, 1854-02-04

lC railrOIu CAlI"l"t'''', ""' 'N"oh'" '''
place. having, since the 10th Of October,
crossed the Rocky mountains for the second
and third times, (the first crossing was
made in September with the main party,)
passcd over the CGur d Alene or Bitter
Root range of mountains from the st. Ma
rvs valley to Walla-wallah, and the Cas-
cadc mountains, from Walla-wallah to Sc
attic by the Sno-qual-me pass. The second
crossing of the Rocky mountains was made
in October, the third in November, that by
the Ceur d Alene mountains in December,
and by the Cascades in January. Mr..
Tinkham with his party, consisting of an
Indian guide and three men, were fifteen
days making their way on snow-shoes thro'
the Cuur d Alene mountains, carrying d
their backs fifty to seventy pounds each,
and living mostly on flour and salt. He
crossed the Cascades simply accompanied
by five Yakima Indians. This winter route
of Mr.. Tinkham for hardihOOd and success
has never been surpassed on the continent ;
and besides adding greatly to the question
of route, has furnished information indis-
pensable to remove the doubts which have
existed as to the Instructions to be antici-
pated from snow. The following notes fur
uished from the archives of the exploration
will give an adequate view of this question
of distractions from snow on the northern
route:
The difficulties to be apprehendcd from
the SHOWS in interfering with the regular
passage of trains on our Northern railroad
route was early made the subject of con,
sideration in the conduct of the recent sur.
vey by Gov. Stevens. Far south of us the
passage of the great mountain ranges in
winter by different explorers, had shown
that there, at least, was some cause of ap
prehension that snow in the mountain pas
ses would prove to be serious obstruction
in the regular operations of railway; and
while with those best informed, and best
qualified to judge Of the real extent of the
difficulties to be overcome, there was but lit
tie or no fear; still, with the multitude, these
immense SHOWS, "2O and 40 feet deep
SHOWS which buried tall trees under them
so that the adventurous individuals who eX
perimented in those cold regions, passed
high up over their tops-were obstacles oi
serious moment. 1t has been no new thing
to find in the papers of the United States
intelligence from our great unknown interi
or furnished by guides, Indians, and others
and stating the winter SHOWS Of the differ
ent mountain passes to be as noted above
The southern routes for q railway, coulC
not claim to be free from this difficulty wha
then was to become of our northern route
traversing a country between the 46th ant
49th parallelsY These objections, the colo
and the snow, have been prolific source o
argument to the opponents of this route
and were freely urged before the starting
of the expedition which has now reached
the waters of the SOund-proying at least
that aside from these obstacles, we have ,
railroad route feasible in all respects, anC
singular for its directness, its economy
of construction, and its facilities for cheal
| Io,Do,ot;ov ,rbo, tbo Iooo,oot;vo sboU Dob,
its place upon it.
Before the passage of the Rocky Noun
tains by the main body of the expedition
and when even at that early day of tn,
waning year, were one to believe the reports
and rumors freely thrown out by guide,
and Indians, snow was to obstruct its pas
sage of the mountains, and perhaps pre-
vent it,-befere this time Gov. Stevens hat
seen the necessity of fully investigating tn,
question Of SHOWS, and of knowing exactl,
the extent Of evil to be apprchended from
them.
With this view, an expedition was planned
by which, in mid-winter, the Rocky Noun
tains were to be traversed, and thencefor
ward, the country between here and thu
Rocky Mountains passed over-the party
reaching here probably in the end of win
ter, or the opening of spring. This exam.
nation is entrusted to Lieut.. Grover, al
active, energetic officer.
In addition to this it was arranged that
the Bitter Root range ofmountains should
be known at a period when they were said
to be heavy with snow; and, finally, that
our Cascade range should be traversed il
mid-winter, that if impossible SHOWS were