The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-27
PACIFIC RAILROAD.
From the Albany Epening Journal.


The Pacific Railroad Projects have been numer
ous during the present Congress that it may be wei
to sketch the leading points of each
The Select Committees Bill reported in Janua
ry) fixes San Francisco as the western, and poin
on the Missouri river, between the mouths of the
Kansas and Big Sioux, the eastern terminus, and
provides for its construction by Land Grants and
Government Bonds - '..I
Senator Gwin's bill December, 1851 proposes
three Roads and Telegraphs-one starting from
Texas, one from Missouri, and one from Minnesota
to be built by Land Grants.
Senator Iversons project to invite proposals for
one route south of the Seth parallel, which would
take it through Texas and New Mexico
Senator Foot's bill runs the route from the Red
river of theNorth (Minnesota) to .Puget's Sound
In Washington Territory. CThis is the shortest of
ALL Thence it is to run to San Francisco.
Senator Davis bill provides land grants of al
ternate sections six miles wide and money grant
of SIC, ,S00,O 600 cash. Route not specified.
Senator Cameron's project is to have Board of
experienced Engineers select the route, and the
Government to raise money for its construction by
bonds redeemable in fifty years, which bonds are
finally to be assumed and paid by the respective
States through which the road runs.
Senator Wilson's project locates it between the
34th and 45th parallels of latitude leaving five En-
gneers to determine the route the funds to be raised
BY Government loans, which are to be repaid by
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands
Senator Rice's project is to build two roads, one
through Texas and one from Minnesota, omitting
the central one altogether.
Mr.. Phelps project is to give land grants to Cal
ifornia, Missouri, Louisiana Arkansas, Nebraska
and Kansas, similar to those given to other States
and to issue 80 years bonds in aid of the road which
is to have three eastern branches one running to
Mississippi and the other two to Missouri
Mr.. Smith Tenn. offers project that the Uni
ted States shall turn in and help the Texas "South-
ern Atlantic and Pacific R. r. Company" (ofwhich
" K Stevenson, Of Tennessee is President), to ex-
tend their line to San Francisco; then to help the
"Northern Pacific Railroad Company" (of which
A. Ramsay, of Minnesota, is Presidency to extend
their line to Puget's Sound, and finally to help a
third company (not yet organized) to build line
from the Missouri river to the Pacific Coast.
Mr.. McKibben, of California, proposes two roads,
one to commence North of the 3Sth parallel, the
other South of the 36th parallel, both to run to
San francisco, with branches to Pugets Sound and
San Diego.
There have been several other bills introduced at
the last and the present sessions, but they were
mostly notifications of the above.
THE ENGLISH NAVY.
An article upon the English Screw Steam Navy
appears in the United Service Magazine for October
from which the following statements are taken:
During the last few years great change has
been effected in ships of war. All the theories
of naval architects of the old school have been
ploded, and all the models of captured French
frgates have been laid aside as useless. The last
fourteen years may be ranked as the most import
ant in the annals of naval architecture as it has
witnessed the introduction of propulsion by means
of the screw propeller. This has necessitated a
consequent alteration of plans Ships are now built
OF larger size, of greater length, but of a small
er corresponding breadth.
As one way of pointing out the extensive altera-
tions in the navy it may be interesting to show the
different composition of the Channel squadron in
1916 and 1858. The ships forming the Channel
squadron are always supposed to be the elite of their
class.
The Channel squadron in 1916 was composed of
eight sailing lineofbattle ships five sailing frigates
two paddle wheel steam frigates, three paddle
wheel steam corvettes and one screw steam sloop.
Total nineteen ships, carrying ,004 guns.
In 1858 it was composed of six screw bat
tie ships, two screw frigates, and one screw cor
vette. Total nine ships, carrying 67l guns.
The RATHER was the first screw steamer built for
the navy after proving the superiority of the screw
propeller over the padde-wheel in a series of trials
with the Alecto paddle wheel steam sloop, was en-
ployed on the coast of Africa and China stations
On her return from China her timbers being found
very rotten, she was broken up at Woolwich, hav-
ing served about twelve years in commission A
small screw steamer called the Dwarf, built of iron
of about hundred ard sixty TONS and ninety
horse power, was employed about the same time
lS44) as the Rather, to determine by experiments
the uses of the screw propeller. So successful
the trials of the Rather and the Dwarf that
since the year l847 all the ships ordered to be
built for the navy have been designed screw
ships. This year (lS5S) has witnessed the order
for the conversion into ships of the last three
sailing ships building. viz, the Royal Frederick
Windsor Castle and Narcissus. The Barracuda
launched in 1851 is the last paddle-wheel steamer
built for the navy and it is very probable that
few years more win witness the extinction of sail
ing ships and paddlewheel steamers from the navy
list.
The term line-ofbattle ship is here used accord
ing to its old designation, that is to include only
threedeckers and two-deckers, but it is extremely
probable if any more engagements take place be-
tween fleets at sea, that our new heavy ordnance
screw frigates will be admitted into the line-ofbat
tle their size and armament rendering them
match for any of the small screw two-deckers.
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