The true Democrat., 1855-02-07

parison with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad from Cumberland to Wheeling, or any of the railroads which cross the Alleghany mountains in point of grade, curvature, and boldness o1 graduation. There is but one point on the route where it will be necessary to employ less than 1000 feet radius; this point is in Str- ped Canon, on Bill Williams fork"
 The report says, that snows upon this route can never prove the slightest obstruction to 2 railway. Fuel is believed to be more abund- ant than any other known from the Mississippi to the Pacific. Water sufficient for all purposes.
 The route is divided ints sections, and the following estimates are submitted as the proba- ble expense of its completion:
 l. From Fort S,1ih to comp B, ,ear the head cf Washita rive,, three Hundred and sinty- tUe mates-The general surface is an inclination nearly uniform of four feet to the mile. Fol- lowing the line of profile l, there are hills and undulatng prairies intersected by frequent ri- vulets. The soil is fertile, timber and stone for construction abundant The labor required for masonry and graduation will compare favorably with the average upon the railroads of the State of New York. The average total cost for con- struction and equipment of New York railroads
 
 mile. As steamboat navigation exists to the mouth of the Canadian, ten per cent added ought certainly to cover all the extraordinary expenses due to the locality described: making S49,6OO per mile, or SIS, lO4 900 for the total cost of construction and equipment of this sec tion.
 ! , 2. From comp B, head of Waslita riper. to \ Thcumoari creek, tsoo hundred ond eiobts-oqe Dtles-Foliowing the valley of the Canadian, the average grade Is eight feet per mile. Al though there IS some good soil upon the streams. many sandy spots occur, and the general as- pect of this section IS that of sterilitv. Water can easily be obtained; but timber of good qua hty for rallroad-ues IS scarce. Cedars are abund ant, 1t IS true; but t is doubtful whether they would be available except for fuel. The main supply would, therefore, be of oak, obtained rom the Gross Tlmbers at the eastern end of the section. For graduation and masonry, our standard of comparison may be the same as be lore. Butmcreased expenses for transportation will make 1t proper to add twenty per cent to the original, making the estimate about S54, 100 per mile or for the section S15, ,202, ,OOO.
 2 5. From Tamucari creek to Albuquerque. t,Oo hundred amd one nules.-Leaving the Cana dian river, the surface is unduating to Rio Pe- cos. Thence to Albuquerque much labor will be required-equal, probably to that employed upon the Hudson river road The total con- struction and equipment of the latter is stated to be SS1 ,012 16 per me As good timber is abundant upon the latter part of the line. and We are among a civilized people of agricultural and pastoral pursuits, where wages of natives are low, it is believed that thirty per cent. ad- ded to our standard mav with proper economy, accomplish the work This estimate amounts to $1O6355 per mile, and for the section S2l,- 377, ,355.
 5 4. From AlbuquerYuo to Zuna, one Aundrea and fifty yone neiles.-The labor required for gra- duation and masonry upon this section will be less than upon the last, and an abundance of good timber and stone IS easy of access. The cost of construction and equipment on this DOT ton of the route may be compared with the western railroad from Worcester to Albany, which is $64,2l8 per mile. Adding forty per cent. for increased expenses of transportation, etc., and our estimate amounts to about S9O,- GOO per mile, equal to S13, ,59O,0O0 fer the sec tlOn.
 , ,. From Z,ni to .San Fra,acisco Spri,aqs, one Hundred and ninety-eigM iles.--Throughout this portion of the route excellent timber may easily be obtained from the Zuni mountain of Sierra Madre, from Sierra Mogoyon by rafts down the Colorado Chiquito, and finally, in the vast forests in the midst of which this section terminates. Much of the distance along the Colorado Chiquito and elsewhere, being nearly level, the labor required for graduation and ma sorry will be qnite light-probably less than that expended upon the Providence and Worcester railroad, which cost, per mile S44,774 Fifty percent added for extraordinary expenses, gives about S89 54O per mile and for the section Sl7, ; 72l, ,Oo0
 6. From San Francisco Springs to the Ric ColOrGdo, tWo hundret am Sereaty- nine miles IL has been already stated that over this sec ton more favorable ground Is believed to exist south of the main portion of our route. If not, the labor of graduation and masonry through the canoned creeks will far exceed that upon any previous portion of the road. It would be similar to what was required along the cliffs of the highlands on the Hudson river road But in estimating the cost, sixty per cent in- crease will probably cover the extraordinary cx- penses due to locality, provided the road be built continuously from the coast, so as to fur nish railway transportation for supplies, Total cost of construction and equipment of Hudson river road, S8l, ,812 16 per mile. Add sixty per cent, and we have about $l3l ,OOO per mile and for the section S37, ,549,OOO.
 z. From tue Rio Cozoraaa to tue Pacifc, thret Hundred and seventy.tour miles.-The line tra- versed is recommended only in case subsequent explorations should prove that the more direct routes suggested are less favorable than appear ances would indicate. The expense, however, is estimated with due regard to the magnitude of the work It is believed, however, that upon no portion of this route except the tun- nel through Cajon pass, can the difficulties ex- , ceed what was encountered upon the Baltimore and Ohio railroad; and for the greater part ot the distance, where wide valleys are followed labor of graduation and masonry will be very small. In making the comparison referred tc above, we find reported the sum of $58, 40 as the total cost per mle To this we would add cent. per cent, giving about $43, ,758Oo0. Thi, is supposed to include about $5OO0OO0 for the tunnel of the pass.
 r The Lieutenant says he is aware the above estimates far exceed those made by eminen engineers, sue h as E. F. Johnson and Septimu Norris but without having been eye witnesses of the uninhabited regions through which it i proposed to execute work of so much magni tude they have failed to appreciate the exten