The weekly Placer herald., 1852-09-11

pui dLiNflY FON Dul SOIiltN llut kG
land; crossing from this point - Sfnr
on the Humboldt river, about hiuePV Miles
from the sink, and thence bn a line north
OF the great salt sea, through the South
Pass and by Fort Laramie into indie
pehdence. ana
The southern route passing up the Sau
Joaquin and Tulare valleys, crossing Il
| low ridge at the southern base of the ST.
ezra Nevada through what is known as
kerus Pass, thence to the Mohave, thence
to the Colorado below the mouth of the
Big Canon, thence across the table land
cutting the head waters of the northerG
affluents of the ella TO the Rio Grande in
the neighhorhood of Belen or Tome,
thence down the Rio Grande to San
Diego, from near which point pass
opens into tie vast plain extending from
the Gulf Of Mexico to ST. Peters and the
northern lakes, affording an almost per-
fecty natural grade to Austin, Nach-
toches, Fort Smith or independence.
There is still another route going south
as before to the Mohave, thence north
eastery near the line Of the road from Los
Angeles to Salt Lake, striking the head
waters of the Arkansas, and descending
with the waters of the Arkansas 10 Bent's
Fort, and from that point to independence.
This pass through the Rocky Mountains
is the same attempted by Fremont in 49,
when losing his way his party suffered so
terribly IN the SHOWS. The character and
capabilities Of this pass are not as yet we'll
understood. The long stretch between
the Mohave and the Colorado is generally
a desert, aud the distance is from two to-
four hundred miles greater than by either
of the other routes proposed. For these
reasons | shall not discuss this route in
detail.
The northern route from the navigable
waters of the Sacramento to the point
maintained on the Humboldt, is known to
me only from the reports of cmigrants
and travellers. 1t is unquestlonably true,
however, that great portion of the dis
tance can be accomplished along the natu
raj grade of the Sacramento, that the
mountainous ridge of the Sierra can be
turned to the north, and that with fifty
miles of broken, but not mountainous
line overcome, the road can be carried into
the plane of the Great Basin. From the
plane of the Great Basin rising to the sum-
init of the South Pass, and descending to-
| the navigable waters ofthe NJ lssourl, 1t is
remarkable and ascertained fact, that along
tany equal distance of railroads in the
world, art has not accomplished as perfect
IA grade as nature has here afforded for
the purpose. From the waters of the
Hnmholdt tn the summit of the South
Pass, there is not section of thirty miles
where the mean rise is more than fifteen
feet to the mile, and all hills can be
avoided. From the South Pass the coun-
try falls equally and impprceptibIy not
more than six feet to the mile, all the way
to Independence. There may be slight
inequalities of surface, but there is not a
hill and scarce Il stream to cross. These
facts as to the route from the Humboldt to
the Missouri have been scientifically as
certaned, and state this after careful
examination of complete profile of the
route, prepared from Typographical sur
vey, made at the instance of the Govern
ment.
From the Bay of San Francisco to the
head Of the Tuare Valley, there is con-
tinuous, gradually rising but almost level
plain. The low ridge running from the
Coast Range to the southern base of the
Sierra Nevada, it has long been UNDER
stood, presents no serious obstacle to
egress with a road into she level country
south aud east of the Sierra. Extra graz
ding will in all probability not be required
for more than ten miles at this point; you
then reach the Mohave without obstruc-
ton; the grade is already completed.
From the Mohave you have to strik-
across the Desert of the Colorado Cross
ing, and perhaps passing one of its affiu-
ents from the west. This sandy desert is
the most serious difficulty on the route
but rs it is now well ascertained that water
can be had almost anywhere upon the Des-
ert by sinking wells but few feet, the
difficulty is only in protecting the road
from the shifting sands. This protection
will have to be afforded probably for sixty
miles. 1t will add but little to the cost Of
the road, but considerable to the expense
Of keeping it in order propose to strike
the Colorado below the Canon, and rise
to the plane of the table land lying be-
tween the Colorado, the Rio Grande and
the Gila then leaving the breaks of
the waters of the ella to the south
to strike the Rio Grande near Belen.-
Having traversed this body of country,
| know from personal observation that
road can he run from the Colorado
to the Rio Grande without a mountain
obstruction. 1t is a vast and almost level
table land, gradually rising toward the
centre, with abrupt ridges of two or three
thousand feet elevation at intervals, but
. aip info hn -, l,ta land a ftar