The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-10-08
The Great Pacific Railroad.

Jefferson then President, sent Captains Lew
is and Clarke, with a party Of soldiers, to ex-
plore the country from the Mississippi river,
along the Missouri to the Pacific OCEAN
Even then Mr.. Jefferson, with that foresight
which enabled him to look far over the heads
OF his contemporaries, to the immense impor-
lance of Louisiana to the Union, perceived,
across this continent, up the Missouri and
down the Columbia, the shortest avenue to
the trade of China and India, that source of
wealth which had successfully raised empires,
and for which the Caucasian race had been
contending for more than three, perhaps for
ten thousand years. Railroads were then UNI
known. And had they never been invented,
the avenue ~foreseen by Mr.. jefferson, and for
whose exploration he sent the expedition
commanded by Lewis and Clarke, would
have been destined hereafter to this trade.
But if the navigation of these rivers is to be
superseded by railroads, and a more direct
and permanently open route is thus to be OBJ
tanned, the superiority of Mr.. jefferson over
his opposing contemporaries in statesman-like
foresight, is not the less conspicuous and the
explorations Of Lewis and Clarke have been
the basis of all subsequent examinations of
the country between the Mississippi and the
Pacific.
The route proposed by Mr.. Whitney for
his railroad, proceeds from lake Michigan,
across the Mississippi above the mouth of the
Wisconsin, thence across the Missouri above
the mouth of the Great Platte, between the
Council Bluffs and the Great Bend, a little
below lat. 43, and thence to the Great South
Pass, about lat. AZ, 80, and thence along the
valley Of Lewis river, which is the southern
main branch of the Columbia, to the head of
ship navigation upon the latter, or to the bay
Of st. Francisco,a as may hereafter be decided.
Taking the Great South Pass as q point of
departure eastward and westward, our first
object is to ascertain the respective distances
and elevations. According to Col. Fremont
quoted in the report of Senator Breese, the
elevation Of the highest point in this Pass, a.
bove the Gulf Of Mexico is 1890 feet. Col.
Fremont, who explored the valley of the
Great Platte, from its mouth to this Pass, in
1841, describes it as an open prairie region,
with an ascent almost or quite imperccptible
by the traveller. lie was accompanied by a
MIR. Carson, who had resided in this region
for I years, who had frequently crossed the
Pass, and was thoroughly acquainted with
the route. Yet with all his experience, he
was obliged to watch very closely, to ascertain
when he had reached the eliminating point
of the Pass through the Rocky Mountains
The distance Of the great pass to the mouth
of the Kansas, is 963 miles, and from the
mouth of the Platte 981 the latter being about
800 miles higher on the Missouri than the
former and as the mouth of the Kansas is
700 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, and that
OF the Platte a trifle more, the average ascent
from either point to the Pass, is only about Z
feet to the mile. And as the distance from
lake Michigan to the Pass is 1,40O miles, and
that between the lake and the mouth of the
Kansas or Platte a level country, the average |
ascent from the lake to the Pass does not
exceed 4 1-2 feet to the mile. According to
Col. Fremont, the mouth of the Kansas is
700 feet above the gulf the crossing of the
Republican Fork SIG miles farther, is 1890
feet, giving an ascent of 4 % feet to the mile
the ascent of the next 12S miles is 1000 feet,
or about 8 to the mile that of the next 107
miles, to st. Vrain's Fort, is 1000 feet, or 8
to the mile that of the next 80 is 1900 feet
or Is to the mile; that of the next 10 miles
is 500 feet, or about AZ to the mile that of
the next 81 miles is 200 feet, or 2 1-2 to the
mile.
The distance from the Great Pass to the
mouth of the Columbia, by the common ira
yelling route is 1900 miles, and to the head
its ship navigation about 1,23O and as the
elevation of the Pass is 7,400 feet, the descent
from this point to ship navigation gives an
average of about 6 feet to the mile. From
the Pass to a distance of 81 miles, the de-
is 1890 feet, or less than 5 to the mile.
234 miles more, the route is level. For
$40 miles more, the surface is irregular, and
the next 178 miles end at an elevation of
5000 feet; the descent from 5000 to 5000
feet, over a distance of 719 miles, giving an
of less than 3 feet, though that of
the last 178 miles is II feet to the mile
From this point to the foot of the Blue noun
tains, 2S2 miles, the elevations and depres-
siors give an average of 10 1-2 feet to, the
mile; and the remaining distance to fort
Vancouver, the head of ship navigation, 303 {
miles, gives an average of 3 1-2 feet. All
these elevations were taken by Col. Fremont, {
the route usually travelled, though the s
committee suggest that future explorations l
will discover routes of less distances and as {
cent. |
These facts show that in a distance Of {, $3.50 l
niles, from lake Michigan to fort Vancouver, :.
he elevation Of the Great South Pass, 1890 l
Get, and of the intermediate points, present :
10 obstacles to a Observation-Disclosures I
c
INTERESTING RELIcT. There is still ~
tandin0 i'm the TOWN of Dperfal1 +ba only, u