San Andreas independent., 1857-04-04
LETTER FROM DIR. REYNOLDS.
SAN JOSE, March 23d, 1857.

SAN JOSE, Marcu -ou, 1901.
Mr.. EpIrog Enclosed, send you copy of
that part of my Journal relative to my travels
across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, on the
" Big Tree Route" last Summer:
Saturdav. august 23d-To-day we started
after a late breakfast on the "New Road.n or
that by the Big Tree. We were piloted by our
friends F. G. Mcdonald, of Murphy's and the
Messrs. Congdon, the latter of whom had, by
contract from the county, just opened the road
We travelled to-day about eighteen miles, and
were delighted to find the road even better than
our friends had represented it. In our Com
pany we have men who have travelled over eve
ry pass across the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Many of them, myself among the number, have
made two trips, and they all agree with me that
there is no comparison between the old roads,
and the one we are now travelling. We found
an abundance of wood, water and grass every
where along our route to-day, and passed
through some beautiful little valleys, which
have the soil and water, and if the climate in
terposes no obstacle, WILL when this road comes
to be extensively travelled, (as it inevitably will
so soon as its advantages are generally known
be valuable situations for farms or ranchos.-
The barometer to-day stood at 81 2-100 ther-
mometer, $50 To-day | returned, after our
camp at noon, with Mr.. Congdon, to what we
considered the summit of the Sierra Nevadas on
the g Calaveras or Big Tree Road" This,
ascertained by barometrcal and thermometrl-
cal observations to be q little less than SIX
thousand feet, or five thousand seven hundred
and forty-fve feet making it some seventeen
hundred feet lower than the South Pass in the
Rocky Mountains, according to the observations
of Col j. G. Fremont Although it is not pre-
tended that we can arrive at perfect exactness
in determining altitude by this mode of meas
urement, still it is an approximation to the
truth, and is sufficiently near for all practical
purposes, particularly when it is remembered
that the practcability of a mountain pass does
not depend SO much upon the elevation of that
pass, as the nature Of the approaches to 1t, aoheth
er they are gradual or abrupt. | do not at pres
ent recollect what altitude Fremont gave the
summit of the Sierras on the old Carson Route,
but all who have crossed it, as well as the john
son and Georgetown routes, are aware that
what are termed the SUBMITS on these roads are
very steep and abrupt, besides being DISTRACTED,
and rendered extremely rough by numberless
boulders of immense size, which it is impossi-
BILE to remove, and which make the roads abso-
lutely dangerous for both wagons and teams
All who have crossed the Plains know that
there are few better pieces of road between
the frontiers of Missouri and California, than
that through the " South Pass" in the Rocky
Mountains, yet that Pass is several hundred
feet higher than any mountain we have to cross.
This fact is owing to the gradual manner i'll
which we approach the summit of these noun
Understanding nearly all the time for seve-
raj hundred miles, the traveller is in, and some
times nearly through this far-famed Pass before
he is aware of it. Such is the character of the
SUBMITS of the mountains on the "Big Tree
Route" AS if arranged by Nature on purpose
for a public highway, the approach to each
summit is 50 gradual that we have not found
it necessary to increase our team in any in
stance; and the descents, too, are so gentle,
that (as | have stated before) there is scarce
necessity for using the lock-chain; and when
state this fact all teamsters will inform you
that there could not be much mountains. 1t
must be recollected too, that | am now speak
ing of an entirely new road-our own being
the first wagon train which had passed over it.
That it will improve by use, will be suggested
by the experience of every man, and notwith-
standing the Messrs. Congdon and the others
engaged in surveying and cutting out the road,
deserve great credit for their judgment and care
in selecting the best ground still, it could not
be expected that its location would be so exact
on the first trial, as to preclude the possibility
of Improvement. Since the brush has been cut
from which to view the country in the vicinity
of the road, there is no doubt many places
where it might be seen that changes could be
made for the better.
Hitherto, | have spoken of this road prlnci-
pally, as natural passway. The nature OF the
Messrs. Congdons' contract with the county Of
CaLaUeras, Il believe it was,) did not require
them to do anything but open the road, conse-
quently they were not expected to do any gra-
ding or leveling. So far as l understand their
contract, they have fulfilled it honestly and
thoroughly; but the improvement that may be
made upon it by small outlay, when it becomes
State road, as it certainly WILL unless the
grossest and blindest prejudice prevents it, will
make it equal to almost any county road in the
State. By side cutting on the SUBMITS of two
or three hills, (for as already stated, there is
nothing that can be called mountain on the
route,) the angle of elevation to the mile, will
be very small at any point; and you may mark
my prediction-f Railroad e0er crosses the
Sierra NeUdda Mountains citlan fUe Degrees of
this Pass, it aoiU be on the "Big Tree Road" |
Will conclude this already too long letter. by re-
marking that in giving the altitude of this Pass,
was governed by the observations of Colonel
Fremont at the South Pass of the Rocky Noun
talnS. lie makes that Pass, in round numbers.
I,ooo feet. This, understand he determined
by the boiling point of the thermometer. I
made my observations in the same way.
tried my experiment carefully three different
times, which gave 1869 as the boiling point of
snow water, which is the next thing to distilled
water Now the difference between 1869 and
2l2o (which is the boiling point of water at the
level of the Gulf of Mexico,) is lee 1900
feet (Fremont's measurement,) divided by loo
will give only 468 l2-l6 feet per degree of ele-
walton, whereas, all the best authorities can
find, such as Lieutenant Maury, the British En-
cyclopedia, &C., &C., make $50 feet as the cor
rect result of each Degree of elevation. By
adopting this basis for my calculation, it would
add 988 feet to Fremont's calculation and make
the South Pass S,4Sa feet, and that over the 81
erras, abont $500 feet. This, however, is only
interesting in a geographical or scientific view
and as measured neither Pass with a view Of
becoming candidate for the Presidency, or CON-
petlng with Col Fremont or any one else, fol
the honor of being the first to measure them