The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-07-24

on tho Platte made no location with refer
ence to crossing it, but surveyed line du
north from the fort three miles, which too
me to the rising ground on the north sid
of the river. From this point the lin
strikes Wood river nine miles from the fort
and continues down it to near its mouth
where good ford is found. The bed o
the stream is firm, and the banks low. N
high water water marks could be ascertain
cd; but from the position Of the ford it i
evident high water could never delay team
in crossing for more than a day or two, if a
all. From Wood river l continued dow
the Platte, crossing Boovis and Prairi
creeks, and struck our outward trail in tn
valley of the Loup fork, four miles abov'
where l crossed it going up. 10 this poin
the Platte river line is twenty-six mile
shorter than the other, and is superior t,
it in every respect. 1t affords good point
for camping grounds, from FIVE to fifteel
miles apart, with an abundance Of wood
water, and grass; and the necessity fo
bridging Wood river and Prairie creek il
Obviated. Prairie creek and Boovis creek, {
small stream thirty five miles below WOOD
nver, can be crossed by corduroy. Bridg
ng would be preferable, if there was an,
probability that the bridges would remain
standing, but all along the streams there il
a luxuriant growth of grass and weeds
which are annually burnt. As soon as tn,
timber of the bridges became seasoned, they
would be consumed by the prairie fires, Al
they would be far from any habitation, ant
there would be no one feeling a special in
terest in their preservation. The crossing
will be prepared by excavating the beds ane
approaches about two feet deep, and in this
placng.a substantial ,or luroy, covering il
with brush and earth, and securing the logs
firmly in their position. There will be nc
danger from flood or fire to crossings thus
constructed, and think they will serve as
good purpose as bridges, and be much less
expensive.
From the point Of intersection Of the two
surveys to the Elkhorn river, a distance OF
sixtythree miles, the route was very nearly
the same as that pursued in making the
preliminary survey. With the exception
of few unimportant sloughs, the line oc-
cupies very good natural roadway. crossing
Shell and Rawhide creeks, which are to be
bridsed. Between the Elkhorn and Missouri
rivers the country is so broken that it neces.
sariy follows the dividing ridges. The ra-
vines putting into the Elkhorn, the two
Papillons and the Missouri, are numerous,
and nterlock at their heads, making this a
very crcuitous route. An approximately
straight road could not be obtained without
heavy grading, which the appropriation
would not justify, nor will the travel on the
road be sufficient 70 demand it.
In making the location the transit was
used. The route was chained, and stakes
driven at intervals of five hundred and
twenly.eiSht feet. The level was used. The
entire length of the road is one hundred and
eighty mine miles, and the difference of level
is eleven hundred and sixty-four feet.
During the course of the survey observa-
tions were frequently taken to determine
the variation of the needle, which was found
to be at Fort Kearney IA deg. IS min., and
at Omaha City II deg. "a min. East.
There are a few points where NE position
of the line was not definitely determined,
and which will require to be relocated. This
can be advantagcously done by the officer
who goes over the route next summer in
charge of the working party. He will be
on the ground early in the season, and be-
fore the grass becomes so high that the
most eligible route cannot be easily discov-
cred.
The Plato river is from half to three
miles wide. The channel is filled from the
mouth up with islands, many of which are
large. The river is seldom confined to a
single channel, but in many places part of
tho river is occupied by what is known as
"Grand island" which extends from eight
miles above Fort Kcarncy to sixty miles
below it. These channels varying in width
from thirty to three hundred yards, scperate
and come together again at short intervals,
thus forming an infinite number of small
Islands which, taken together. are called
Grand island. The bed of the river is a
mass of moving quicksand. 1t has an av-
erage fall of about six feet to the mile,
producing rapid current, causing extensive C
washing of the banks. The average depth
of water does not exceed two feet, and the
range between high and low water mark,
owing to the width of the stream and the
rapidty of the current, is small-prObably
not exceeding three feet. 1t is not, and
never can be made available for the pur-
poses of navigation for vessels of the light
est draft. Being shallow, and cut up into
channels, ferries cannot be established on
it, and it forms an impossible barrier rather
than public highway. Fording is difficult
at all points; the best one found is sixty
miles below the fort, near the foot of Grand
island, where the several channels come to-
gether. The stream is wide here, but the
water is shallow, and the bed comparatively
irm. Opposite Fort Kenrney there are three
principal fords, but there is no pcrmancncv
about any of them. Where good ford is
found to day, it may be impossible to-mOr-
row. Frcshets, and the winds prevailing
for some days, from the same quarter par
ticularly, produces these changes, but they
sometimes occur without any assignable
The country embraced in the survey is
destitute of timber, with the exception of
what. is to be found along the water-coursc.
On the Missouri there is a considerable body
of cottonwood, and on the bluffs, near
Omaha City and Florence, there is some
black walnut, oak, and elm. On the Papil-
Ions there are few scattering cottonwood
trees and willow bushes. Along the Elk
horn there is continuous growth of cotton
wood, occasionally interspcrsed with oak !,
black walnut, and elm. The Platte gcncr-
ally has timber along its bank. On the
isanuS, anu WHcTc IL Is pfoteCtcu ny DdN Jus
and sloughs from the prairie fires, it is heavy
1t is more dense and has finer appear
ance along Grand island than on other por-
tons of the river. The timber on the Loup
fork resembles that on the Platte. saw
no indication Of stone or coal, though, near
Omaha City, an inferior quality of lime
stouc is obtained, which is there used for
building purposes, and on the Elkhorn river,
twelve miles above its mouth, there is n
ledge of sandstone strongly marked with
iron ore. Coal is said to exist near the mouth
of the Platte.
The soil is fertile and susceptible of a high
state of cultivation. The high prairie be-
tween the Nilsson and Elkhorn rivers has a
rich light soil, but much Of it is so broken
that it cannot be cultivated. West Of the
Elhkorn the Platte valley is entered. The
valley is from five to twelve miles wide, and
is bordered on either side by we'll defined
bluffs. Tho southern bluff is higher and
more abrupt than the northern, rising from
fifty to two hundred feet above the river,
which generally runs near and frequently
washes it. Towards the head Of Grand Island
these bluffs neasurably disappear and the
valley becomes narrower. The space inclu-
I'D between the bluffs is uniformly level
and covered with rich black loan.
Indian corn, small grains, and vegetables,
are being cultivated successfully as far