Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-17

1
and coasts of the Atlantic and Gulf Of Mexico
| Under the authority given In the army appro-
| prlatlon act of August a, 1854, sec. 8, TO use
the appropriation for the removal of the Red
river raft in such way as would secure naviga-
ton IN and around said raft, AN examination
of the distractions and surrounding locality
was instituted, and plan adopted. to secure
navigation around the greater part of the raft,
| through Dooley's bayou, and an agent, with
| the necessary machinery, is employed in its
| execution.
Reference is made to the documents accom-.
panying the report from the Typographical
Bureau for the progress made on the improve
! ment of western rivers and lake harbors, the
| construction of military roads, and the survey
OF the Florida canal, and to the report of the
Chief Engineer for the work on the Atlantic
and Gulf harbors and rivers.
The reports Of the officers employed under
the appropriations made for explorations and
surveys to ascertain the most practicable and
economical route for railroad from the Mis-
sissippi river 10 the Pacific ocean, were SUBJ
mitted to Congress on the 9th of February
last, with report from this department, giving
| general sketch Of the country over which
they extended; recapitulaton of their results,
and comparison of their distinguishing
| characteristics, from which it was concluded
| that, OF the routes examined, the most pract-
cable and economical was that of the 32d par
allel. report is herewith submitted from the
officer in this department charged with the re-
vision of the work Of the several parties, and
refer to it for additional information derived
! from materials collected, on a further cxami
nation of them, by himself, and the several
| officers who made the particular surveys, as
well as for the results Of explorations carried
on during the past year.
When the report was made in February last,
many of the maps, drawings, and scientific
papers intended to form part of the report, and
which could only be prepared after an elabo-
rate examination of the materials collected.
had not been completed for want Of time, and
| 1t became necessary to substitute hastily pre-
pared drawings and preliminary reports This
was particularly the case with regard to the
work on the route of the 35th parallel. A
minute examination of the material collected
IN that survey has resulted in showing the
route more practicable than it was at first rep
resented to be, and in reducing to nearly one
half the original estimates of the officer in
charge of the survey, which indeed seemed
when they were submitted to be extravagant,
and were noted in the report from this depart
ment probably excessive.
Another feature of interest developed in the
on the route Of the 32d parallel is that the
Colorado deserts, which is traversed by the
route for distance Of 1873 miles, and which,
in the report referred to, was noted as consist
ing of a soil that needed only water to render
1t highly productive, is, in fact, the delta of the
Colorado river, and, according to barometrc
levels, is so much lower than that stream as to
be easily irrigated from il. Thus there is
every reason to believe $500 square miles Of
soil of great fertility, of which nearly one half
is in our territory, may be brought into Guilt
walton in one unbroken tract along the route.
Under the appropriation made at the last
session for the continuation of these surveys
and other purposes three parties have been in
the field during the past season.
One of these was directed to make examina.
tons connected with the routes on the 321 and
35th parallels. This survey has greatly i'm
proved the aspect Of the former route by chang
ing the line for nearly half the distance be-
tween the Rio Grande and the Pmas villages,
on the ella river, from barren ground to cul.
tiyable valleys, and entirely avoiding a jornada
of eighty miles, which occurs in that section
also, by the discovery Of an eminently practi.
cable route through cultivable country from
The plains Of Los Angeles along the coast and
through the Salinas valley to San Francisco.
'lhe connection originally proposed between
these points was by way of the valley of San
Joaquin and the Great Basin.
The attention of this party was also directed
to an examination into the practicability Of
procuring water along certain parts Of the route
where it is now deficient. The report shows
that it may be obtained by common wells al
distances Of about twenty miles.
From the result Of this exploration, moreover,
It appears practicable to obtain, at small ex-
pense, good wagon road, supplied with water
by common wells from the Rio Grande down
the San Pedro and ella, and across the Col.
orado desert. Such road would be of great
advantage in military operations would lacili
tate the transportation of the mail across that
country and relieve emigrants pursuing that
route from much Of the difficulty and suffering
which they now encounter.
second party was charged with the duty
Of testing the practicabity of procuring water
by artesian wells on the Llano Estacado, an
arid plain which has been heretofore described
as desert. The experiment has so far de-
monstraed its practicability as to leave little
doubt Of its final success; it will be continued,
however, until the problem shall have been
fully solved.
The examinations into the feasibility Of
causing subterrancan streams to flow upon the
surface from artesian wells, though undertaken
IN connection with the practicabilily Of rail
road if they should prove entirely successful,
will lave n value beyond their connection with
that object, in the reclamation Of region
which is now n waste, and its adaptation 10 the
pastoral and perhaps the agricultural uses OF
man.
The third party was directed TO conduct an
exploration from the Sacramento 10 The Co.
lumba river, with a view 10 ascertain the prac.
| ticabiy OF route 10 connect the valleys OF
those rivers. The officer in charge has re-
ported the successful completion Of the duty,
but has not given details. The same officer
has been directed to make reconnaissance Of
the Sierra Nevada in The vicinity Of the head
branches Of the Carson river.
The prosecution Of instrumental surveys. nc.
companied by investigation into many branches
OF physical science simultaneously over lines Of
such length, and embracing such an extent OF
latitude, is work Of greater magnitude than
any Of the kind hitherto undertaken by any ma.
ton, and its results have not only proved com
mensurate with the amount Of work done, but
possess value peculiar to The scale on which
il has been conducted, as affording basis for
The determination Of some questions Of science
which no number Of smaller and detached OK