The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-04

Surveys Sbr the Pacinc Railroad.
An interesting article will be found in our
columns this morning, descriptive Of the new
Territory Of Washington, which is formed ofthe
northern half of Oregon, and to which Major
Stevens, of the Coast Survey, has been assigned
as the first Governor.
We are informed by Governor Doty, Of Wis
consin. late from Washington City, that the
principal object in appointing Typographical
engineer of the superior abilities Of Major
Stevens to Washington Territory, is to secure,
not only survey of the territory itself, but, as
the paramount object Of his expedition, a care
full survey of the whole route-say from Lake
Michigan westward to Puget's Sound-on the
Pacific coast, with the view to the practicability
of said route for railroad By this route
Major Stevens will probably pass the Rocky
Mountains. through some of the defiles Of the
northernmost sources Of the Missouri, five or
six degrees north of the South Pass. On the
western side of the mountains he will strike
that branch of the Columbia known as Clark's
river, and will follow it, perhaps, westwardly to
Fort Okanagon, where it suddenly bends
to the southwark. From this point the
survey, if there should be practical
pass, will strike westwardly over the Cas-
cade range of mountains to Puget's Sound
one hundred and fifty miles. more or less. to the
northward from the mouth of the Columbia. The
advantages of this route are, first, its compare
tive abundance of timber throughout its whole
extent thus affording the materials for the sub
structure of the road and for bridges, stations,
houses, fuel. &C., which will be required; Sc
condly, the land along almost the entire length
of the route is susceptible Of settlement and cul-
tivation, thus giving practical guarantee Of
an inhabited line, which will afford protection,
subsistence ready repairs, and large amount
of way traffic to the road. The disadvantages
of this route will no doubt be discovered by
Mater Stevens to be the deep SHOWS of winter,
impracticable mountain defles and barriers, and
a country west Of the Rocky Mountains alto
gether too abruptly broken up by mountains,
and hills, and bluffs, and deep canones, and vol
canic debris. too rough and rocky entirely for
the Pacific Railroad.
The second survey. which will be detailed
under the appropriation Of $780, 900, as we
learn, will take the familiar popular route Of
Salt Lake, Mary's river, across the de-
sert Towson's, or some other pass. over
the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and thence
down the Sacramento to San Francisco
Of this route it is not necessary to say much, for
it is almost as well known as the Cumberland
road. Its great advantages are, it's centrality,
its directness, its gradual ascents and descents,
its long levels its advantageous passes, its
wholesome climate from one extremity to the
other Its greatest drawbacks are, the sparsity
of timber along the entire line, and the natural
obstacles of its soil and climate to the settle
ment or cultivation Of the land.
The third surveying corps, we understand,
will take the southern route proposed by Mr.,
Rusk, of Texas, crossing Arkansas, the Indian
territory, the northern corner OF Texas, and
across New Mexico to Albuquerque, and thence
through pass in that direction to the western
side of the Rocky Mountains. and thence uia the
Spanish trail across the desert basin turning the
Sierra Madre Mountains at Walkers Pass, and
striking the Pacific at San Diego. some five hun
dred miles south ofSan Francisco. We apprehend
there is no advantage in this route over the
waited FORM the worst disadvantages Of both.
From the frontiers of Arkansas it is but little
more, by this southern line, than one continuous
dreary desolate. bowling desert, to the Pacific
ocean-hot as Africa in summer, while in the
winter the mountains about Albuquerque are
not unfrequently covered with from thirty to
forty feet of snow uide-Fremont's fatal expe-
dition.
The results of the several surveys, however,
will determine the location of the Pacific Rail-
road. We trust that each of the two remaining
corps to be detailed will also be under the con-
troll Of come efficient scientific officer. upon
whose observations and report the government
and the public may rely. And of one fact
whatever route may be resolved upOn-of one
important fact we are quite sure : that the most
careful scientific surveys will show that the
proposed Pacific Railroad, if it is to be built
within the next ten years will not only require
all the private skill, enterprise, and capital Of
the country that can be brought to bear upon
it, but the credit of the government to the libe-
raj margin of at least hundred millions before
the work is done.
The President of the United States has made
a good beginning in the preliminary work of
the surveys. Let him follow it up and by the
meeting Of the next Congress we shall be able
to know which is the route for that great idea
of the age-that great work of manifest destiny
"a continuous railroad from New York west
ward to the Pacific ocean. Meantime. why does
not our Legislature put the ball in motion?
AN ATTACK UPON THE SCHOOL FUND.--A bill
has passed the Senate Of this State, and