The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-12

Minority R,poyf Of he Select Committee he Pc
eifc Acknowledgement against the FeasibL
hty If hs ScLerHe--Izierfstiag Statistics tie
Probable 1raGfc of Poelfe Linz Yandsr5afs
Neil Line Cgsii0ntd for ie :, ssi0R, &c., SC.
Mr.. Kid Sel, from the minosi'y Of the select com.
Mite appointed u inquire Into he necessity for
constructing lines Of railroad and telegraphic com
humiliation between tie Atlantic and Pacific colsts
Of this con.rent. hss made report upoa the sub
ject aboundiDg VITA valuable inforrat.oa and sta
tistical facts.
The Feasibility ~ railroad between he Pacd end
fhe Mississippi y frs. considered. and Is dissea,ed
FROM partly tie ground n the natage u the co5n-
try and the severity Of the weather IN tie winter
No explorations, he asserts. show the moanGiin
passes which this road j. 70 cross - low as one mile
high above the level o. the seA All art more shsu
ore mile high. A large portion Of the routes
il also destitute Of timber oE repair and water l.
equally scarce. The mountain re giOns are d ola,e
and without Agriculture The south Pass roate,
seven hundred and CIV, miles lies in aud among the
mountains-hetwcen The Roxy and sHowy Noun
talns-which arr more than three THOUSAND feet hgh
intLe lowest place. Other routes are considered
even more Objectionable. The most favorable state
OF the weather would not permit the use Of the
road Tor more than four or six N nths In the year
which would not prove a desirable AID paying roai
He further states that no roc e has yet been disco
vered 90 exist In the country betseen the northern
lire Of Mexico and tue sosthern b0undary line az
the British possessions, where 4 railrJad from the
Pacific to the Mississippi he located. with such
grades and curves and CONSTRUCTED az such
cost, a. would justify either the g0vernmen.
individuals in attempting 10 build NJ and ely upon
its earnings 70 keep IA repair and pay Tor the
Of the money expended, over one per cen. per
on the rst cost VI the road. n y doubtful be con
tnues, whether a road located upon the hest route
could be maintained from it, earnings during the
hrss Ten or hfetn years even should its builders he
willing " sink sl their capital. and ABANDON the
Ioad 70 whomEoeyef would give security 81 maintain
and run L. AT tie end Of that time money would
have TO be obtained n rebuild tde wh0le Bfoad %
replace the iron tais, the tics, and the flruur Of
The road.
The question then arises, could tie aebt FOR
this Necessary construction be paid xishia tbe
next ensuing ten Or fifteen Years. frpm ~
mere earnings OF the rOadg No RAILROAD
GOO miles long, from the valley u the Mia
eesipIi 70 San Francisco, upon any route vyhaiever
can be luit and stocked Cor sl00 900 lev mile
making 600 600 600 for Two thousand mica Tire
majority bI provides for the construction or rail-
roads and RAILROADS only where tae SHOWS lay from
six 10 eight months in the year, aud where only
dogs end ssds can he used, tbe SLOWS icing twelve
feet deep under tIe burning rays II Jolly sun
A few additional thoughts TIC feasibility of
huioing railroad from tue Pacific 70 The Mssis-
sppi are given. suppose railroad CO he built NJ
40 flA000oO00 for two thousand miles interest