. eight hundred miles OF tue
cute proposed the railroad from Lake Michigan 10 Inc
Pacific. during the coming summer
/ shall leave New York about the goth My FOR Green
Raw follow the lake Gown Milwaukee. thence 10 the
i!,sour! river. and return by s.. Louis.
Several young gentlemen OF high les iecAo'y ana e"-
alton Will accompany and it Will please me 10 have
our numtcr Increased.
The eNcur ion win be pleasant and beneficial 10 hea
md u,etul IN the knowledge to be gained that vast
sB. YsNas fna al -tgG