Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-03-17
For the Journal.
RAILROAD ROUTES TO THE PACIFIC.
,....... (Continued.)

coast attended with no peculiar difficulty.
Where the Humboldt branch of the Northern
route can best cross the Sierra, a complete sur
vey car only decide. The distractions must be
absolutely impossible to man, to prevent the &C.
eomplishment of so great desideratum. II il
= can be done, the energies of our people will dc
It. l do not doubt its practicability, or that il
viii be done. New routes are every day dis.
covered, better than the older roads. During
the first season, many wagons entered in the
direction of Shasta, by route described as fur.
niShing very easy travel. But as this is pon
which can only be finally settled by a complete
survey, it is unnecessary 10 say moro about it.
The snow which will accumulate on the north
ern route has been urged as an unans werablc
argument against it. During some severe win,
ters this will be found an inconvenience, bu
nothing more-not greater than on the New
England routes. Fremont, in his winter trav-
els from the Columbia along the eastern base Of
the mountains, found no great difficulty from
this cause. The snow did not stop his animal.
from travel, nor prevent their finding subsist
cnce. The stock Of the Indians and the Nor
mon settlers, and the game find support will
less difficulty than they probably would in Now
England, were it ill the same wild state TIL,
South Pass will compare in facility with Walk
er,s in this and other respects. The Sierr;
Nevada, by northern crossing, may be more
difficult on account Of snow than the Sierra Ma.
Dire, butFremont's difficulties on the latter, from
this cause, under Williams, an old and expert.
enced guide, must net be forgotten. On either
mountain, especially during severe winters
there will be great accumulations Of snow in the
ravines, but on neither will this cause present
difficulties insuperable by modern improvement
Having now made brief comparison of the
two routes, so FAR as the nature of the territory
and character Of the country they will travers,
Is concerned, let us glance at their respective
influence upon commercial intercourse and tran,
sit between the East and the West. BY Gwin':
chart, the mouth Of the Columbia is laid down
about 46 deg. NJ; San Francisco bay 38 deg. N
The main track between the Northern Branch
and the Colorado 80 deg. and New York City
(Which may be fairly taken as medium for all
the Northern Trade) Al deg. BY this route,
then, all commerce and travel to and from the
Eastern, Middle, and Northwestern States,
(taking New York city as a medium, as said
above,) to and from the mouth Of the Colum.
bia, must diverge 6 deg. south, and then run Il
deg. north to reach their destination, making II
deg. instead of deg. the difference between the
latitude of New York and the mouth of the Co.
lumbia. Between New York and San Francis.
co bay by OWNS route, their difference is deg
instead Of 8 deg, their true difference of lati-
'tuae. When the enormous cost in money and
time OF transportation and travel with which
this additional distance must tax the intercom-
rnunication of the Northern States in gross is
considered, it must be evident at once that
neither they nor the people of Oregon and
Northern California will be satisfied with
G wins route alone, if better one can be at any
expense made practicable, On the contrary
all the South. Eastern States would be nearly as
well accommodated in their trade with North
ern California and Oregon by the Northern as
Southern route.
The construction Of the southern line Of road
alone, provided it had terminus at San Diego
would have the effect to make that the most i'm
portant port on our Western coast. 1t is as &C
cessible to all the trade OF the Pacific as San
Francisco, and the freights to it would be nc