Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-08-02
rAcIF!G RAIL ROAD
Iu,rrc ,tiu. and Important Letter from Captain

Interesting and lmPnr'aht i-e'''' h"'" '''i'''.'
! Marcy.
lrs",. l2 i"imii- LA=ir ai'I l.ririrrr
! sew ! oEK June ) le5S
SIR In I!!.ncC in Tie rrGuC, ui several delegates
to the Convention about assemble Memphis, Tennes
ser induced otter The following remarks upon The
subject nf Pacific Railway
This subject, which OF pre-rmiEcn and absorbing
interest the mercantile world and is probably destined 10
produce revolution commerce Than any othc'
scheme that has been originated modern times WI" u
doubleday occupy prominent pu~lton among t,ie sup
ecs that will BE- submitted 10 the consideration Vi 'c
ventiur. 80.
Having for several wears past given this matter my ai'cn
ion bv collecting facts from personal observation ana rom
others trust that the information herein communicate
will BE- regarded by The gentlemen OF Inc CONVENTION "
| wholly without interest ;,, ,b
me gigantic project of connecting the Atlantic WIN Tue
Pacific by great national railway IL advocated oy o li
ties and sections OF United States, all agreeing III ''e
opinion il should and viii! be carried mo eiee a. ~
very distant period The chlc obstacles tna seem W "
presented at the present me Ire snnse m.ei sI m
cal feelings and interest In the selection OF uc "i
WINK Of This description there arc several considerations
which i, is manifest should bear upon The issue.
In m first Mace il should be located upon me most cen
in "a ion ,he route or thai which will subscrve
No. ;s ana interests of the greatest number oil our cltl-
yrns In the second place the distances between 'hc m
Inn nj FIR the construction aud maintenance I" Tue
MA - M, district through which il would pass as wen rs
The opopraphy and general physical geography I" u.
inv along The route are among me items ",I i th,
~ il drrnce in The determination OF the question III '
hi,a MAGE conceive il 10 be highly important '' foue
shou,! If POSSIBILITY be selected where Tue Transit "" nv
| he oh, ,fucIed by deep SHOWS :
I nron all The which cross the range oil ne SLfa
Ncyala mountains, The snow lays upon '''t spI"' ~, "
nron OF the year. Il will be seen. therefore, II we
re- , nracticahlitv Of constructing railroad through a
rnnu,ry exceedingly ragged and mountainous 10, so'I"'
hundred mics like that upon inc to"'. VIZ =, H. ,n
So, Nevada mountains that IN consequence OF 'ie 'r'
'''.t ,,t nlr be ma,. use !Gn: part ." me sea
80 In evidence ui this have been iaJtiH.a oy w" Ss"'
man ., INTEL, ycuc, luI undoupci vc'a''y "'i ~ ~ t,
"tc :" nav .,rounIcrrd snow from twenty 10 my Ict'
d.n N these mountains nFon The c'nin"at'o" u " ~
Pass I"nic ,; ~ III r.,ntc appear To have
i"i 'o i H., ., H.. n,,r,irablly railway ani ~
rh. cu,r c nud features ., the country n"it" " ,;, y,
Pass ar, of such character Is TO Pt'', -. - ,,
\ i,J,ry .uiI,bc pass through ;" ui3''h'a"s " ''
/ Inn riy are n,w seeking tor r"u,@ IL" 'i'' s"'
,h,s inn, i,,r. has nor, my kno"id@r ot" 49,! a.
II information OF rnuc "hlch ""u" Iu''' ''
,,, t.rw,ar latitude - degrees and The val
iy nf fh, CHA rI,er a"ar" MAJ sr'era' ,Hu"''
mn h,x, n; cu accounts u passes WIN" :i'S'
81 far rs an, concerned, should ~ t'c '"Stc1 q
" " ,c.. o,,., =. unn III giving crcdcncc 10 such
,,cri. Tine Icprc<cnl OF souic"i i'se men may
{ he cos,rl in every particular; but n s'' - ~.
