The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-12
The Gndsden Purchase.
TO THE EIITOR OF THE HERALD.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 1857.
Having read in yolf paper of the 4th an extract
from the Railroad accord, under the title of Ira
yelling in the Gsdsden rarchase" take the liberty
of intruding your cOlumns, in reply to state
ments made therein.
The whole tenor Of he extract from the Records
goes to show that the w ter OF has been influenced
more by spirit OF parusanship than OF truth and
Tat Grays route, arc at Lieut.. Parkes, is the one
which he is resolved 10 uphold
Leaving the merit o. the exact route out of view,
confine myself solely that portion of the paper
in which my view OF the supply of wster across the
continent parallel % deg, is advefted into aud
condemned as "ndcu Gus" flippant phrase does
not nullify the facts from which a cautious result
has been drawn; aDc tbe results Of an experience of
thirteen weeks journey,ng and delays between the
Sieus Nevada and Toe Rio Gran ie may surely ont
balance basty cpiHiJn, drawn from sixty miles
ride. and one nights camping in the Missibres Val
ley, even supposirg the merits OF the observers
equal. But when VT meet wi "a such statement a.,
that during one DI,hts rain, there fell sufficient
water TO i'll a caup tile six inches up by the
morning. there ren&s nothing for one competent
TO Judge 10 do but "a d-b,heve the whole narrative.
When the writer adse II to the manner in which
my resulting opinion upon the difficulty Of obtaining
water has been d.duced. namely from an examine
ton Of the rain fall at the nearest points-he has
AS to The means o. obtaining water for railroad sup
ply along the Gsdsden pa base.
Those acquainted with meteorology know how diff
hcult il is 10 draw truthful inferences in country
where there few observations carried on; and
that u1der the ciIcun. tnces of the want OF popula
ton anc means OF Observation in the Gadsden pur-
chase. the best means at com pand were secured to
draw up the final rp ion, add OF the best means
to attain that end Is 10 ob ain the actual tall OF rain
at the two extrem.s-fort Yama and the Rio
Grsnoe-the only Two points where steady observa
tons made III III. ~nier in the Record scouts at
this he undertakes observations because they hap
pen not to be in acc 'roAnce with his view.
Three iourths OF the whole rainfall on the great
piateHus Of this coDtineut, on both slopes OF the
Rocky Mountains In that latitude. Is derived from
the south east. /. G tue Gulf of Mexico. Stand
ing On the immense and level plains OF the Gadsden
pure base, during the rainy season. the clouds may
he seen approaching from the southeast. or up the
course Of the Rio Grsnce, and TO divide when they
nsar the parallel ridges OF mountains, upon whose
submits they discha ge themselves more abundant
ly than they DO upon the plain. The residual rain
comes from the south sest or up the Gulf OF Cahor
MIA which from the small surface OF evaporation az
tordeo. is necessarily more limited guam
ti;y, and its intuei &C but slight, aud can
nOt influence the Iesut. since at the most
westerly point, whe II should he mos. felt does
not raise the rain isl to two inches per year. Since,
then the effective rain comes fro N the Gulf and
reaches the Rio Grande valley before IL travels
northwest towards the great basin, II follows that
more ram must fall at the Rio Grande aud it, imme-
lst. Because the rain clouds nie more highly
charged with vapor.
"a Because the mountain SUBMITS and the plains
more highly elevated.
The conclusion drawn by me, alike from observa
tons made during the rainy season In that country,
from inquiry among tue residents, and from the
army meteorological reports-s, that the fall OF rain
dimnishes rateably a. one passes west from the Rio
Grande 90 the Sierra Nevada, and that the largest
fall in the whole district does not average more than
eleven inches Of rain.
Nv observations and examinations made while
attached 60 the survey, under Lieut. Parke, had for
their object 10 rtln whether rtesan borings, TO
obtain supply OF water for railroad purposes, could
lie adyantageously made at certain points OF the
proposed route. The opinion submitted TO the bu-
reau was unfavora Ike h, artesian borngs, opinion
in which am more ard more fortified by increased
information upon the district, as well a. from the
result Of experiment actually made for that purpose.
Bot the question of obtaining water by aresian
wells no, has really nothing TO do with Pacihc
railroad across that route for there is no lack OF
water at the points where artesian wells are deemed
needtul Sufhcent rain actually falls TO supply rai
road demands provided the rain be secured and
slowed away in tanks aud reservoirs during the time
Of fall.
This is all which is required 10 he done, and which
II carried out does away with any necessity Of sink
ing srtesian bornes where success would be ex.
cedngiy doubtful.
AS the effective rain fall In that district occurs
during the warm season Of the year, when evapora-
ton is greatest il n mighty necessary that the water
should be saved In reservoirs during the actual
fail.
Thus the real question Is, not whether water could
be obtained by artesmn wells IN the Gadsden pur-
chase but whether the water viii n falls in sufficient
abundance shouo not be collected and preserved, q
line OF practice more economical and more pracu
cally useful than any Deep borings would prove.
THOMAS ANrrsELL, NJ. n.