The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-26

curing tho whole year. O This route that the line Is
New York that the Canadian branch Of The Mississippi on
the east and the Moave river the west Col D
Wis noted he extension east and west ofnterockng tr
huaries Of the mississippi the Rio Grande and the Colo
RADIO Of the west" afford almost right line Of
ncaton the continent desirable for both and
water and for the low passes unobstructcd with and
the valleys Of the Neosha, Salt Fork Red Fork, Ar
Colorado Chquo the Colorado Mojave and San Joaquin
which were comprised in the route, made the best wa
tered the best wooded and the best for the supply of food
II was urged that Albuquerque Is the principal town in
New Mexico, which territory has from seventy eighty
thousand population, and is best calculated 10 supply
that tho passes never Obstructed with snow 10
reven the use Of the route the year round and Capt
that in the highest passes of the this lat
ude the deepest snow found but eight inches deep
and the mercury was never down TO zero, though the
winter was unusually severe that the only desert "
sequence 10 be crossed the space thirty forty
miles west Of the Colorado said to be the only spot the
route where water could mot be obtained at all seasons
The reports OF Captain Ord Mr. Aubrey Fe and
Of Captain Whppe are all cited with particular 70
ference 70 the prac!,cabiity OF this route In
IN hasty compilation Of Captain Whipple's
report to Secretary Davis by which the Fl Paso and Fort
Yuma route was made 10 appear two hundred and fifty
miles shorter and eighteen millions of dollars cheaper
than this route whom tho contrary, this hundred
cheaper than the Fl Paso route It was chained that
Secretary Davis made this error In his report Congress-
enu tEat tnereUy AlOoQOcTQuc route uujuSty
considered the most expensive and the longest when in
reality, WAS the cheapest and the shortest The eul0
GUM Of this route by Capt whppie aneaivcca and
the fact that Secretary Davis reported Congress favor
Of the Texas route is attributed TO the mistake above al
uded to- The official reports Of the Temperature OF Fort
Reliance, which is above the thirty fifth parallel mako
appear that New York Rochester, and Washing
have all ofthcm much greater average depth snow
during the winter than Fort Defiance An the sources Of
nfof nation agree that this route we'll provided
with the names for supporting mail facilities while
its friends claim that 1t would well acoommo
fhe bod n North and South ken
as whole. In Captain Whppe's report he urges with
reference to lis feasibility for railway that the first six
hundred and fifty miles from the eastern border OK the
Choctaw territory TO the river Pecos passes the val
ley Of the Canadian, belt of country which unrvaed
that longitude in it's facilities for railroad that the
fertile valleys would form the nucleus Of States IL
thrown open to settlers and outlet procured for tho
products Of tho soil; that the prove
obstruction to railway that general features are
The inerlockng tributaries OF tho Mississippi the Rio
rande and the Colorado that rainals are oftener IN
this latitude than in the regions immediately north and
south of it, and, in short that passes through cu
yabe areas more abundant in supplies OF water, and
has greater frequency Of forest growth than any other
route while he believes the heaviest grades that would
be required would be unequal to those in the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad
Thus was claimed for this route, that geographical
position and the results Of scientific explorations should
give the preference because San Francisco bat seven
y miles south Of st. Louis and this the direct
route through the most reliable passest afforded almost
IN air line from Albuquerque to st. Louis and was repre-
scented to be the only which insured adequate sup
ply Of water that the route generally travelled to
New Mexico that the shortest AID most accessible
Northern and Western trade and net work OF railroads.
and best calculated to build up settlements along It's
line. so ardent the admirers II this rouc in its
favor, that one Of them used the following language on
the occasion Of the FL Paso route receiving the endorse
ment Of the Postmaster General ind the adm straor
Deserts the Postmaster General WIN find are beyond the
control and mpossibes not be perform
% e sfe aa the s n1 such
lower mountain range o. ~sir arid plains or
scarcely keep his feet Pocs thing geography
Is quite another.
ba,a " c.,
places, to urge upon the government the adoption Of tins
The report Of Lieut. f. b ale 10 Scretar. Floyd,
has also been cited at length support OF its cams who
went quite as far a. either Aubrey OF Capt Wpp, and
represented to be the most beautiful country he be-
hcld-threo hundred miles shorter than other
from the Western frctierthe most level well waicrcd
and mbercd will plenty OF grass, grain aud food and
the best climate that could be desired.
