Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-08
Col. Fremont on the Pacific Railroad.


Col. Fremont on the Pacific Railroad.
In his letter to the Pacific Railroad Convention,
which sat at Philadelphia, 1t. Col Fremont ex-
presses his full conviction of the practicability of
railroad from the Mississippi Valley to San
Francisco. The route he prefers is not by the
famous South Pass. Beginning at the mouth of
the Kansas river. his approved route would follow
the bed of ttat river, some three or four hundred
miles, and from its upper waters, fall ''easy over"
into the valley of the Arkansas, about hundred |
miles from the mountains. 1t would follow the |
valley of the Arkansas only to the mouth of the
Huerfano river, and pursuing that stream, would
arrive at very remarkable pass in the mountains
level valley, 200 to 400 yards wide, land five miles
long. Emerging thence into a continuation of
the valley of the Upper Del Norte, some 40 or 50
miles broad the route would cross this flat coun-
try, and without encounterng a water course,
would reach great pass in the Colorado noun
tains, which Col. Fremont never explored, but
which, he says, is Familiarity known to the New
Mexican and Indian traders As far as this point
he thinks the route would offer singular facilities
for the construction of railroad, and is already
sufficiently explored to be ready for the practical
engineer. There are three routes suggested
across the Great California Basin The Califor-
MIA Legislature adopted a resolution in favour Of
bringing the railroad across the most Southern
pass of the Sierra Neyada, but Col F. gives his
preference to the middle route, relying upon the
resources of railroad science to break through the
great obstacle of the Snowy Mountains
The most striking observation in his letter re-
lates to the peculiar conformation of the Rocky
Mountain chain, and is presented in the following
extract:
"Some years of travel among these mountains, du-
ring which was occupied principally in searching for
convenient passes and good lines of communication,
gradually led me to comprehend their structure and to
understand that among this extended mass OF noun
1ains there nowhere to be found great continuous
range having unbroken crest, where passes are only
10 be found In the comparatively small depressons Of
the summit line.
Throughout this great extent of country-stretching
in each way about II degeesa these apparently con-
tnuous ranges are composed OF heightened blocks of
mountains, separate and detached-of greater or less
length, according to the magnitude of the chain which
they compose-each one possessing its separate noted
and prominent peaks, and lying parallel to each other
but usually to the general direction of the range
but in many cases lying dagonay it, springing
ddenly from the general level of the country some
times rising into bare and rocky SUBMITS OF great
height they leave openings through the range but little
above this general level, and by which they can be
passed without climbing mountain. Generally these
openings wooded valleys, where the mountain
springs from either sides collect together forming often
the main branches OF some mighty stream. Agg egaed
together in this way, they go on to form the great
chains of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada as
well the smaller and secondary ranges which occupy
the intervening space With the gradual discovery OF
this SYSTEM became satisfied not only of the entire
practcaby, but OF the easy construction of railroad
this rugged region. AS this peculiarly in the
country forms the basis of my information, desire to
state clearly at the outset, order that might be
more readily understood in proceeding to show that
this continent be crossed, from the Mississippi TO
the Pacific, without climbing mountain, and on the
very line which every national consideration ould
que to connect the great valley of the West with the
Pacific Ocean"
Col. Fremont describes the country on the Kan
sas being we'll fitted for settlement, and the re-
glon through which the Huerfano courses he
speaks of as country magnificently beautiful. He
does not write SO glowingly of the Basinsretch.
The obstacle OF winter snow in the mountains,
he represents TO be much less serious than we
had been induced to think it; the valleys being
comparatively free from snow and of mild eli
mate. He expresses decided opinion against the
practicability of the route by the ella.
Notwithstanding the high authorities with
which this magnificent railroad project is now as
ISOLATED, we do not believe that 1t is feasible, or
that if once constructed, it could be maintained.