The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-27
PACIFIC RAILR DAD.



NEW YORK. June 8, 1853
Sinh compliance with the request o. several de-
lesates to the convention about to assemble at Mem
phis, Tennessee, am induced to OH the following
remarks upon the subject Of Pacific railway
This subject, which is one of pre- eminent and alb
sorbing interest to the mercantile world and is pro-
baby destined to produce greater revolution In
commerce than any other scheme that has been orr
ginated in modern times will undoubtedly o;cnpy a
prominent position among the subjects that will be
submitted TO the consideration of the convention.
Having for several years past given this matter
my attention, by collecting facts from personal OBJ
servsjon and from Others trust that the intorma-
ton herein communicated will not be regarded by
the gentlemen Of the convention as wholly without
interest.
The gigantic project OF connecting the Atlantic
with the Pacific by great national railway is advo
Gated BY all parties and sections OF the United
States, all agreeing in the opinion that it should and
will be carried into effect at very distant period.
The chief obstacles that seem to be presented ut the
present time those which arise from local feeling
and interest. In the selection of route for q work
of this description there several considerations
which it is1aanifest should hear upon the issue.
In the a. place. it should be located upon the
most central and direct feasible route, that
which will snbserve the views and interests of the
greatest number Of our citizens In the second place,
the distances between the termini, materials found
for the construction and maintenance Of the road in
the district through which il would pass, well -
the topography and general physical geography OF
the country along the route, are among the items
ton of the question. 10 the third place, con.
ceive it to be highly important that route should
G possble) be selected where the transit would not
be obstructs by deep SHOWS.
Upon the route which passes the Great Salt Lake,
and, indeed, upon all the routes which cross the
range Of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the snow
lays upon the ground for great portion Of the year.
1t viii be seen, therefore, il we admit the practical
bility Of constructing railroad through country
exceedingly ragged and mountainous for several
hundred miles, like that upon the routss which pass
the Sierra Nevada mountains, that in consequence
of the deep SHOWS it could only be made use Of
during a part of the season. In evidence OF this
have been informed by two gentlemen Of intelligence
and undoubted veracity that in the month OF August
they encountered snow from twenty to fifty feet
deep in these mountains upon the continuation Of
the South Pass route.
The most jealous champions of this route appear
to have abandoned the idea OF its practcabty for
railway and ~ the climate and features OF the couu
try north of the South Pass Of such character
as to preclude the probability Of finding suitable
pass through the mountains In this direction they
are now seeking for a route further south; UP to
this time there has not, to my knowledge, been any
well authenticated information Of route which
would admit the passage Of wagons between lati.
tude 40 degrees and the valley Of the ella river.
am aware that several mountain men have given ac-
counts Of passes within these limits but far as
am concerned should, in the absence OF further evil
dence exercise great caution in giving credence to
such statement. The representations OF some OF
these men may be correct in every particular; but
if such is the fact these passes have been discovered
since ls49 Al Santa fe, in the summer of that
year, consulted with several OF the best mountain
guides in New Mexico, who had frequently passed
over the country lying between the Pacific and the
Rocky mountains, and undoubtedly possessed more
intimate knowledge of the country than any other
men living, and they all concurred in the opinion
that there was pass known by which wagons
could reach the Pacific nearer than the ella river.
It is said that route has been discovered within
few years past, crossing the mountains through
what is called "Walker's Pass" This leaves Rio
-Ilol nhns,kr .~fvx
miles south Of Santa Fe, and runs near the thirty.
fifth parallel Of latitude some one hundred and fifty
miles south of the ella river.
Onr government has recently ordered an examina-
ton of this route and we will soon be in possession
OF authentic information concerning it. Should it
prove as good as it has been represented by the
mountain traveller who discovered it, believe 1t
will be the most northery feasible route for Pacific
railway, (unless the one recommended by Col.
Fremont and Mr.. Beale should prove rs they an
tcipatc)
The measured distance from Albuquerque to ST.
Louis is eleven hundred and forty-fye miles, and
from the same point to Memphis, via Fort Smith, is
ten hundred and eighty miles, imagine there will
be but little difficulty, 30 far as the surface Of the
country is concerned, in constructing railroad from
Albuquerque to St. Louis The route which myself
discovered and marked out in lS49 commences at Fort
Smith Arkansas, and follows near the valley OF the
Canadian upon the south side Of that stream for six
hundred miles, when it leaves the river and traverses
rolling prairie country in very direct course for
Albuquerque and Santa Fe. On leaving Fort Smith
this road passes over gently unduiating district,
covered for the most part, with heavy timber oc-
casonaly interpreted with small prairies, which
afford the very best Of grass for eight months in
the year, and intersected by numerous perennial
spring brooks flowing over productive soil, which
renders 1t altogether one OF the very best agri-
cultural sections. This character continues for
one hundred and eighty miles from Fort Smith, TO
the ninetynipth dearee of west longitude where
the road energies from the wood lands, and strikes
the plains where there ia but little timber, except
the immediate borders Of the water courses; the soil
becomes thin and sandy, and, owing to the perodi-
cal drought of the summer season. it cannot be made
available for agriculture without the aid Of the arti
cia irrigation; there is, however, sufficient water
upon this portion OF the route to serve the purpose OF
railroad at all seasons and the wood is sufficient
for fuel for long time. Immediately on leaving
"Cross Timber" near the astb meridian Of longitude,
the road strikes ridge which separates the Cana
dian river from the Washta and continues upon it to
the sources of the latter sreama distance of about
three hundred miles; this dividing ridge runs in q
very direct course for Albuquerque, is firm and level
and makes one of the best natural roads have
ever seen. From the head OF the Washita
river the road continues near the valley OF
the Canadian for one hundred miles, occasionally
crossing small afiucnts which furnish the travel
Ter with water. The arabic soil upon this route
extends very near the same distance west as upon
the Missouri route or what Is called the Santa Fe
trace bat l am informed by persons who have
passed over both routes that they regarded the one
leading from Arkansas as possessing fewer obstacles
to the construction Of railway than the other
Should the Reconnaissance that is about being made
prove the impracticahillty Of carrying the road
through Walkers Pass, it will be necessary to go
still further sonth In the summer Of 1s49, | was
directed to escort company OF eInigrants from Fort
Smith to New Mexico, on their way to California.
Upon our arrival at Santa Fe, we asoertained that
there was no route known by which wagons could
penetrate the rnnge Of Sierra Meaibres mountains,
north OF the ella river 1t therefore became neces
sary for the emganss 10 turn to the ao1th and travel
three hundred miles down the Rio Grande,
before they reached the point Of departure
from the river. 1T then occurred to me that
if road could be found from this point in direct
course for Fort Smith, it would be much shorter
than the one we had made along the Canadian.
l accordingly left the lilo Grande at place
called Donna Ana, and was entirely successful
In my efforts to discover and establish good road
between the two points before mentioned. This road
for three hundred miles from the Rio Grande ira
verses elevated prairie country, intersscted by