Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-06-03
Rant. fer P.c;ae u,.,,r..a.


| fallen in very great di-repute there ai.o.N !.
Er.
Rs.se- fer Pacific ssaiireaas
The general government s cautiously feeling is
way towards the construction of railroad bet xeen
the valley of the Mississippi and he Pacific coast
Three routes have been Surveyed by military aud c
II engineers and at M expense oil bnlia million Of
dollars the results of which without positively set
Ting the question OF pricticHbilir. have stimulated
Congress 10 continued aud more effective effort Dn-
ring the last two sessions. much done toward
the grading of the two principal lines of travel prep
aratory to the construction Of railroads over them
Six hundred and iny thousand dollars were nppfo-
priatcd toward the opening of wagon roads from the
frontiers Of settlement to California. / iudciuus
system has been adopted tor the initiation Of the
work. The mcaps provided will perhaps be sufficient
for compictng reliable surveys and erecting tempo
rtry bridges over the streams up the base of the
Rocky Mountains. Congress Will. Of course make
such additional appropriations as may he required
for The completion Of these roads 10 the Pacific The
work OF laying the iron rails, by the assistance of
Government upon one or more Of the routes thus
proposed, cannot long lie delayed. Settlement Will
follow the lines of these great national highways aud
the settlements will make the railroads
The convcrging of the coasts ofthe continent to-
wards the lSthmus of Dlren shortcns the lines Of
inter-oceanic communication az We proceed toward
the South Below the Southern boundary of the
United States ARE four principal routes, which have
been shown by competent surveys md explorations
TO he adapted TO railways canals from 10 sea.
These, with their distances are rs follow:
Tehunntepec .......,., ..,........... Sc miles
Honduras .................. ........ -. 90
Nicaragua ..............lsi
Panama .......... ,.............. 81
The sailing distances from New York to San Fran
cisco 10y these various Ishmian lines of conmunica-
ton are computed by Lieut.. MArnY, stated in the
suhlpncd table
VA Panama, Z, 200 statute miles
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
" Honduras ........, ,...............4,!0 700
Vera Cruz and Tchuantepec. i 200
The Panama Railroad is finished and in use. Its
cost was, for the roadway, So 900 900 There has
been expended at the icriaini probably 81 900 in
edition IN order to complete the necessary prepara-
tons for travel and transportation. The advantages
Of this route the shorncss OF the transit and the
remarkable facilities it presents for concentrating thu
trade of the South Pncitc and Australia.
The Nicaragua route was in successful and profit
able use for three years. The transit effected by
river and Lake boats for yearly the whole distance be
tween the two oceans, leaving but twelve miles of
land travel After the expenditure of several mil
lions OF dollars in perfccting ne of trans por
nion, the line was broken up by act Of pillage
AMI condscRton seldom pIrHlele1 in The history 81
CONNER lUl nations When II viii hc restored 10 is
legitimate uses. depends upph the re .ult OF the war
now in progress in the country, mud to som. extent
upon the subsequent oclio1 ofth.s Government.
The Honduras Rrilrond rpntc has been explored
an company composed Of American aud British
capitalists, ha' been formed for tue execution of "A
scientific survey and the subsequent construction Of
the road Theestimttcl cost of the work Is - co.,
900. The proposed line of this work commences ut
Puerto Cnhcllo, on the Bay If Honduras In latitude
II deg ~ MN, y aud rinS ncrly due .unth across
the continent to the Biy Of Fnnscca. in latitude -
leg 2 min. n. ! j, ,Mimei that the SUI nit Of rc-
vtt onto hr prrfc ma ~ rh7 route Is more thin
'oI i'ct, "Ud ta,' .lc worst p,ade will not ~
% feet to the mile.
The Tchuantcpec route begins at the mouth of the
GlulZuCDuIrOS i'm lntitu,Ip den mi \ nd