The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-30
M NY sN

Z.
at ., p M, % the 3D. at 4 a. m, and o. p. IA,
20 the 4th at I, a. m, 100 On the 9Th. al q,
m GO; ON the 9th at 7, m., lt9i on the 7th at
. a M, on the Sth at Z a. m. Il the 10TH at
z a. M Oo ON the 18th, at 4 a. m, % and at 9, p.
m, 20.
For january, maximum $40; ninis.lum lie. On the
9Th, 10TH and 18th the thermometer stood at T.
respectively, To- TO- li9s the 10TH at ., p M 40.
For February, maximum 500, min l22.
'On December 25 1855, the Thermometer at the hos
tal at Fort Defiance gave reading of thirty-two $50
below at g. The hospital is not by any
IN the coolest portion OF the garrison Two hundred yards
distant the mercury IN January, 1885, ranged from -four
to eight degrees below that at the hospital and there
not the slightest doubt Of the freezing OF the mercury had
the instrument been placed in the exposed situation
the morning of December 70, 1865. A number u
daLe had Tier hands and a frozen and bad
w. The mercury below four mornings in De-
cember, 1883 six mornings in january, 1856 three
mornings In February and the mornings of the LIST
and I'd of March, it was below zero
The table above win give fiir idea OF the climate
of the country The winter of 1855 and 1856
than any known for many years The wintry
weather commenced the LIST of Noyenbor 1855, and
has continued up TO the present time, March H. 1856
The Rio Grande at Albuquerque frozen over, and with
ice sufficiently strong to bear horse and caea Those
Indians who live habually to the north of Fort Deli
Obliged to abandon that portion OF the coun
Try and move south with their ioeks and herds In quest
of grazing account of the depth of snow which in
the mountains at whose base the foit is situated has
two feet in depth in March, 1896 Correspondence
j. Lernaa, 4issisod Surgeon U. ~ A., Smithsonian Re
port, 1855, page sSE.
On the oath Of December, 1853, Capt Whippe expe-
rienced and weather sufficiently cold to
tract the mercury 81 degrees below zero, the San
Francisco mountains and still further west in the Aztec
Pass TO ~ degrees below Zero when he experienced
another storm So much for the climate of
winter on the Albuquerque route
At Fort Fillmore, the III Paso route, the meteoro-
logical report above referred to shows the minimum tenn
petuc at this place mp to 1854 to be hut 10 degrees
At Tucson February, 1854 Lieut. Parke reports the
/ nip ratura ,lpuraa lppn
the San Pedro to be IL degrees at sunrise We have
searched in vain every of information and have
yet to learn that lies upon the plains the
El Paso route, that the thermometer descended
below The mean temperature of winter at Fort
Fillmore is about 46o g. The temperature of win
ter at Fort Webster, Copper Mines north of 90 de Ia
Foa, and 1850 feet above the sea level is but 4lo
while ut Fort Defiance corresponding position with ref
TO the Albuquerque routc IL is 2So Y, and Mt
Albuquerque 1t is 3To. At Fort Yuma, mouth Gila,l
the III Paso route, the mean temperature OF winter
$50 s..
We have thus clearly demonstrated by the simple state
OF facts that in point OF distance and climate the
FL Paso route has the advantage aud win pro-
ceed to present OF the advantages Ia afhrf psIects
which this route possesses over oil other.
In the first place 1t passes through gfeasaE range Of
cultivable country well tmbered and watefe east Cf
the Rocky mountains We have alluded 10 the testimony
of Lieut. Warren and Col Emory with reference TO the
limits of arabic lands the northern routes We
will call attention to the evidence of Captain John
Pope typographical engineers, who has been stationed
long time in New Mexico, and has great portion Of
the plains between the SD and seth parallels In chap
H. Pacific Railroad Reports vol 2 speaking of the gen.
er character of the country along the 3ad parallel route
! he says
" In glancng at the typographical features of the inn
plains which extend westward from the frontiers of
Arkansas and Missouri the first great popularity which
strikes the attention is the remarkable interruption to
their vast monoony presented by the belt of country be-
tween the 32d and 3ith parallels OF latitude. The great
deserts, commencing about the 9th meridian, extend
distance of six hundred miles to the eastern base
OF the Rocky mountains In this whole extent they
badly watefed by few sluggish which intersect
them, many of which disappear altogether in the dry
and destitute absolutely Of timber, except sparse
growth of dwarf cotton along the streams From the
northern portion of the United States at the parallel Of
400 this immense region of desert country extends with
out interruption fr to the south the parallel of $40
At this parallel its continuity is suddenly and remarka-
bly, interrupted Between the 32d and Saith parallels Of
latitude broad belt of well watered well timbcred
try, adapted in high degree to agricultural purposes,
projects for three hundred and twelve miles like vast
peninsula into the parchcd and trceless waste of the
plains and at its limit approaches within less
than three hundred miles Of the Rio Crande at FL Paso
We commend the whole of this report those who feel
interest in this matter and also would refer to the
port of Capt r. B. Marcy his march from Fort Smith
60 Santa Fc, up the Canadian river, in lSi9 and his
return from the Rio Grandc at Dona Ana to Arkansas,
the adopted mail route and to the reports OF all
! the officers of government who have made explora-
tons in Western Texas. Capt Marcy thought the Albu-
qucrquc route excellent and could not be
passed. but his return he entertained entirely different
views OF the upper route he says page l9l SEN Doc,
| 3lst Cong, LIST scss. y
!'The country lying between the merdians of Fort
Smith and Santa Fe is ntersected by belt of tim
bced land running from north of the Canadian to the
southern part of Texas and varying from 10 to 80 miles
in width. This, bordering the great western plains,
99t merdian,) forms the boundary line between the
woodlands and prares That portion Of the country "
ing east Of this is generally rich and fertile SOIL varied
by lawns and Woodlands, Astounding with multitude Of
beautiful streams and rvuets and in every respect well
adapted to cultivation whereas the west il is
OF barren prairie with but here and there feeble
stream and few solitary trees.
IL would il the Creator had designed this
immense natural barrier beyond which agrculturists
should not the great paires for the savage
| to roam over at Will
On his return from Dona Ana TO Fort Smith, Captain
Marcy convinced of the superiority of that
the Canadian will bo perceived by referring his
port pages 222-3 4-5-6I After favorable description
of the route from the Rio Gandc to the Pccos he says
| (p 223 J
Our road from here across the Llano Esticado
for seventy miles upon perfectly level prairie
firm and smooth marble. II then dcscends from the
high table land about fifty feet, into rolling prairie
country, where the Colorado of Texas has its source
Thus far there is but little timber water route
except at certain points noted upon the map but these
pointsoan he made from day to day with loaded teams
AS IT, however In compensation for the absence Of other
fvors Nature, in her wise economy has adorned the
tire face of the country with luxurinnt verdure of differ
ent kinds of gama grass, aforng the most nutritious
sstenance for animals and rendering il of the best
countries for grazing large ocks and herds that be