Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-09
For the Nashville Patriot.


This great enterprise appears already to have
aroused a wide extended interest. And well it
might for it is one of the most magnificent and
important projects of the age-a work promising
untold advantages in a commercial point Of view,
and, politically considered, become absolute ne
cessity whether in view OF the defence and preser-
walton of Pacific coast against foreign invasion,
the maintaining Of that splendid but remote scope
of country as an integral portion of the Union. Ii
is evident that 10 case of with any great mari
time power, it would at present be next TO impos-
sibe to protect California and 0regan, while it is
certain the attmp, to do it would cost our Govern
N ent treble or quadruple the amount required to
construct railroad complete from the banks of the
Mississippi the bay Of San Diego, or San Francisco
Il is also almost certain that without such bond OF
INSTRUMENTATION, uniting Oregon and California
to the older States by the common ties Of symPa-
thy ana interest, those remote, enterPrising and
restless territories so widely isolated geographically,
will ere long conceive themselves as widely isolated
politically, and yielding to the impulses OF interest
and ambition sever their connection with the
mother country.
But presume the need and importance of q
railroad to the Pacific will hardly be questioned.
Its practicabity its remunerstve benefits relative
to the cost of construction, and the proper man.
agement of the work by its officers, matters
more cacu ia:ed to suggest doubts as to final sue
cess Ii is indeed, an Hercuean task and the
magnitude of the undertaking; nay, even the stu"
cd
ap pal the imagination and hope recoils-it is too
great, TOO GOOD to be ever accomplished! few
years ago, hal the innumerable lines of railroad
that now track our country, been at once pressed
upon the mind, the conception would have been
equally overwhelming The number Of miles Of
railroad in actual use at the present time in the
United States is upwards OF %, 900. The State Of
Illinois alone not long since a wilderness, has now
$500 miles of railroad all but sixty miles Of which
have been constructed within the last six years
The length of tie proposed Southern road from the
navigabe waters Of the Mississippi along the SIND
parallel westward to the harbors Of the Pacific, is
1920 miles The praticabiity of this route has been
demonstrated by careful surveys while besides be-
ing considerably shorter it has decided advantages
over the only two Northern routes that are not re-
gsrded impracticable, being exempt from the form
liable winter storms and SHOWS that prevail in the
higher ATTITUDES, sc.
The cost of the entire route, according to the
estimate of Col Gray, United States Engineer, will
be about 44,5OO. 900, or between $2S, 900 and
S29, 600 per mile which is considerably less than
the average per mile of the roads in the Easts
ern and Middle States, though greater than that Of
those in the Southern and Western. Col Gray
estimates the net revenue Of the road when COM
peted, at So 100 600, "a per cent on the origi-
nal cost. He appears, however, to have been quite
cautious in The calculation Mr.. Curtis, OF Iowa.
in article in the National hiteliqncer wherein he
rcommends the middle or PatteValley route, on the
score OF its being more central, but without assign.
ing more valid reasons for his preference; nor, in.
deed, pretending to meet the more obvious ofjec-
tons to it, sums up the probable revenue of the
road, based upon the present annual transit Of per
sons and freight between New York AMI California,
which, (since railroads generally increase business
from five to ten fold he assumes will be at least
doubled, amounting in the gross income, to $ll3,-
22l $50 from which, deductnS Do per cent Tor cost
of running leaves 500, Gle, 94S, the net annual
proceeds of the road.
But we need not stop to detail estimates, which
at best can only be approXimative. Nor is it neS
cessary. No one who appreciates the vast extent
Of trade and intercourse that railroad would at
once open, not only between our Pacific coast and
the States the Atlantic slope and in the MissS-
suppl valley, but between the Western and the
Eastern worlds-the marts of Eastern Asia, China,
the Inuies, Australia, and the Islands Of the Pacific,
together with the wide-extended western coast of
South America, can, for moment doubt that the
facilities of railroad once in operation to the Pa
cific would secure an immense revenue
In another paper | will speak of the likelihood
Of the construction OF such a road and Of the
means and appliances now in operation towards its
prosecution.