The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-06-24
For the MipnaSot,au.
Gov. Stevens Report.

OIL The Northern Pacific R-llrOad contains muC
| information which would be of interest to you
readers, and as the limits of your paper vii
not admit ofthc publication of the Report il
full, have enleavorel to extract so much From
it as is most important, and of interest to GU
Territory.
The Report is evidently not a full one, bu
enough is shown to prove that the chief of th
expedition was endowed with courage, indom
table energy and perseverance, and that h,
has fully justified the hopes and expectations o
those who placed him at the head of this re-
sponsiblc and important undertaking.
1t was predicted by many, and even by some
of his own party after he left the Mississippi
that he would not lie able to cross the noun
tans that season; but though he met with ma
ny difficulties and pcrplexities incident to Il
party Of this kind, Oh first setting out vet he
surmOuntcd them all, and has succeeded beyond
his own sanguine expectations in finding and To-
eating practicable route for IA railroad from
the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
Taking into consideration the difficulties he had
TO encounter, and the important results which
must flow from the successful termination of so
parison the greatest work of the kind that has
ever been completed in this or any other coun-
try.
The first of the Report contains general di-
rections, in regard to the objects of the survey
which are, first. "a general reconnaissance of
the country and second, :" the survey and 10
cation of a railroad; this is followed by mi
mute and careful directions to the different par
ties and mcmorandums and suggestions to be
observed in making collections in Natural His
tory and Geology.
The whole expedition seems to have been
gotten up with great care and attention to all
the minor details. which are necessary to make
IA party of this kind efficient.
No Report of the Naturalist and Gcolosist of
the expedition is appended. Ifcarried out ac-
cording to the instructions given, they will.
when published, give an immense amount of
valuable information to the world.
Here follows letter from Mr.. Stevens 10 the
department at Washington. dated at Camp
Pierce (ncar Fort Sncling) and u Report to
him of reconnaissance of the Upper Mississip-
pi River for crossing place, by +. W. Lander,
Esq This Report is very interesting and i'm
portant. as touching upon matters of much in
tcrcst to Minnesota, and have cndcavorcd to
make some extracts, but find that full justice
cannot bc done without publishing the whole :
ST. Paul May -. 1853.
SIR In receiving your instructions in re-
gard tn reconnaissance of the Upper Misss-
sippi for railroad crossing, was directed to
view this subject with reference to a feasible
come yion with Lake Superior to choose Il
point which should not interfere with steamboat
navigation and one that would occupy ia
vorablc position for joining the main line east.
With these quite definite instructions to guide
nv examinations, / have made actual recon-
nOssance of the river, from st. Paul to Fort
Ripley, and beg leave to submit tn" following
report:
At the ferry near The falls of st. Anthony, at
the rapids near mouth of Sank river. at several
points for two m,es above these rapids, at the
ferry near Swan river. and at Little Falls, |
have found locations for crossing the river with
railroad bridge. The first of these, near the
falls of st. Anthony, is about eight hundred
(SDO) feet 1t docs not occupy so favorable a
position, in regard to a cOnncXion with Lake
Superior as either of the other points The
crossing is much greater in length and the
quantity Of masonry, larger than at those fur
thcr north. The cost of this masonry is Excess
sve, from the necessity of bringing the mater
ial for construction from Sank rapids The dis
tancc to dead Colt IIillock'-a point of sur
vey-is not less hy this crossing than by pass
ing over the fine gravel country east of the
Mississippi to Sank rapids. The water is deep.
and the current much more swift than at any
ofthc other points. Passing west the country
is thicklv wooded. springy. entirely impassa-
bic for wagons, and inducing additional cost
in gruEbing and culvcrt masonry. | deem this
crossing the least favorable ofthose | have eX-
amincd. Eighty miles north of the falls of st.
Anthony, at the head of steamboat navigation,
and near the mouth of Sank river. occur sever
!ay,r ,blc eros :ngs, me- ly similar in charac-
ter. These. with the routS connected. should
ut some future period he subjected to careful
survey The limited time allowed for the pres
cnt examination. necessarily confirming my at
tcntion to reconnaissance.
The first of these. near the mouth Of Sank
river. is about five hundred (500) feet. by en-
countcring the rapid current near the falls,
excellent foundation for Lrdge masonry can be
obtained upon the granite ledge of the section
Within two GU miles are five other points, none
exceeding six hundred (60O) feet in length
he auJOllliHS lcuSc itrillSucS granite OI Suta-
bic quality for heavy masonry.
have estimated the cost Ola bridge at Sank
rapids, for road-bcd of twenty coy feet as fol
l)ws:
500 le of Howe, truss at twenty
five (S25) dollars. .Sl2, 800
1853 cubic yards of bridge masonry
at twelve (Sl2) dollars. ........... l6 236
Repairing foundations, say. 1000
29736
Five miles further north, near the mouth oil
river Watab, occurs crossing four hundred
(i0O) feet in length. with excellent foundations
of granite ledge. This crossing is so situated
rs to induce cutting of about twenty (2O) feet
in hard material. upon the cast shore Of the
river say twenty thousand yards at forty (4O)
cents, Or $4,000. The adjacent ledge not be-
ing of suitable quality for building. the mater.
ial for masonry must be brought from Sauk
rapids. The location is neither feasible flap
prOach or i'm facility of getting west as that al