All this affirmative testimony would appear to be
whclmng at the first glance; hut the question by
sided, to leave the Abuquerko route without
formidable competitor, with advocates who claimed 70
have things which its friends claimed not 10
have seen, Capt A. A. Humphreys, of the Typographical
Engineers disputed that any mistake OF the Secretary Of
War had created impression 10 the rea
tive length cost Of the Albuquerque and III Paso routes
lie attributed the difference between Capt whippies FIRST
and second ports TO attempt In the latter 10 de-
monstraie rossibe reaction OF distance be-
tween the Big Sandy and the Colorado rivers
a cut off, the practicability of which had by
been demonstrated. He claimed that tho distance and
cost Of Pacific railroad On the thirty fifth parallel from
Fort smith 10 San Francisco, would be 2oso mil,s ut
SloC 600 Coo and the distance and cost from Fort Smith
TO san Pedro by the same route. was $50 miles, the
the of from the Big sandy 10 the Colorado.
He estimates the distance and cost from the Mississippi
San Francisco by the thirty second parallel ront
certainly not more than that by Albuquerque or the
thirty NTH PARALLEL that the crossing Of the great belt OF
h he NV sry ssb Tae s ,ser ,b@ ax.rdng
Of the contract for the thirty second parallel rone and IN
70 the croakngs against the administration for tho
adoption OF that route article appeared said 10 have
been published by authority, IN which the following
ray was gwen the relative length OF the thirty fifth
Niles
va Alsyqoerque, New York to sun Francisco s2S.
Thus allowing difference of length Of but ten miles
against the aso route. With reference 10 climate this
authority makes the winter q the thirty nnh parallel
than the statements Of Capt Wnlpplc wrud
indicate. says that In Dec 1885, the mercury al Fort
Dcancc stool thirty two DEGREES beiew zero al ~ An
and two hundred yards distant. la January, 1856 the
mercury ranged fon. four 90 eight degrees lower and
there the slightest doubt that the mercury would
have been frozen hat been placed IN moro exposed
ustcn The mercury WAS repr.-cpte, o. have been
below four mornings In December 1885, six mornags
the mornings q the lit and "a 81 March The winter
o 1855 represented " have continued up 70 March
the Rio Grandc a. frozcn over Indians as obliged ~ 20
north and a.. dcah a sncw nj the fort tsv fc Al
tha, time. This thc authority thinks, l. enough " settle
the claim Of the Albuquerque route adversely.
Captain whippc was represented a. having thrown
too much colour dc around hts rcv,rts; AMI
the records q Fort Defiance, tue reports OF
Captain sgresves, sud Captain simpson and NJ I.ihcr
man were all ictcd oycrbaiance the testimony the
other side while the report 81 Captain Humphrey cx
els,ely auotcd rom 10 show that 80 Car frot being H.
terror 10 tile Albuquerque the RI Paso the
cs, Az a cncher b. all thee. authorities, Post
master General Brown came ont with able letter u
February last the Post ONCE Committee Of the House.
inquiry from the comm:tte the orcasaa
Of the cnort the part c Aessrs Bmtorhed o., the
present contractors 20 have their located tho
thirty 9th parallel Mr.. Brown called the attention "
the committee to the fact that part " the line bal
already been tested under the old Jim Birch contract
that would he giving MeSsrs Bn'tcrfeld Co tn much
power them alter the route they chose ta the
contractors bad already secured modification Of tngr
contract In the permission 10 bfurosie a Fort Smith
instead az Little Rock that the selected inc through "
raSo the best for the STRENGTHENING OF new aud
desirable settlements that he had hxe IA. route with
much consideration for tho interests Of every section &c
the country possible that the effort for the Albuquerque
route was for purpose OF aboLshng tho Memphis
brauch altogether; that II that route sdoptei Il
would have 10 have fs terminus AZ Meutnis that
physical obstacles made necessary for the northern and
western trade TO 20 down to Memphis any way. and