Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-06-10
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
col. Frcnlonts Railroad Expedition.
From Tho Son Francisco " Alta California"

From ths San Francisco Alta California"
During the last thirty.fve years Col.
BENTON has ,oiled indeiatigably for the
interests Of the West. The opening Of
a wagon road from independence to San
ia Fe, long treated with ridicule by
honorable Senators, was for many years
his favorito project. Since his success
lin The attainment Of that, tho Paciic
Railroad, by central route, has be-
come his favori,o scheme, and he has
succeeded in bringing directly and in.
directly a vast amount of valuable in
formation on the topography and re-
sources of the interior. Of tho country
before the public. Much of this infor-
nation has been obtained by the daunt-
less energy Of his son-in-law, Col. FRE-
MONT, who arrived but few days since
from his adventurous trip across the
continent in mid.winter. The purpose
Of undertaking the journey at such a
time was to ascertain what amount of
snow lay q on the proposed route in the
depth Of winter, and to demonstrate
! completely that The road could be ira
yerseed at all seasons Of the year.
On the 18th of October, Col. Ere
mont left St. Louis, and on the lst of
| November started from the frontier with
his party of eight Americans and ten
Delaware Indians; all of them expe-
riepced mountaineers, and men who
placed great confidence in Col. Ere.
mont, as ho in them. The route up tho
| Kansas aud across the Arkansas was
made over beautiful country.
On the 3Oth November the party ar
rived at Bent's Fort, where they saw
the last white man until they arrived at
the Mormon settlement. From the Fort
they travelled up the Arkansas and the
Huerfano. The country here is hilly,
very we'll watered, covered with grass,
and well timbered with pine. The soil
i is Of a sandy cast, and in the yalleysois
very, rich. On the 5th the party enter
cd The mountains, n crossed the divide be;
tween l I, the Huer1ffano aud the head wa.
/ ters of the Rio Grand at the Sand Hill
\ Pass sometimes called w illiams's 8 Pass,
and, passing over to the CochetoPe
lPass, crossed 10 the waters Of the Paci-
&c. The Cochetope Pass, in the main
range Of the Rocky Mountains, was
crossed a on the 14th December, and had
then but four inches of snow.
After crossing the summit, the. party
struck down one Of the tributaries of
1.-The Grand river to that stream, which
they followed down to near the Spanish
trail, and then went off due west to the
Mormon settlements of Paro where
lthey arrived onthe Sth of February
The country from the backbone to
Grand river is covered with excellent
pine timber, and a great deal Of the
soil is ofan excellent quality. Indeed,
the whole country east of Grand river
to tho western line of Missouri, a dis
tance of eight hundred miles, is so suit
able for tillage and grazing that the
farms can toncheach other for the whole
distance. From Grand river to Paro-
wan, about $50 miles, is country with
out timber and with apoor soil, but 9TH
erwise favorable for the construction Of
aroad.j " ~, at ss4t sT...lJ,
Just before getting into Parowan one
of the party, Mr.. o. Fuller, of St. Lou
is, died. He was brave and energetic
man, but the cold, exertion, and hard
/ fare were oomuch for him, and he died
in his saddle. Front the time theparty
entered the mountains until they reach
ed Parawan they encountered agood
deal of difficulty. 1t was mid.winter;
the grass was in many places bad; the
animals required q great deal of atten-
ton. y 'S. ''4''t' Hsol9
Col. Fremont was determined to pur-
sue his course and to make all the ex-
plorations which the strength Of him
self and his party would permit, and
game was wild and scarce. The party
arrived at the Mormon settlement trav-
el-worn and much reduced in flesh.-
They remained there twelve days, which
suficed to place them in excellent con-
dition. S 'N' ''f4' @"'. .l' =
On the elst ofFebruary Col. Fremont
leftthe hosritable people Of Parowan
to cross the Sierra Nevada, His course
was little south Of west. The country
was hilly, and in many places noun
famous. About 100 miles from Paro-
wan, the party crossed the river of the
Great Basin, and reached the watershed
Of thd Rio Virgin, which empties into
the Colorado. Thence the distance to
Ovens Range, which was struck on
latitude 81, was about 200 miles over
the same kind Of country. Indeed,
Col. Fremont did not know at what
precise point he LETT tho Great Basin
Here and there were fertile valleys, but
the greater portion Of the soil is Of q
sterile character. ,.i.,
The mountains are composed Of short
irregular ranges, generally running north
and south, covering nearly the whole
.,,,,,r,, and orc well fimberod with