Kansas weekly herald., 1854-09-22

+ On the 9TH May the company left Salt
Lake, and struck off due westward, some
forty miles to the southwark of the regular
ly travelled California trail. About seventy
five miles this side of the valley, the party
came upon solid granite boulder or hill,
some fifteen or eighteen hundred feet in
height, in which was found a clear, cool
spring of water. After leaving this point
they journeyed on directly to the @Humboldt,'
which they reached in about two weeks,
being delayed a day OF so in removing OBJ
structions from the road.
All along the Humboldt there is the most
feasible route imaginable for a railroad,
and according to Lieut.. Beckwith.s s state
ment, surveys would be almost superfuous.
All the way from Salt Lake to California
the party found an abundance of grass and
water for their cattle and stock which arriv-
ed at Fort Reading in good condition. The
Lieutenant informs us that with his present
knowledge ofthe country, he could lay out
road from California to the Great Salt
Lake Valley, at least one hundred and fifty
miles nearer than any heretofore travelled,
with an abundance Of wood, water, and
grass along the entire route; and he would
insure the traveller freedom from all annoy
ances from insects, except, perhaps, while
clossing Mary's river.
Alter leaving the Humboldt, the party
Of Lieut.. Beckwith struck off to the Sierra
| Nevada. No less than five different passes
were examined IN this range with direct
reference to their. feasibility tor the line of
the Pa:ifc Railroad. All OF these lie to the
northward Of Noble's Pass, except the latter,
which is included in the number of those
examined. After careful surveys, all of
the above routes are pronounced to be i'm
practicable, with the exception of Mobiles
Pass, and the one first north of it.
Of the superiority of these two, Lieut..
Beckwith is as yet unprepared to express
any opinion, but he >unhesitatingly declares
! that none Of the passes except Mobiles and
that ad djoining, are or can be adapted to the
passage Of railroad. In his report to be
submitted to the Secretary of War, immedi-
ately after his arrival at Washington, accu-
rate details Of the surveys of these various
passes, with all the particulars connected
with the topography and geography of the
country examined, will be furnished.
Lieut.. Beckwith furthermore informs us
that the greatest difficulties of the contem-
plated route for railroad are 10 Be encoun-
tered in the 'foot hills of the Sierra Neva-
da, but for these there would scarcely be
any serious impediment to the construction
of the road. s.Lieut. B.also says, that stream
usually termed the Pitt river in the upper
part of this valley is really the Sacramento
and that at the point where he struck what
is generally known as the Sacramento, he
could easily leap from one bank to the 9TH
er. The stock and other effects of the par
ty were sold at Shasta by Lieut.. B., and
brought good prices, being purchased by
ranchmcn, miners, and others. The a.
mount received for this property was in the
neighborhood of $4,000
Lieut.. Morris of the escort who accom-
panied TIE surveying party, and was an.
nounced by us as having arrived in town
some days ago, has returned to Fort Read.
ing for the purpose of turning over the de.
tachment to Col. Wright.
Lieut.. Beclswith, who has been absent or
his arduous official campaign for the las
four months, returns on the 18th instant to
Washington, in company with his assist.
ants, when he will Immediately lay before
the Hon. Secretary of War, the fruits o.
those laborious, and scientific researches
which perhaps are to have no slight inhu.
ence On the future destiny of the race.
The Overland Immigration
Messrs. Alexander and Norton, with 6