Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-23
Pacific Railroad.

OF Congress thus early directed to the sub
ject of constructing railroad from thi
Mississippi river to the Pacific ocean
though it is doubtful whether much can b,
| done Mt this session to forward the enter
prise. There is strong feeling at Wash
ington in favor of the work all agree W,
must have road, but upon the route ant
the plan of building there is diversity o.
opinion. The fact that there will pas
| oyer it an amount of trayel and trade great
er than that of any railroad in the world
promises source of revenue and power
that will give rise to strong rival com.
panies, with their schemes and influence il
Congress, hauling in different directions.
Many localities naturally anxious that the
road should pass through their domains
Will indulge sectional jealouslcs, difficult tc
reconcile. Then there will be differences OF
opinion as to the extent to which the aid OF
the General Government should be given to
the work. There will re those who will IA
vor the leaving of its construction entirely
to individual enterprise others who will be
in favor Of aid by the General Government
to a limited extent and others again who
will advocate its entire construction by the
General Government, to be used afterwards
MS free road, for the accommodation Of
the people, regulating charges so as to COW
er expenses only. These elements of excit-
ing discussion await the first proposition of
settled route and definite plan of construc-
ton. So far, the various resolutions intro.
duced have been so general that it was i'm
possible to disagree about them.
The return of the surveyors required to
be laid before Congress on the first Monday Y
of February, 1854, are expected by some to|
settle the question of the route but the
time allowed and the appropriation of $3.50,
QUO only, at the last session of Congress TO !
explorations, are not deemed sufficient for
the complete solution Of the problem. One
half per cent. upon the cost of construction
is usually considered fair estimate for
preliminary railroad surveys through thick
ly settled countries of easy access. Yet here
is road, to cost one hundred millions of dol
lars, expected to be located in an unknown
and uninhabited region at an expense of
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
There are numerous lines, thousands Of
miles in extent, to be examined, and thre.
belts of country reversing from north to
south the space between the Mississippi riv-
Ter and the Pacific ocean, to be accurately
country between the Missis-
sippi river and the desert, 500 to 600 miles
in width, which is already tolerably we'll
known, and is not expected to offer any Sc
rlous obstacle; then the desert, barren
tract from 200 to 300 miles in width. and
likely to present difficulties scarcely less
formidable than the mountain region and
lastly, the mountain regions, varying inI
breath from 500 to 900 miles in " idth and
these explorations are 70 be extended from
the 32d to 47th parallel of latitude! The
fact that nothing short Of accurate instru-
mental surveys will authorize Congress to
act. is proved by the fact that Walkers Pass :.
heretofore almost universally looked upon as
The Pass, has been recently shown by instru-
mental survey to be impracticable for rail-
way.
If only further appropriation of money
for the prosecution of explorations and
surveys should be accomplished at this ses-
sion of Congress, the country will probably
not be much disappointed, consisting the
magnitude and difficulty of the work.
We copy from the Report of the Secreta-
ry of War the following very interesting
account of the instructions given to all the
parties organized under the act of Con.
grcs:
From these it will appear that the officers
0f the different expeditions have been direct-
ed to observe and note all the objects and
phenomena which have an immediate or re-
mote bearing upon the railway, or which
may serve to develop the resources, peculi-
arities, and climate of the country. For
this purpose they have been supplied with
full sets Of instruments for determining the
latitude and longitude of places, the courses
and distances of the routes, and of the to-
biography of the country on either side.
within accessible distances with the means
of ascertaining the variation of atmospheric
pressure, ard other meteorological phenom
ena, and two of the parties with instruments
to determine the direction and intensity of
the magnetic force. They have been in
structed to observe the prevailing direction
OF the wind, the amount of rain, the de-
gree OF temperature, and humidity of the
atmosphere they are also required to re.
port on the geology of the country, to gather
specimens of the different rocks and soils /:
to make collections of the plants and ami
mails, and to collect statistics of the Indian
tribes which are found in the regions tray-
ersed. The information which will be
derived from this series of early obser
vations will be Of much value in establish
ing the capacity of tho country to sustain
| population and furnish articles of com
merce. The astronomical observations are
indispensable in fixing the geographical DO
sition of the principal points Of the route,
and for improving the map of our western
possessions. The magnetic observations
arc of Importance in accurately tracing the
line between the points determined by as.
Economical observations. 1t is well known
that the magnetic needle has an irregular
and sometimes 6tful variation. amounting
to difference of eighteen degrees between
Washington city and the western coast of
Oregon, and the law by which this variation
is increased or diminished has not been as
certained.
| THE meteoroloov of tho ,ountru ho, =: