Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-06-06
Science and sRrE.
From the Constitution.
THE GREAT PACIFIC RAILROAD.


From the Constitution.
THE GREAT PACIFIC RAILROAD.
1t will be seen from the letter of Mr. Whitney,
the proprietor of the great Pacific Railroad which
We publish below, thntit is purposed to make
Reconnaissance of the country lying between Lake
Michigan and the Rocky Mountains, in the course
of the coming summer. The location Of the road,
should it ever be made, will probably be on or
near the parallel of 40 deg. north latitude
Many considerations would seem to point to this
as the most expedent location. Considered in
reference to other matters, it would be the most
direct line that could be adopted. In the first place,
the lands from the lake to the mountains on this
line, are very fertile and wholly inappropriate
it is finely timbered country all the way-the
streams would he crossed where they the small
est, and consequently least liable to those disas-
trOus oyerfows, so destructive upon all the large
Western rvers-and where it is believed rock will
more certainly be found, for the indispensable pur-
pose of construction, than upon The line of more
Southern location. These are some of the rea-
sons, which, according to the information of those
,
likely to influence its location on or near the line
above mentioned. The examination, however,
which Mr., Whitney and his assistants intend ma
king this summer, is to test the accuracy of this
information, and the force of these reasons and 10
determine, by personal inspection, the best pract-
cable route for the proposed road.
The important questions however at once pre-
l,nN III oc,Is
and, fso, Is its construction practcabe9 AS to
its utility, moments consideration IL sufficient to
satisfy any upon that point If constructed,
the whele of our trade with China India, and with
all the islands of the Pacific, would probably at
once pass over it. This trade is not only immense
now, hut increasing in rapidly increasing ratio,
and is destined to augment, almost beyond human
computation And as TO the practicability of con-
structing the work, we are satisfied that it can moi
only be accomplished, but that it is, in fact, not
very difficult, We deem it by no means as difficult
a work now, all circumstances being considered
as was the construction of the great New York
=, Canal, when that was undertaken. Yet that i'm.
tnense work-thOugh its projectors and advocate,
were at first laughed at and derided-was easily
- accomplished, and all the advantages which ts mos
saHgune friends predicted have been more thar
- realized.
u Ii we reason little from known data the gigan
tic proportions fthe Pacific railroad will cease II
&c strike US with any formidable mpractlcabty.
The length of railroad completed and now in U.s.
- in the United States is something upwards of fiv
r thousands miles This has been constructed at al
: average cost of about twenty thousand dollars pc
" ', mile. As the proposed road would probably no
~ ;. exceed two thousand miles, and as Stunning twent
y thousand dollars as the average cost per mile, w
should have about forty millions f dollars as tn
" cost of construction for the whole road. 1t is con
" fidently believed that there is no extent of countr
W in the known world, in continuous line, whic
- presents as few obstacles to such work. Lieu
Il Fremont, who has passed over what would b
considered the most difficult portions of the grounc
~ some four different times; who has surveyed an
Vi examined it with professional skiIl and who is vi
30 questionably better informed upon that point tina
~ any other man, states, we understand, that ii
H. grade from the waters Of the Mississippi to thos
10 Of the Columbia will not exceed seven and ha
'u- feet per mile. This we know, practically speal
ing, IL no obstruction at ALL as locomotives no
III overcome four times that grade per mile.
III 1t, then, the road is both practicable and usef
III useful it certainly would be. beyond my ente
ne prise of the kind which has ever been projected
ne nan-we cannot but dream it both wise and exp
ny dent to offer to Mr. Whitney every reasonal
IN facility, to carry his plans into practical operatio
led If we understand his proposition rightly, it is tn
raj the lands which he asks for ts construction
md be vested in commissioners, appointed by the a
on thOfy of Congress-, who to sell the lands fro
cd time to time, and apply the proceeds to the CO
'e structon Of the work it progresses. These CO.
ina ssioners, then will be IN fact, Trustees beh
lul OF the United States, under whose control I
su- whole subject will be from first to last If, frC
lest any cause, the work fail, Mr. Whitney gains moi
ing, and the United States has the unsold lane
ons the unexpended proceeds Of what may have he
tea sold, and the road as far as completed-anl, c,
,er- tainly will have lost nothing, fA ''NN =
dis Al all events, the plansofMr Whitney are W
Tho, thy of serious consideration and, If they cun