Washington telegraph., 1853-11-30
The Great Pacific Railway.


We annex an extract OF a letter from the New
York correspondent of the Charleston Courier,
,u-norting to give the views of a. B. Gray, Esq,
one of the principal assistant Engineers appointed
bv tbe New York Pacific Railroad Company, rel
alive to the selection Of the route for the Pacific
Railway. The writer says:
have had the pleasure and the profit of max
mo Mr. Gray's acquaintance; and have received
from him much interesting information, which
proceed to embody in this letter. AIr Gray is
we'll acquainted with the region and familiar with
tbe route through which he thinks the projected
road should run; he having surveyed the harbor
Of San Diego and made other SURVEYS, perhaps,
TOR tbe Q. S. government He is decidedly in ia
-,orof the route which will have Sap Diego and
Charleston for its Pacific and Atlantic teln,i,ai
ond nass through Memphis, Tennessee. as being
+bo shortest cheapest and best route to accomplish
tba 0reat connection between the two oceans;
an5 he has kindly furnished me with a map of
4ba route he favors, recently published by him.
i; demonstration of the correctness of his views
can Dieqo. situate some 300 miles south of San
Francisco has he says, the noblest and finest har-
iar on the Pacific except Acapulco-far superior
- 4bot Of San FTancisco-and ought 10 be the Pa
o;fr terminus of the road-San Francisco being
~, north TOR the purpose. From San Diego
ta line crosses the Rio Colorado in the corner of
tba naninsuIa of California and Sonora. and runs
tbrough the northern part OF Sonora till it reach
4ba vicinity of Ell Paso, and crosses the Rio
Crande del Norte into Texas near Franklin. 1t
tbon traverses Texas passing by the salt Lagoons
and crosses the Rio Pecos, the Brazos, and the
Tr;nitv river near the town or village of Dallas.
,rbance If proceeds to the Red River. which it
grasses at Fulton. Arkansas. ttaverses the State
70 Little Rock. on the Arkansas River, and
thence runs to Memphis. Tennessee. from which
+bennfire route to Charleston. is for the most part
already built and the rest in rapid progress of
construction From this line branches may be
built from San Diego to San Francisco, from FL
Paso or Franklin to Santa Fe, in New Mexico
and from the Rio Pecos TO Austin city and Gal
yeston in Texas. From the town or village of
Dallas. in Texas. a branch may be constructed to
New Orleans and another line for the Atlantic
NAV be run through Shreveport louisiana Vicks-
burg. Jackson and Brandon, Mississippi, Cahabas
and Montgomery. Alabama, and thence through
the well known routes to Charleston or Savannah.
The chief rival route known as the Benton and
Fremont route. to the Pacific, is very circuitous
one from either San Francisco or San Diego. pass
ing through region far less favorable in point of
elevation distance, productions and population,-
and bv it the distance is nearly as great from the
Pacific to St Louis, Missouri as it is by the Gray
line From San Diego to Charleston Among the
recommendations of the Gray line, and rival route
in addition to the shorter distance, are the follow
ing, viz:
l. The Gray line surmounts summit level
near FL Paso, of but 5000 feet the Benton and
Fremont line. summit of $500 feet, across the
Rocky Mountains, near South Park and Pixies
Peak. where they form the dividing line between
Utah and Nebraska, near the northern border of
New Mexico
p The former passes through fertile region
for the most part alrea0y peopled. the latter
through sparsely settled country, and much of
it barren desert.
g. The country traversed by the former is
largely productive of staples, such as cottor and
rice which can bear transportation; the former,
especially, to almost an indefinite extent. The
country traversed by the latter where productive
at all, is chiefly so in wheat and other grains. the
value of which would be exhausted in more than
eco miles of railroad carriage
A. On the former line the work may be stimuli
taneouslv in progress at many intermediate points:
on the latter It could only be simultaneously
prosecuted at and from the two extremities.
5. On the former, the transportation of materi-
ais for the construction OF the road, would be
greatly facilitated and cheapene&, by means of
river communication: on the latter such means
would be sadly deficient.
Under such circumstances. such a comparison
of advantages the mercantile segacity of capital
lists viii lead them unerringly 10 the right selec-
tion and we may look, therefore. with more con-
f1ence, to the adoption of the Charleston, Mem
phs and San Diego route by the New York ccm-
pany; especially, too as their able, intelligent
and enterprisng surveyor prefers that route to all
others. Besides learn from Mr.. Gray, that the
New York company viii most probably break
ground at Fulton. Arkansas, and if so, the connec
ton with Memphis and Charleston will be rem
dered secure.
omitted to mention another striking advan-
age connected with this route. 1t is a, if not the
central route, in reference to our own country,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and central also
III reference to our trade with both Europe and
Asia. That portion of the route will necessa-
rly pass through Sonora, and Lower or South
California. can be no serious objection to'it Col
Gadsdeu, is already, | believe, engaged in nego-
tiations with Mexico to obtain the necessary
cession Of territory right of way-and have it
We must, in some way or other.
have only, then to say, in conclusion, let
Charleston go on dredging and deepening her bar
for the passage of Merchant vessels of the largest
bnrthen, in anticipation of the great event. which
Is to render her the central mart of the commerce
ofthe word-let her put forth all her energies
and all her public spirit and liberaity to secure
the golden prize, inviting her to grasp it-let
her prepare as becomes her. for her approaching
coronation as Queen of the South.