The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-18
eoMMuSIcArIoS
wA-uisofos, July Is, 1851.

a route for Pacific railroad near the 35th parallel
Great praise is justly awarded that officer the notice
or the industry and skill with which the various opera
tons under his charge were conducted but his report
and that of the Secretary of War comparing the different
routes have been misapprehended In particulars
The statements respecting the route of the 35th parallel
contained ia the report Of the Secretary based upon
the frst preliminary report Of Captain Whippe, which
published in connexior with that of the Secretary of
War The report Of the latter is quoted stating the
length of the route along the 35th parallel from Fort
Smith to San Pedro TO be 1872 miles the extension to
San Francisco 406 miles total distance 29s miles and
dis remarked 'this made the middle route that of tho
seth paraIie $50 miles longer than the FL Paso route
and than eghtytw millions ofdoars the cosest
Now this was sad mistake. BY referring to volume
A. page 2ss, nearly ready for publication it will be
that the measured distance from Fort Smith to San
Francisco is only 1882 miles
The III Paso route instead of being 230 miles shorter
Is in fact l6 miles longer than the middle route. SO with
the cost Instead Of being than eighty two millions
dollars the che1r the I'll Paso route is in fact than
two hundred thousand. dollars dcmu than the middle
route
This is not mistake of the Secretary Of War, but
msapprehcnson the part Of the writer of tho notice
The language Of the Secretary is Branch road to San
Francisco from the Mohavc river, 406 miles " and this
distance added the length the up to the point
miles the total length of the direct route from Fort
Smith to San Francisco obtained from the report of the
Secretary Of War.
The distance from Fort Smith to San Francisco Of
1852 miles, is not, the writer has supposed measured
on the ground does it pass through San Pedro
touch at any seaport before reaching San Francisco but
proceeds direct to that city from the Mohave river.
The length Of this route just stated taken from the
Secretarys report founded upon the first preliminary
NH
taken from Captain Whipples second report is 1852
miles.
large part Of this reduction of distance rests upon
conclusions respecting the practcaby of cutoff from
the Big Sandy river to the Colorado river by limo
country very generally rugged which conclusions were
derived from study in the Office of the field notesno
portion Of the line having been actually ravcsed but
il docs appear from either report that any idea
the praccabilty of the line entertained during
the examinations in the field the existence of such
line surmsed that time it only be considered
which further examinations may show to be practical
be and not one to be absolutely adopted such, and
the cost railroad along 1t deliberately estimated for
This will be shown in the official review of Capt Whip
pies second report.
When the publication of the Pacific railroad reports
finished it will be found that this mode of locating
railroad line has not been approved by the War Depart
mcnt and that far yet demonstrated the length of
Francisco is less than 1000 miles that s1O6 0O0,
600 probably underestimate Of the cost, and that
the distance from the Mississippi river to San Francisco
by the route 2 800 miles and it will likewise be
found that the distance from Fort Smith to San Pedro by
the route is at least $50 miles, and the estimated
cost of the railroad not less than 1872 00o coo the dis
lance from the Mississippi river to San Pedro by the
route being 1000 miles.
Should the cutoff from the Big Sandy to the Colorado
~
distance be obtained then the length of the rone from
Fort Smith to San Francisco may be reduced to 1000
miles, with cost of not less than Sl00 900 900 and
the distance from the Mississippi river to San Francisco
by the route may be reduced to 2,2I0 miles Under
the contingency the distance from Fort Smith to
SIN Pedro may become 1850 miles the cost Of the rail-
road less than $50 900 600 and the distance from the
Mississippi river to San Pedro 1000 miles
1t is further stated in your paper that the measured
distance given in Capt. Whipples report from Fort
Smith to San Pedro on the Pacific ocean, is GU miles
and eight-tents Of mile The report has been mis-
apprchcndcd. This distance is not measured the
ground but is only the of the distances measured
the map from camp to camp, straight lines and is
about tenth less than the actual distance measured
than the travelling distance than the length of any
rail that could be built between those two
points, following the route pursued by Capt Whipples
party.
The distances from Fort Smith and Fulton to the Mis-
ssppi river by railroads building and projected measured
the railroad maps are, respectively 2TO and $50
miles.
For the route of the SD parallel have from Fulton
to San Diego 1,54S miles estimated cost of railroad
500 900 600 and distance the Mississippi river to
San Diego, 1858 miles
From Fulton to San Pedro, ,6Is miles; estimated cost
Of railroad, $50 600 000 and distance from the Mss
sippi river to San Pedro, 100 miles.
From Fulton to San Francisco, 2,0i0 miles estimated
cost of railroad 1913 900 oO0 and distance from the Mis-
sisSippi river to San Francisco 2, 100 miles.
1t would, therefore, appear from all that has yet been
measured, demonstrated certain, and allowing
all the possible reducons in the lengths of the other
routes that may result from future survcys, that the
the 32d parallel is in the language used by Sec
rotary Davis in his report Congress, the most prac
tcable and economical route fer II railroad from the Mis-
ssspp river TO the Pacific ocean and not only is this
the shortest and least costly route to the Pacific but ii is
the shortest and cheapest route to San Francisco the
greatest commercial city western coast "
Further the great belt Of uncultivable country
which all the routes must pass Is crossed by the route of
the sd parallel ON the shortest line.
II is probable from various Indications, that the cast
limit of The uncultivablc region is found further
Of the sd parallel than any other but
setting this aside until it is fully demonstrated and
ming the arid district begin al the routes at the 99
meridian we have from that meridian to the Pacific
slopes (thc western limit of the uncutvable region