The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-01-09

ON this work have beeu almost exclusively engaged during
the past in Lakes Michigan and Superior and the
st Marys river large has been surveyed more
than thousand buoys have been located TO mark danger
reefs and shoals and materials have been gathered for
the minute and reliable charts necessary 10 the naga
iion OF those inland
The appropriations for river aud harbor improvements
have with few exceptions been exhausted reduced so
low not 10 be effective for future operations Snag and
drsdge boats usually built OF appropriations for
special works and when therefore the fund is expended
IL has been deemed proper to sell such boats machinery
and materials aud apply the proceeds 10 the benefit OF the
work for which the money was appropriated The rapid
deterioration and expense attendant the prese
walton boats does permit that they should be kept be-
yond short period the contingency Of future appro
praons being made Under these circumstance and for
these reasons the snagb the western rivers have
been sold and the amounts drawn for the construction
equipment and repair Of those boats from the appropria
on for the respective rivers thus made available for
the improvements to which they belonged. And like
course under like circumstances will have 10 be adopted
ia relation the drcdge-boats the northern lakes and
coasts of the Atlantic and Gull OF Mexico.
Under the authority given in the army appropriation act
Of August 1854 s. to use the appropriation for the
removal of the Redryer rafi IN such way would
navigation in and around said raft examination of
the distractions and surrounding locality was instituted,
and plan adopted navigation around the greater
part Of the raft through Doocys bayou, and agent
with the necessary machinery employed in its execution
Reference is made to the documents accompanying the
report from the Typographical Bureau for the progress
made the improvement of western rivers aud lake ha
bors the construction Of military roads and the survey Of
the Florida canal and to the report of the Chief Engineer
for the work the Atlantic and Gulf harbors and rivers
The reports Of the officers employed under the appropa-
tons made for explorations and surveys TO ascertain the
practicable and economical for railroad from
the Mississippi river to the Pacific submitted to
Congress on the 9th Of February last with report from
this department. giving general sketch Of the country
which they extended recaptuaon Of their results and
comparison of their distinguishing characteristics from
which 1t concluded that Of the routes examined the
most practicable and economical was that Of the a2d
ae report is herewith submitted from the officer in
this department charged with the revision Of the work Of
the several parties aud refer to il for additional norma
tion derived from materials collected further exanin-
alton of Them by himself and the several officers who made
the particular surveys well as for the results Of exo-
rations carried on during the past year.
When the report made in February last, many OF
the maps drawings and scientific papers intended TO form
OF the report and which could only be prepared after
AN elaborate examinations Of the materials collected aad
been completed for want of time and it became
sary to substitute hasyprepared drawings and prem-
mary reports This particularly the with regard
to the work the route of the 35th parallel minute
examination Of the material collected in that survey has
resulted in showing the practicable than it
first represented to be- and In reducing to nearly
half the original estimates of the officer in charge Of the
vy which indeed seemed when they submitted to be
exravagan and noted in the report from this depart
ment as probably excessive.
Another feature Of interest developed in the Of
the further examination of the work the route of the
sd parallel that the Colorado deserts which is travesed
by the route for distance of I33 miles, and which, In the
report referred noted consisting of soil that
needed only to render it highly productive is in
fact the delta OF the Colorado river and according ba
rometrc levels much lower than that stream TO be
easily irrigated from it, Thus there is every to be-
nearly onchalf in our territory may be brought into
cultivation in one unbroken tract along the route,
Under the appropriation made at the last session for the
continuation OF these and other purposes tbree
parties have been in the field during the past season
One of these directed to make examinations connect
ed with the routes of the 32d and 35th parallels This
has greatly improved the aspect Of the former route by
changing the line for nearly half the distance between the
Rio Grande and the Pimas villages, the Gila river from
barren ground cultivabe valleys aud entirely avoiding
jornada of eighty miles which In that section
also by the discovery of emneny practicable route
through cultvabe country ou the plains Of Los Angeles
along the coast and through the Salinas valley TO San
Francisco The copnexon originally proposed between
these points by way Of the valley Of San joaquin and
the Great Basin. @ Y
The attention OF this party also directed to
animation into the pracicabiity of procuring water along
certain parts of the route where is deficient The
report shows that IL be obtained by common wells at
distances Of aboat twenty miles.
From the result Of this exploration, moreover II appears
practicable to obtain, at small expense good WAGON
road supplied with water by wells from the Rio
GraDde down the San Pedro and Ga and across the Col
orado desert Such road would be Of great advantage
in military operations would facilitate the transportation
OF the mail country and relieve cmgrans pur
suing that route from much Of the difficulty and suffering
which they encounter
second party charged with the duty of testing the
prsciicabty of procuring water by artesan wells on
the Lano Estacado arid plain which has been hereto
fore described desert The experiment has so far
demonstrated it's prsctcbiity as TO leave little doubt OF
its final success il win be continued however until the
problem shall have been fully solved.
The examinations into the feasibility of causing sub
wells though undertaken in conpexon vita the pracca
bli,y Of rsosd If they should prove entirely success
ul viii have value beyond their connexion with that
object In the reclamation Of region which Is now waste
and its adaptation the pastoral and perhaps the agrcul-
ural uses of man.
The third party directed 10 conduct exploration
from the Sacramento the Columbia river, with view
ascertain the practcabiity OF route TO connect the
valleys those rivers Ths officer in charge has reported
successful completion of the duty, but has not given
details The same officer has been directed to make
of the Sierra Nevada IN the vicinity OF the
head branches Of Carson river.
The prosecution Of instrumental surveys, accompanied
by Investigations into many branches Of physical science
lines OF such length and embracing
such OF latitude is a work Of greater manude
than Of the kind hitherto undertaken by any nation
and its results have only proved commensurate with
the amount Of work done but possess value peculiar
the scale which II has been conducted afordng
basis for the determination OF sfmc questions OF science
which number of smaller and detached explorations
could have furnished Should be granted
the estimate in the report referred to- for continuing these
explorations have every confidence that the expenditure
will be well repaid by these contributions to our knowedge
Of the interior Of the country.
The facts developed by these surveys added TO other In
formation which possess suggest considerations OF
interest with regard to territory on the Pacific
They exhibit NJ slope OF an average width or
less than 80 miles Of cnvsble land skirng the ocean
for dis,ance Of 900 miles rich in those mineral produc
ons which tempting beyond their value, and
which would be readily turned TO the use Of an IN
vader drained by rivers OF widespread branches aud
with ports lying directly upon the ocean that hos
tile feet could attack upon any one OF them
within few hours after being deserted from land or Il
fortified against attack few In number that compare
Al Il. hi. .,,ti iuufrec IN tpr ka1e cul