The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-04
The Great Pacific Railroad-1hc Northern
Route.
re THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.

re THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
NKw York HOTEL, June Is, 1863.
notice in your paper of this H101ne an ar
ticle on the Pacific Railroad, in 40 hou make
mention Of and dismiss the Northern 0ute, (the
survey Of which was commenced at st. Paul, by
Colonel Stevens some few weeks snce,) in the fol-
lowing brief and erroneous paragraph =
The meet nortberly route IL that Of Colonel Stevens
which conemplaes making Pugets Sound at the north
extremity Of the United States the Pacific the
terminus. We apprehend that this will be found too
far north too much the shows and abyrin'hs Of
mountains Al difficult rivers, rocks and dedes ana TOO
long The purpose in view of Through ticket in the
sh rtest possible time, and at the least expense.
II is true that with editorial astuteness you only
apprehend that this will be too far north, &C. but
your apprehensons are those of the great majority
of people whose only knowledge of the subject is
obtained by glance at the map" and from read
ing papers of such universal circulation as the
HERALD, for this reason, viz. that the opinion OF
the people generally coincide with yours, and will
receive confirmation and pre- ldice from the para
graph above i deem it important to offer some
statement of facts in regard to the northern route
to the Pacific.
In remarkng upon the southern route you say
that A glance at the map will show that through
ont its whole extent il agods the mountains and the
deem SHOWS of the mountain passes Of the other
routes.r Allow me, in the start, to correct this
statement by saying that glance at any map now
published of any of the routes proposed can con-
yey but the most crude, imperfect, superficial, and
ofteptimes erroneous impressions, in regard to the
country or its susceptibtes tor the purpose OF road
making.
The southern the middle, and northern routes, and
every Of them and any other routes across this con-
tnent must cross mountainous country, and in this
respect that route is best which has the least distance
through the mountains, and in which the mountain
passes are most nearly in the proper line OF drecton,
| and offer the Hghtest grades. The two ranges Of
the Andes, or Rocky Mountains, which mark our
western territory approach each other towards our
northern boundary. The head waters of the Column
ba the Saskatchewan, and the Missouri, are all
found in this vicinity and interlocking with each
other; and in other place on the soil OF the United
States is the distance across the mountain ranges
so short in the latitude OF Pugets Sound. FROM
ST. Paul westward Col Stevens will pass through an
undulang prairie country, interspersed with groves
Of timber and lakes until he passes by the head
waters Of tie Red River Of the NORTH when he will
find the vast buffalo plains which extend through to
the he al waters Of the Missouri and Columbia with
scarcely an impediment The "labyrinths OF noun
tains therefore, will be by actual survey resolved
down to the shortest possible crossing in the United
States and the clue to that labyrinth will be found
already marked out by the Columbia or its branches
Now for the .sdifcult riversn From St. Paul to the
heads of the Missouri there are no rivers OF any con-
sequence to cross. except the Missouri ITSELF which
it Is proposed cross twice. and at such points that
no common road would consider the difficulties as at all
formidable, much less impractcable On the western
side of the Rocky Mountains there IS but one
stream Of any magDltude-Gla lorA OF tne ~, 20
lumba-which it is presumed will not be more dill
cult to follow or to bridge, than the COLORADO the
ella, or the Rio Grande.
| A glance at the map will give you an idea of
the comparative distance between points whose lati
tude and longitude determined; which very short
examination Of the map will, think convince you
is by many miles the shortest to the Pacific, and by
many hundred miles to the coast OF China and the
empire OF Japan, towards which we are looking with
such avarcious gaze. If the northern route to the
Pacific be Q too long for the purpose we may re-
nounce all hope or intention of making road, for
shorter cannot be found. Nor can either OF the more
southern routes be built speedily or so cheapy as
the northern. The northern route can be commenced
at less than four different points, all OF which can
lie approached by steam navigation. FROM st. Paul,
on the west end of Lake Superior, it can be worked
westward from the crossings Of the Missouri to which
men and materials can be taken by steamboats, from
ST. Louis-it can be worked i'll both directions, and
from Pugets Sound IT can progress eastward rms IS
matter worthy Of consideration, when the country,
and the events Of the times demand the most speedy
completion OF the road.
There is now railroad connection from New York to
Chicago ard railroad projected and chartered from
Chicago by wayof Madison, to st. Paul, and thence
to the western part of Minnesota. This road is in
running order to GAINESVILLE under contract to Mad
SON ard is being surveyed from Madison to St Paul.
If st. Paul be the point Of commencement for this
road it is the iniatal point OF survey it will be
easily accessible by the Mississippi.
The Mississippi is navigable for flrstclass boats
during The sllirg and summer and fall months,
which viii serve to convey such materials end
supplies are Lot to be had on the spot. Again,
the Mississippi and Lake Superior road from st.
Paul to tie west end of Lake Superior connects
with the rich iron, ard copper, and Lumber region
north Of ST. Paul This read, when built, will
com ect the Gulf Of St. Lawrence and all the lake
potts with the Gulf Of Mexico. The Sault Ste Marie
Canal, which is commenced and will be completed
in two years, will afford uninterrupted navigation
from the Atlantic ocean to the middle Of our con-
tnent. This fact if rightly considered, will be
found Of no little importance to the building Of this
road AS 10 tie bugbear Of snow in high ATTITUDES it
may be well to acquant ourselves with facts instead
of depending upon theories and maps 1t is a fact
that the SHOWS Of New England and Canada have not
rendered railroad travelling impracticabe. tits fact
that much less snow falls in Minnesota than in the
same latiiudes in New England and that the winters
usually remarkably dry and free from cloudy weather
are sometimes destitute Of snow as to leave the
frozen ground too bare for sleghing for weeks at
time. The same remark is applicable to the country
lying between the great lakes and the Rocky Noun
tains above latitude A. OF the comparative depth
Of snow falling on the western side Of the noun
tains in this latitude the writer is not positively
informed; but it can hardly be greater
quantity, or more serious obstacle to railroad
building and running, than the SHOWS to be met
with on The more southern routes. In the passes Of
the Sierra Nevada SHOWS have been found thirty and
forty feet deep in July ard August, notwithstanding
their aIpaien favorable southern location. The fact is
that parallels Of latitude DO not determine the amount
ofmoistuIe deposited nor the time Of falling Western
people regard the building Of two il not three roads,
necessary to the welfare Of the country, and we
of Minnesota persuaded, and not irrationay, as
we think, that the northern route is the shortest
cheapest, most easily aud quickly made, and more
advantageous to the commerce Of the whole country
and Of the world than any other. We also believe
that the interests of New York are moro Immediately
connected with the northen route than either of the
otLers, although whichever may be built first will
undoubtedly empty a great portion of its treasures
into the lap Of the Queen Of Commerce. We wait
impatenuy for the examination and report of Col.
Stevens to be compared with the reports upon the
other routes TO prove conclusively that gances at
the maps Of unsurveyed, and to the mapper3 IN.
known countries are not safe data from which 81 es-
tiInafe the rnl es Of railWaYs ACROSS q continent