Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-15
COL. FREMONTs EXPLORATION OF THE CEN
TRIAL RAILROAD ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC

TRIAL RAILROAD ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC
To The Editors of ne National Intslhgsnesr;
GENTLEMEN: While the proceedings in Con-
gress are occupying pnblic attention more par
tiouarly with the subject of Pacific Railway,
| desire to offer to your paper for publication
some general results Of a recent winter expedi-
ton across the Rocky Mountains, confning
myself to mere results, in anticipation OF full
or report, with maps and illustrations, which
will Unnecessarily require some months to prepare.
The country examined WAS for about three
fourths Of the distance--from tho Missouri
frontier at the mouth Of the Kansas river to
the Valley Of Parowan, ut the foot OF the Wah-
satch Mountains, within the rim Of the Great
Basin, at its southeastern bend--along and be-
tween the 38th and seth parallels of latitude;
and the whole line divides itself naturally into
three sections, which may be conveniently fol-
lowed in description.
The first or eastern section, consists OF the
great prairie slope, spreading from the base OF
the Sierra Blanca to the Missouri frontier,
about 700 miles; tho second, or middle section,
comprehends the various Rocky Mountain
ranges and inter-lying valleys, between the
Termination OF the great plains at the foot Of
the Sierra Blanca, and the Great Basin ut the
Parowan Valley and Wahsatch Mountains,
where the first Mormon settlement is found,
about $50 miles; the third, or western section,
comprehends the mountainous plateau lying
between tho Wahsatch Mountains and the
Sierra NeDdda, distance Of about 400 miles.
The country examined was upon very d.
rect line, the travelled route being about $50
miles over an airline distance Of about 800
miles.
The FIRST Section-Four separate cxpedi-
tions across this section, made before the pres-
emit one, and which carried me over various
lines ut different seasons Of the year, enabeme
to speak Of it with the confidence of intimate
knowledge 1t is q plain Of easy inclination,
sweeping directly up to the foot OF the mount
aims which dominate it as highlands do the
ocean. Its character is open prairie, over which
summer a,eling is made in every direction.
For u railway or y winter travelling road
the route would be, in consideration of wood,
COAL building stone, water, and fertile land,
about two hundred miles up the immediate val
ley Of the Kansas, (which might be made one
rich continuous corDfeld and afterwards
along the immediate valley of the Upper Ar
kansas, Of which about two hundred miles, as
you approach the mountains, is continuously
well adapted to settlements as well as to roads.
Numerous well watered and fertile valleys
broad and leyel--0pen up among the mount
aims, which present themselves in detached
s--outlere--gradually closing in around
the heads of the streams, but leaving open ap-
proaches to the central ridges The whole of
the nter-mountain region is abnndant in grass
es, wood, coal. and fertile soil. The Pt1blos
above Bcnts Fort prove it to be we'll adapted
TO the grains and vegetables common to the
latitude including Indian corn, which ripens
well, and to the support of healthy stock,
which increase well and take care of them
selves summer and winter.
The climate is mild and the winters short,
the autumn usually having its full length of
bright open weather, without snow, which in
winter falls rarely and passes of quickly. In
this belt of country lying along the mountains,
the snow falls more early and much more thin
ly than in the open plains to the eastward; the
storms congregate about the high mountains,
| and leave the valleys free. In the beginning
of December we found yet no snow on the
| Huerfdno river, and were informed by an old
resident, then engaged in establishing . farm
at the mouth Of this stream, that snow seldom
or never fell there, and that cattle were left in
the range all the winter through.
| This character. of country continued to the
foot of the dividing crest, and to this point our
Journey resulted in showing very easy grade
for a road, over q country unobstructed either
by snow or other impediments, and having all
the elements necessary to the prosperity OF an
agricultural population, in fertility Of soil,
abundance of food for stock, wood and coal
| for fuel, and timber for necessary construc-
tons
Our examinations around the southern head
waters of the Arkansas have made us acquaint
ed with many passes, grouped together in q
small space Of country, conducting by short
and practicable valleys from the waters OF the
Arkansas just described to the valleys of the
Del Norte and East Colorado. The Sierra
Blanca, through which these passes lie, is high
and rugged, presenting very broken appear
ance but rises abruptly from the open country
on either side, narrowed at the points through
which the passes are cut, leaving them only
six or eight miles in length from valley to val
ley, and entirely unobstructed by outlying
ranges or broken country To the best OF
these passes the ascent is along the open valley
of water courses uniform and very gradual in
ascent Standing Immediately at the mouth
of the Sand Hin Pass-one of the most practi-
cable in the Sierra Blanca, aud above those
usually traveled-at one Of the remotest head
springs Of the Huertdno river, the eye OF the
traveller follows down without obstruction or
abrupt descent along the gradual slope OF the
valley to the great plains which reach the
Missouri The straight river and the open
valley form, with the plains beyond, one great
slope, without hill to break the line of sight
OF obstruct tho course Of the road. On either
side of this line, hills slope easily to Me river,
with lines of timber and yellow autumnal
grass, and the water which flows smoothly be-
tween is not interrupted by a fall in its course
to the ocean. The surrounding country is
wooded with pines and covered with lnxuriant
grasses, mp to tho very crsgs of the central
SUBMITS. On the Sth of December we found
the whole OF this country free from snow, and
Daguerre views taken at this time show the
grass entirely uncovered in the passes.
Along all this line the elevation was care
fully determined by frequent baromotrical OBJ.
servatione, aud it's character exhibited by q
series Of daguerrcotype views, compromising
the face of the country almost continuously,
or at least sufficiently so to give q thoroughly
correct impression oil the whole.
Two tunnel.like passes pierce the mountains
here alnoat in iuxtapOsiti0n connecting the