The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-02-11
NUMBER %.

DUBuQuE, Iowa, Dec. %. 1854.
: My DEAR GENERAL Enclosed plaase
: lind petition relating to a military road from
this place to Fort Clark, on the Dcs Mo;ne.
river.
We are indebted to you for the location o.
the tort, and hope You may be able to onpn 9
road SO desirable to both the interests Of the
country through which it passes, alike TO the
government in furnishing the necessary sun.
plies. As it now requires hauling by land from
heokuk distance of two hundred and eighty
miles, while from Dubuqne it would be only one
hundred and eighty miles, as you will see by
referring to the S. F. range, in which the new
tort is located Marsh tells me the Lizard fork
OF the Des Moines, is in range % w, s. SO
north.
The trade of the upper Des Moines is of
more Importance to Dubuque than score of
railroads to keokuk Tin my opinion)
~ is unne ecessary for me to say moro on this
subject, others will most likely write touc hinc
the Importance of the road, Sc.
Most respectfully your obedent servant
M. Nj. HAYDEN.
To General w. Jones, Washington City,
BUREAU OF ToPoGRAPHIcAL ENGINEERS,
Washington, Jan Z, 1851.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge your
direction to report upon letter of the 9th inst. .
from the Honorable G. w. Jones and the Hon.
orabe A. G. Dodge, of the United States Sen
ate.
The object of this letter, and of its several
enclosures, Is to have a military road from
Dubuque, on the Mississippi, to Fort CLARK,
on the Lizard fork of the Des Moines
Ihe best map we have of that country is the
one compiled tn this office from the results of
NIcollet's expedition. and will be found printed
with Nicollet report, as Senate Document 537,
Cd session, Goth Congress
BY this map the distance from Dubuuue to
Fort Clark is about one hundred and eiuhtv
miles, and the distance from Fort Clark to the
mouth OF the Des MoineS about three hundred
miles.
This last distance is represented as the usual
travelled distance with supplies, making the
difference between the two routes-both are
land routes-of about one hundred and twenty |
miles; the route from Dubuque being that
much shorter This fact gives 10 the Dubuque
route great advantages
The only difference deserving of notice is |
thatto arrive at Dubuque, the Mississippi has
to be ascended about two hundred miles but
as this distance during the season when supplies
are forwarded can be passed by STEAMBOATS,, it |
reduces comparison of the difference on this
account between the routes to two hrndred |
miles OF steamboat navigation and one hundred
and twenty miles of land carriage. This fact
also gives to the Dubuque route great adyan,a-
ges.
Under all circumstances, therefore, the Du |
buque route is much to be preferred, and the
making of road on this route would cost but
little more than half for road ON the other
route.
Moreover, from general information. for we
have no survey Of the route, il is believed that
the ground from Dubuque to Fort Clark is very
favorable for road and in addition to the
great saving in distance, it would cost much less
per mile than the other route from Keokuk -
On all these accounts, if road be made from
either point, i: is recommended to be made from
Dubuque to Fort Clark.
1t Is not in my power to give an estimate o f the
probable cost of the road, as the essential pre-
imnary step of survey mas not been made,
nor is there any existing appropriation which
could be applied to either the survey or making
IF the road
1t, is, therefore respectfully suggested that
IN appropriation, say of two thousand dollars,
De made for the survey, location and making
II military road from Dubuque to Fort
Clark,
Respectfully, sir, your
Obedient Servant,
J. J. ALERT,
,.el. Commanding Typographical Engineers.
lon. G. M. CONRAD,
>--SecrslurU of Vnr