Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-16


WILLIAM GooDELL.
COL FREMONTS EXPLORATION OF THE CEN
TRIAL RAILROAD ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC.
TcoNcLUDED
The immediate valley of the Upper Colora-
do, for about one hundred miles In breadth,
and from the 7th to the 22d of January, was
entirely bare of SNOW, and the weather resem-
bled that of autumn in this country. The line
here entered the body of mountains known as
the Yah sateh and Aa-ter-ria ranges, which
are practicable at several places in this part OF
their course but the falling snow and desti-
tute condition of my party again interiered 70
impede examinations. They lie between the
Colorado Valley and the Great Basin, and at
their western base are established the Nor
mon settlements Of Parowan and Cedar city.
They are what are called fertile mountains,
abundant in water wood, and grass, and fer
tile valleys, Offering inducements to settlement
and facilities for making q road. These noun
tains are q great storehouse of materials-tim-
Der, iron, coal--which would be of indispensa-
BILE use in the construction and maintenance of
the road, and are solid foundations to build up
the future prosperity Of the rapidly-increasing
Utah State
Salt is abundant on the eastern border,
mountains, as the Sierra de Sal, being named
from it, In. the ranges lying behind the Nor
mon settlements, among the mountains through
which the line passes, are accumulated great
wealth of iron and coal, and extensive forests
of heavy timber These forests are the lar
gest am acquainted with in the Rocky Noun
tans, being, in some places, twenty miles IN
depth of continuous forest; the general growth
lofty and large frequently over three feet in
diameter, and sometimes reaching five feet, the
red spruce and yellow pine predominating. At
the actual southern extremity of the Mormon
settlements, consisting of the two enclosed
towns of Parowan and Cedar city, near to
which our line passed, coal mine has been
opened for about eighty yards, and iron works
already established. Iron here occurs in ex-
traordinary masses, in some parts accumulated
into mountains, which comb out in crests Of
solid iron thirty feet thick, and hundred yards
long
In passing through this bed of mountains
about fourteen days had been occupied, from
January "a to February 7, the deepest snow
we here encountered being about up to the
saddle skirts, or four feet; this occurring only
in occasional drifts in the passes on northern
exposures, and in the small mountain flats
hemmed in by woods and hills. In the valley
it was sometimes few inches deep, and as often
none at all. On our arrival at the Mormon
settlements February 9Th, we found it few
inches deep, and were there informed that the
winter had been unusually long-continued and
severe, the thermometer having been as low as
IL degrees below zero, and more snow having
fallen than in all the previous winters together
| since the establishment of this colony.
At this. season, their farmers had usually
been occupied with their ploughs, preparing
the land for grain.
At this point the line Of exploration entered
the third or western section, comprehending
the mountainous plateau between the Wahsatch
Mountains and the Sierra Nevada of California.
Two routes here suggested themselves to me
for examination one directly across the pla-
teau between the 37th and 38th parallels; the
other keeping to the south of the mountains,
and following for about two hundred miles
down a valley of the Rio Virgen, Virgin river
thence direct to the TETON Pass at the head OF
the San Joaquin Valley. This route down the
Virgin river had been examined the year be.
fore, with view to settlement this summer by
Mormon exploring party under the command
of Major Steele, of Parowan, who land others
Of the party informed me that they found fer
tile valleys inhabited by Indians, who cultivated
corn and melons and the rich ground in many
places matted over with grape vines The
| TETON Passes are two--one Of them from the
abundance Of vines at its lower end) called
Caron de las Uuas They were of long use,
and were examined by me, and their prac-
ticability ascertained, in my expedition OF
1s4s-'49; and in 1851 again passed through
them both, bringing three thousand head Of
cattle through one OF them
Knowing the practicability of those passes,
and confdng in the report OF Major Steele as
to the intermediate country, determined to
take the other, between the 37th and 3Sth
parallels, it recommending itrelf to me as being
more direct towards San Francisco, and pref
cradle on that account for road, if suitable
ground could be found and also as being I'M
known, the Mormons informing me that vari.
GUS attempts had been made to explore il, and
all failed for want Of water. Although biased
in favor Of the Virgin river route, deter mined
to examine this one in the interest Of geogra-
ply, and accordingly set out for this purpose
from the settlement, about the Goth OF Febru-
airy, travelling directly westward from Cedar
city, eighteen miles west Of Parowan We
found the country high table land, bristling
with mountains, often in short isolated blocks,
and sometimes accumulated into considerable
ranges, with numerous open and low passes.
We we're thus always in valley aud always
surrounded by mountains more or less closely,
which apparently altered in shape and position
as we advanced. The valleys are dry and ma
ked, without water or wood but the noun
tains are generally covered with grass and
well wooded with pines springs are very rare,
and occasional small streams are at remote
distances. Not human being was encounter
ed between tho Santa Clara road near the Nor
mon settlements and the Sierra Nevada, over
distance Of moro than three hundred miles
The solitary character Of this uninhabited re-
gion, the naked valleys without watcr courses,
among mountains with fertile soil, and grass
and woods abundant give il the appearance Of
an unfinished country,
Commencing at the 3Sth, we struck the
Sierra Nevada, on about the 37th parallel,
about the 18th March
On our route across, we had for the greater
part Of the time pleasant and rather warm
weather; the valley grounds and low ridges
uncovered, but snow over the upper parts OF
I