The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-20

To give distinct ideas of the real and comparative
extent OF the central section of the United States the fol-
lowing data introduced;
due north and south line from the mouth of the Rio
Grande very 81 degrees west of Washington, to
north latitude 30, within very small fraction
of sixteen hundred miles, distance differing little from
that between the straits of Gibraltar and the Orkney
Islands that from Cape Metapan, in the Morea to the
Gull of Finland.
The Balize at the outlet OF the main pass of the Misss-
suppl at north latitude 20 degrees minutes, and west
longitude west 2 degrees minutes The extreme west
fountains of Maras river those OF the Mississippi
basn longitude IS degrees west of Washington,
and latitude 40 degrees north line drawn over the
intermediate distance between those points would
by actual calculation l7l7 statute miles, would trav
Lake PoDtchartran nearly centcay, the Mis-
spp river few miles above Natchez, the main Arkan-
Fort Smith, and reach its middle distance be-
tween Grand Saline and Soomon's Fork, branches of
Kansas river; and thence Platte and the
merous higher continents of Missouri river to its tem-
nation in the gorges of the Rocky mountains course
north As degrees IA minutes west similar line, in
like angle, with the meridian would reach from south
western Spain to Warsaw.
Cape Cannavel is in East Florida at north latitude %
degrees IS minutes, longitude degrees 20 minutes w.
W., and the point where north latitude 81 degrees 40
minutes reaches the Pacific longitude SO degrees
west of Washington city. This line, if drawn would de-
cline from the merdians about 81 degrees, and measure
such line, with like defexion extended from Cape ST.
Vincent in Portugal would reach to above two hun
dred miles eastward Of Moscow. Advancing from the
south eastward this line enters the central basin Gas in
Guiding the Mobile sectio) Erwinsville, in Geor
gia, traverses the various continents of Ocklekon-
me- Appalachicola and Mobile, crosses the Mis-
sssippi from West Tennessee, the Kansas river
near its mouth, the Platte near the influx of the
Pawnee Fork, and reaches its mid distance, between
the two extremes about six hundred miles little west of
northwest from the city of St Louis Another remark
able fact cannot omit to notice. As far the very
irregular outline of the United States will admit central
point, falls nearly coincident with the middle point of
the line under review; and if we suppose cross line
drawn through this middle point from the western bay of
Lake Superior, and extended to the Rio Grande, the
breadth OF the United States will be found in this region
about nine hundred miles.
We might adduCe other comparative views from dis
anoes. but deem those given adequate to the
present purpose and proceed to comparisons of surface
In Darbys Geographical Dictionary, under the article
Earth pages 292 and B. it is shown, that deductng des-
erts less extensive parts of all the CONT
nens and frozen tracts particularly towards the north
ern extremes of Asia and America the arabic sur
face admitting any considerable density of population,
amounts only about 81 00000O of squares miles Rea
there given, to show conclusyely that this
ducon of the habtabe land of the earth, if in error
the allowance in In the present case, adopt
it and proceed, making thrty-one million unit.
Table comparative of that part of great central region
of North Amerioa included IN the domain of the UNI
ted States. Its ertent, compared nth the suhole land
area of the earth, that Of the continent of tohieh 1t
forms part, and that Of other great sections of the land
area Of the earth, rejecting minute fractions.