Washington telegraph., 1853-07-27

pictSu, VIII, dltOgctneT, cost SUlfe my mil
lions of dollars, besides the annual expense
OF keeping them in repair. If Railways
can be considered such admirable auxiliary
defences, as to diminish the necessity of for
tlfications, on a coast in some degree protect
ed from invasion by the boistcrous nature
of the Atlantic ocean, how important must
they be. when so located as to furnish a
means of defence on coast like that of the
Paciilc where troops can be landed at al
most any time and place ?
The Pacific coast is nearly as great in
extent as the Atiantic coast 2,rope1 of the
United States. and will soon require an
enormous outlay Of money TO place it in
posture of defence, whilst it is at the same
time the most vulnerable portion Of our ter
ritory-San Diego, San Francisco, and some
point on the coast of Oregon, being the
three principal depots of the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad on this ocean, these places
should be fortified in the most impregnable
manner, so that the road could not be rem
dered useless by the sudden destruction of
these depots of machinery and material
The Telegraph connected with the Road,
could communicate the earliest intelligence
of a threatened invasion at any point, up
on which forces could be preciptatcd, al
ways IN time to repulse invaders before
serious injury could be done These de-
pots as bastions connected by curtain
OF Railroad. with an open communication BY
tn shortest line to tie Atlantic States, as a
Piaoc u Armes would present front of
defence, by the aid of which our brave citi-
zens and skillful officers could defy the world.
The Atlantic branches laid down on the
plan of Mr. Gwinn, have not been here dis
cusscd because it is believed that all the
information of general nature in relation
to them. is already in the possession of the
people of the Atlantic States Your COM
mittee content themselves, therefore, with
the simple statement of the fact, that all the
advantages which could be claimed for
them on Mr.. Gwinn's plan, will be gained
in shorter time and at less expense, by
a connection with the road located on this
route.
Desiring to cast no censure on those who
are actuated by political aspirations, and
personal interests, in favoring more north
ern location, your committee claim for this
community no exemption from such infu
ences, under like circumstances, but they
nevertheless feel that they would not be dis
charging their duties, were they to withhold
from the public information which the GEO.
graphical position of San Diego has enabled
them to obtain. Hundreds of persons, some
of whom have repeatedly crossed over the
more northern and moIe southern routes,
and few of whom have travelled over the
middle route, have expressed in the strong
est language their opnin in favor of the 10
cation here proposed.
The information presented in this report,
is hoped by your committee, will be worth
contributing to the general mass of facts
which is finally to determine the location
of The road All that your committee re-
commend you to ask of the Government,
at this time is, that by the aid of science, it
will throw light upon these facts and that
the Executive and Congress, after thor
oueh nvestigation of the matter shall de-
termine the final location of the road, before
any aid be granted by the Government in
money, lands, or credit, either to States or
companies.
AS the best mode of accomplishing this
object. your committee suggests that this re-
port be forwarded to the Secretary of the
Interior, respectfully requesting that it be
laid before the President without loss Of
time, and that the three routes here men,
toned, may be surveyed by three separate
parties of engineers, but should the engi-
neers be already in the field, and it be deem
ed not advisable to send another party to
survey the route here advocated then that
instructions be sent to those already in the
field, to make such survey. 1t is presumed
by your committee, that in view of our OBJ
legations to protect the frontier of Mexico
from Indian depredations, and of the great
benefit likely to accrue to Mexico from this
road, the Executive of the United States
will have no difficulty in obtaining from the
Government of Mexico the right to make
this survey with the ultimate purpose of
purchasingIthe right of way, should it be
found necessary.
In conclusion, your committee would
state an important fact, which bears direct
ly upon the question of time and expense in
the construction of the road, via the june
tion of the ella and Colorado and which
has no doubt been already officially report
ed at Washington by Gen. Hitchcock, the
Commander of the Pacific Division.
1t is, that the Colorado emptying into
the Gulf of California, is fine navigable
river, at least from its mouth to some dis
tance above its junction with the Gila and
is believed TO be to the mouth of the Great
Canon Were this location decided upon,
the road, which will not be more than from
400 to 1900 miles in length, could be COM
menced at four different points at the same
time and could be certainly completed, in
five years from its commencement.
The Colorado being navigablc to the Gila,
materials could at once be transported by
water to that point. where the road eastward
and westward could be commenced to be