80, H. -. , Discovered slnce 7i9 a. 'dn' T. ~ III"
'assS nav ,', y.,r consulted ~i' several VI tie 1rs
mmnil,n gunlrs in New hrxle' ~An III. 'qnt,i
- IT,, t,,,ry .y,n9 between the rlcIhG ana M Rocky
,.nu,,r. and uni,ubfrdis r"-s,ssrh .'" .".!'ia'
r,nuitr ., Ilr country haG al! ''i'f men h''h", "h"
they all runcu:cd in The opinion 'h' n,e VIZ n' i's
known by winch wagons COM" 800 "
= Than tia. !sila fiVcr. ,.,n;,, 80,
r. - said liza, a ron,r has been ilsc"sercd within lr"
wears paer rrns-snR ltc mnnniai'' ,n'""s" "'' - %
"W,Itn, Pas. hs lras HE Rp 'ianhr ~ place ca'"a
Abnuurrunc about ~ mics sn.i" =" ''hd r, ana runs
near thirty fifth tari!e "i !a'ii'i" ' ~ "'''e" ''
iity miles south ri Tie Gld rivcf =
,ry government has recently offered an examination 81
h;s rnnr oa 81, wl br po.scssIon of authentic
olormotion coacrrain. IL srhpnh Il prove "a GOOD n
has been r,pr, scntrd hy lilo .''"' traveller '"sr"f
cred it. w be IT," m1si h"'iiici.f II 's ""'e
$ u, y , railway lulcss the rec0ninrn;fG " -"
rman. anl lir. Brac should Prov a they anticipate
,. ,,..,,, iis::.rr from Albuquerque Ia 81 l"ni- Is
eleven l,un.rI ani !uriy-.c m'~ ami from me same
# p,nI H. Memphis Fort Shitl -. '"''f'' an" ls"
~ mi, mann" ihrr" Will he hu little diligently. 4" ar a.
m. surface u .c country Is c"nc,ir' III CONSTRUCTING
flioad oGI AuqurItGc 10 81 Ing - l'r "n',n
mvge!f discovered and marked %" IN IS4s rohnchcS ~
# For. Smith Arkansas, ami loli"" Hrh a.. '''S o, u
Canadian ugna -onh sIic al Iil "lifhl "f H' Mi"
fred nils Wien ~" rvtr and r,v"lscs F"l'nE
orairic country yr.y direct c3Gfsr !nf albuquerque an
i SAINT, r. On rar@ Fort Smh ihit fnan i.@s' '".rr
rrnv GnIa Ting district .o:rrf Tor ne ii"ai If WI"
n,avr !imi.f Occasionally inrtsi -'! WIN @n'i p'nS'
which a,l HE very lest al iiF "i2Gi !hrA@ ~ me
wear and mt -crtd by nnlsI".- prrehn.ii sPh t'"
" lr,yn. conductive .o!I 'i'n ''''i = '' r
one Al -. very he's! agricultural f''"n- ihs 'haiirs
continues o hundred aud 'i."iE i:ms nom u .'",
:. 10 near HE ninety GinE DIR" h west ''3'u' w,
,,d ,m,r.r. from the yu9i::. and s'rk"- hr plains
where there is Eut l,,lr ,iibrf, .n tnIredihr '
si.,s ., IN. 81 acr rpT~rs -" b.con "'a 'nd sandy
rJ .." to III. periodical !romst "i ;!i -'iar Sif:'
In r,nu, h. cLc availIb. agriculture without li. an
,lr ariilrIa' r4a"n there i however s"i'''rn "'I
n",n portion al iii" ai I" -rrvc me PURPOSE 81 ''
road AZ al Scnsun% hr wU - snHIcitht !H uti 'oI
long ,,r... Innciriy l'a,'r@ =. rn-" i''rf h'a
The .yth mers-: ongItn'" ihr T"ai -iIlEr' s'"a'
%hicI pllrrs Tie iiiE.ihn rt.r from III" "iri' i
r.r, inur- upon The r'a"r s'fcani-h d
lance ii ,ruI Three hundred 'nir-: hi d""i: r:' runs
in very .rnci fIt Albuquerque" = hfIh hhh h'r
and makes or OF The roads have ever seen
Ffon l.. aad the Has;l f!:c! u" 'a CONTINUES near
The valley IL az; Canadian Tor hundred m'Ir-, :9
.iopaiy crossing small ucui- watch furnish r ii"f'"
with ratcr The arabic sol ia route EXTENDS yer!
near distance west 40 upon The Sls-"f route vi
what il called Santa Re trace; but am ih"f".tho y;
who beth routes, mt hcS ftGa-
ri tn. enc leading from ArkansaN possessing lever CO.
lacIrs construction oil railway slih 'Hf ""f
Should reconnaissance tina. L about benny 'ir ior
HE upacicahily "i carrying he road through "a'""
Pass Il will BE- necessary 10 - M further south
/ In itr .iI.,ucr lSis. di'&:i"d So rscoi,
ro,npany ~ ,:.2tants Font Sni'h 10 >cw Mex
co on t!cr way 90 Eiitarnla. !pon oar ARRIVAL al
Santa Fc, ascetainea !hat lhcTc va" No Iou.
0 known by which wagons cad penetrate the tahSe
Of Sierra MculjrGs mountains, North .: i!c qua u.
yer Ii therefore necessary for the eiFrahiS "
turn The South, and !aSCl thee hundred miles no" '
Rio Gande before they reached the point OF departure fV
The river II then occurred 10 me that II ROAD c"ui "
found from this point IN direct course for Fort Sn'''
would IT, arci shorter than the we had mate alIhp w
t:anaIirn accordingly left the Rlo irandc al pace
cald Donna :nna enc vas entirely successful IA my c.
1r To discover and establish good road between the W."
nups before mem onrd This to.d 20. three hundred miles
rom the RIO Gande, elevated prairie cn'niry
nlrrsrccd by thee ranges M monnalns upon IilEh c,
, i mpch good pine timber We enabled, however, 20
ma. az the bases OF these mountains, where there VA" o0
ycry little zion depression in the gsn'ra sfac
The counry: there broad swt OF surface WIN spacious
valleys intervening but and descent To THESE are
so sight uier but little imradihrG Ia me CONSTRUCTION
of rail road Aver passing This section ~ sIcR 'hc hehn
walers Of the Btnzos AMI Colorado rivers oi cas- anu "
lrce hundred mile, road passed through district "lef
the .o! good, abundan witcrCd, and covered h nc
most part viii. heavy growth Of mesquite wood rto
thence entered tass mbcrs upon the lgc dN'ih"
The wa.r- RID river from 'n".r OF The in"liy where We
found level AMI most cXcr n3, passing over country
similar character I" thai upon the Albuquerque fn!:c i"s
nj The Cross ln!"r. Alter 4f.i; and attentive c"hs'd
,D Of advantages al ilr tcnt routes that nave heh
-, nlirl !rsst she strength III my conviction ma
The one leading from linz Mississippi ii Memphis 81 ~
vicinity RI PhSn Donna ma, and thence down w,
ella river intersection M.h The Colorado Hver a"
across San Diego, possesses advantages over an "ei
vrt discovered The arabic SOIL upon tins r"iie rNlehS
h,.r degrees longitude !urt, West than upon any oi Tue
NOR, Nurlhrrnly routes. There is extensive c"a'
field al For, BeIknap, where the road womb cross '
Rr,z,. liver and Tie vdsI iIac land covered WIN n'S
unite timber Wh,l Tor lis 'u.abity admirably a'aH
,r , rJg,i s and would iGni. amount III he very
hest fuel lound upon "a" A. ,I- "an
IL embraced within lc paT.i ii Nom latitude; IS" ana
n ii would b. ubs'fuli,A b., snow II sr'dnn ii''S
mnrr Ihan incl, depth far 80 tie lio ifIhHe
passes elevated Mountains or .rGI fa'IhtH'
and the Ianst direct the continent VI any sc'
discovered have mol myst passed The p0rh'h west
If The Rio Gran!r hut ] am Informed bv Mr. a T. cray
who attached o. aSltono"i Ia The boundary rnhn'7
srp and made careful surrey IL this country, thai mere
wll b. M difficulty in constructing road from ne ~"
,,n,,r IT, The ella and thence down that stream Ia me