Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-07-06

administration more fully responded to the
popular expectation Than in the promptitude,
energy; and careful consideration with which,
under the direction of the War Department
the several surveying expeditions have been
organized. with view to the selection Of the
best route for railroad communication between
the Atlantic and Pacific portions Of the terri
tory of the United States. These several sur.
veys are undertaken under the authority Of a
law passed at tbe last session Of Congress,an
the earnest attention Of the Secretary Of War,
has been given to their organization in such q
manner as to perform most completely and Eff
fectually their important duties.
Four expeditions, IMPLY appointed and I'm
der the commend Of skillful and experienced
officers, are already in the field, and the report
Of their operations. sweeping the whole area
Of our territory between the Mississippi and
the Pacific, may DO expected by the first OF
February next. Interpretations are intrus;ed
to chosen officers Of the corps Of engineers and
Of typographical engineers, to whose science
and skill the success Of our army in Mexico
was SO largely attributable. 1t is probably
not too much to say that no military organiza-
ton in the world can produce a corps more adj
eqnate 20 the successful conduct Of such
work. Sg
The first of sthss( Expeditions is under the
command Of Majof1 - |ens, late of the engi.
neer corps. and now governor Of Washington
] Territory, ard has FORTS object to survey the
region stretching from the upper Mississippi
to Pugets Sound 1t proceeds from ST. Paurs
in the Territory OF Minnesota. to the Great
Bend of the Missouri river; thence on the Ia
BILE land between the Missouri and Saskatch
anan rivers TO the most available pass in the
Rocky Mountains, surveying the best pass in
the Rocky Mountains, from the 49th parallel
to the head waters of the Missouri. 1t is part
Of the object Of this expedition to determine
the capacity Of the whole region Of ats survey
to supply, and of the Missouri and Columbia
rivers to transport the materials for the pro-
posed railroad. We learn that satisfactory
report has already been received from Major
Stevens, giving assurance that he is already
engaged in his operations far beyond the wes-
tern frontier of the United States. He ex.
poets to leave st. raui's before the first Of
June.
A second expedition. under the command of
Lieutenant Whipple, is 10 survey the region of
our western territory adjacent to the parallel
of IS deg. 1t will proceed from the Mississ,p-
pi along the head-vaters of the Canadian,
cross the Rio del E,rte near Albuquerque;
thence through Walter's Pass in the Rocky
Maintains to the Pa.i6c. At some po;nt on the
coast Of southern California near San Pedro.
Los Angeles. or San Diseo:
| A third expeditiob, ul,glsr the command Of
Captain Gunison. viii pass through the Rocky
Mountains near IT, ~. waters of III Del
Norte. bv way Of ~ Hsorfano river. into IN
valley Of the Green " Osande rivers. thence
wat ardlv along II r NfekolIes river ~ the
G,.at Rain th.nc. ~ q ~. I..ka MA
surveying on q rstur' Inte the Be pa..ea 4
i the Waeatch ranse the coal basin -
ierha IL the Plattei
< fonrah exred; onarete = t.alifor.
MA. 4. Reld n i rssna "a Lovex
Colorado@ = M efkis expedition,
starting from Ben6 California. will IL
i
San Joaquin and III alleys, together with
the whole county heast Of the Tuiare
lakes. To assstain ~ kt routs bstween Wal.
ker's pass, OF any q practicable passes in
i that region. and th1 houth Of the CHA, And
from that point to tn Pci6c at San Diego. i
Each Of these expe1 lions 10 instructed and
fully prepared 10 subject the region assigned
to it to a careful scientific survey, having ref
erence not only to examination of its capacity
for railroad route. but also to all that pertain
to thorough geographical knowledge of the
country, including not only its topography,
but its climate, soil, ard productions. 1t is
obvious that such surveys, apart from their
...,..,o ..,.n,;s. Lroul.ao. IS th;s ,,s.
w..,arn domain - ,bs rr;,sd s,.,.s TIL.
.nnron,;.,;on made nv tho Los, Conaross co.
49, .,rv.vs .monn,sd ), ~. s,n, :, ~.
hundred and fiftv thousand dollars and II ia
;ntendsd str;c,lv 70 copine tho exnenses of all
tho v.r;o,. sxned;,;ons IN ,b., .mo,n,
i We no;p, Win Measure 10 tho nro,,r, o.
oan;za,;on and the successful onera,;on thus
far Of these exped;t;ons az forn;sbinc annie
,roof ,ha, The aan,n;strar;o, l. v;,orouslu a
gagged in tho needful preliminar;es Of that mac.
n;f;cent national enterprise which is At No d;s
tn, dav - ,n,,e IN ! s,fa and snoeav ;n,or
es,s 81 our Atlantic and Pacific aoma;rs u
g. q. III,