The daily republic., 1853-08-27
Comparative Routes to the Pacfnc.

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the question Of its location.
The elements Of political and commercial
power which it involves already manifest those
jealousies which are inevitable. New Or
leans, Savannah, and Charleston advocate q
route in connexion with their own interior
lines. Norfolk, Richmond, and Nashville
united in the same interest. Louisville has
decided on connexion with Memphis. Balti-
more seems inclined to advocate the St. Louis
route. The cities North will of course do the
same, except that there is some doubt as to the
capitalists of New York, who will prefer the
route offering the highest pecuniary induce
ment.
There is much difficulty in determining up
on the most eligible route at present, as there
have been no surveys of location. Those routes
which have been examined by EMORY, FRE-
MONT, aud others, present but barometrical
profles they have never been accurately
chained and leveiled, and of course no data
exist which would furnish even an approximate
estimate of the actual earth work or mechanical
structure; still less can it be predicted how
much any of the routes would cost per mile,
since the cost would be compounded of ele-
ments scarcely entering in other countries into
the estimate, though constituting in this case
the most expensive constituents of cost.
We give an illustration: Within the States
road can be put under contract at one time,
and the labor and supplies may be furnished with
equal facility along the whole line. A railroad
to the Pacific can only be constructed like a
tunnel-it must be worked from each end. The
cost of delivering supplies and material upon
the interior sections would be so great as to
defy the calculations of the contractors, whilst
the rails could only be delivered by the road
itself, unless at a cost of carriage which would
make iron almost as precious as silver.
| There are then no materials existing which
will enable any honest engineer or contractor
to express an opinion upon the best route or the
probable cost of construction; nor could any
contractor guess within twenty thousand dol
| lars per mile how much it would cost to make
and iron section of railroad between Ell Paso
or Albuquerque and the head of the Gila, or
between the valley Of the St. Louis and the
|
probable cost by that of similar works in the
United States, would be like comparing the
cost of digging gold in California with that Of
digging cellars in Washington City. The ac-
tual cubic excavation might be identical, but
there would be wide difference in the result.
The advocacy Of a special route is therefore er
parte; the opinions expressed are based upon con-
siderations ofclimatic or commercial inducement,
upon incidental advantages of military defence
or Of popular accommodation, and upon local in
terests. They cannot be based upon such a
knowledge Of facts as would justify either the
Government or individuals to prefer one route
to another. We have, however, some specu-
lations upon the subject, and desire to offer
some observations upon the comparative sur
veys, more for the purpose of preventing tho
organization of interests upon sectional routes
than with the confidence that we possess the
material for decisive opinion. We may
say, however, that we have read all the re-
por.s and examined all the maps in connexion
with the subject, and give the general result
of our observation.
We premise that we have great faith in the
engineering Of nature; we do not doubt but
the savage and the buffalo will make the war
path and the trail along the most favorable
ground which is ccessible. But we have an
other more infallible guide; it is the tendency
of water to obey the law of gravity, and to
flow from higher to lower country. Ac
cording to this test the crossings of the moro
northern passes must present higher level
than any other; because it is said that the
Columbia, the Colorado, the Missouri, and
the Rio del Norte here take their rise, and
flow in different quarters to the ocean; whilst
the southern route crosses three of these
streams where they are fit for navigation. Ac-
cordingly we find the elevation Of the South
Pass placed by Colonel FREMONT at 400 feet
above the ocean.
The exact height of the Cochatope Pass we do
not know. 1t is less than that of the South
Pass; but we can readily get from the report
of Mr.. EMORY a cross s-section, running parallel
with the Rocky Mountains, and in part identi-
cal with the Cochatope route. This will show
the general elevation of the country, ard in
deed the summit elevation which must be
encountered upon that pass presents more
physical obstacles than the more southern
routes. 1t will be remembered that Mr.. EMORY
traversed the country from Bent's Fort, lat. 3S,
lon. l03, to Santa Fe, and down the Rio Grande
to about the thirty fifth degree of north latitude,
where he crossed by way of the Copper
Mines to the Gila river, and down that stream
to its junction with the Colorado.
This route then will show the general ele-
vation of the country, across which either the
South Pass or the Cochatope routes must pass.
We infer, therefore, that these routes do not
present merely the obstacle of heavy grades
at single point, but that the general eleva-