, 1858-04-30

The RoUrE FROM FoRr BRIDGER TO SALT
LAKE CITY.-The road or liue of March
from Fort Bridger to Salt Lake City, and
over which the United States troops have
to pass before they reach the capitol of the
Saints, possesses so much interest at this
special time, as to entitle it to description.
The distance between the two points is one
hundred and thirteen miles. As Colonel
Johnston intends taking up his march
when the weather moderateS, the ground
will be soft and miry from the melting of
the snow and the early spring rains.
From Fort Bridger to Bear river the
distance is about fifty miles, the road gen.
orally running through an open country,
where little or no opposition can be made
by an enemy. There are some very steep
hills to descend and ascend, particularly
the Shaking Aspen Hill, the dividing ridge
between the waters of the Gulf of Califor-
MIA and the Great Salt Lake Basin, which
has greater elevation than the South
Pass. At Bear river the difficulties of the
march will commence. This river, at that
season Of the year, will be swollen from
bank to bank, and can only be crossed by
boats, or by being bridged. As the cur
rent is very rapid and timber scarce, it will
be difficult to throw bridge across, and
boats will have to be built, as those now
there will no doubt be destroyed by the
Mormons.
The Mormons, il so disposed, cannot
oppose the passage, as the opposite bank
can be swept by our batteries from this
side. The river, where the road crosses it,
is about seventy-fve yards wide. Beyond
the river the road continues to run through
an open but broken country for about ten
miles, where it strikes the head Of Echo
Canon. From this point to Salt Lake
City, distance of some fifty miles, the
road runs through continuous series Of
canons, and over two mountains, and along
this part Of the road will come tho tug Of
war.
Echo Canon is twenty miles in length
and descends gradually until it opens on
Weber river. This canon--and the same
can be said Of all the Others through which
the road runs-is nothing more than a
deep ravne, with sloping sides covered
with verdure to their SUBMITS. The great
difficulty will be to get the wagons over
the road for no doubt it will be cut UP
and filled in with rocks, so as to be almost
impossible. The ravines are narrow and
can easily be obstructed, which obstruc-
tion will have to be removed, as there is
no other place for the road to run. After
getting through Echo Canon, the next Oh
stacle is the Weber rivera stream some
what smaller than Bear river, bat present
ing the same difficulties in crossing. From
the Weber to the summit of the Big Noun
tain-a distance Of fifteen or twenty miles
the road runs through four canons, from
three to FIVE miles in length, and suscepti-
BILE Of the same distractions as in Echo
canon.
From the top of the Big Mountain is
obtained the first peep Of the Holy Land.
1t is the Holy Mount of the Mormon.
From the summit Of the Big Mountain
the road pitches down into one Of the most
difficult ravines on the route. The bill is
so steep that all the wheels of wagon
must be locked to descend in anything like
safety Twelve miles further is the Little
Mountain, aud it is eight more to the city.
After descending the Little Mountain you
strike into Emigration Canon, which comes
out in Salt Lake valley, just 10 the rear Of
Salt Lake city As you debouch from the
mouth of the canon, you find yourself on a
table land running along the base Of the
mountains, aud about four miles in width.
Crossing this table land, which is about
two hundred feet above the level Of the
valley, you fnd the city stretched out at
your feet. Its position is very badly cho-
sen, in a military point Of view, for it is
completely commanded by the table land
in its rear but well selected in other re-
spects, for it is so situated that one Of the
mountain streams throws its water through
every street, which enables the inhabitants
to irrigate their gardens-the only process
by which the land Of that region eau bC
cultivated. The streets are broad, and al
right angles with each other each build
ing lot contains one and quarter acres
which allows large gardens, from which j.
obtained an abundant supply Of vegetables
for the entire city.-S. Louis Republican.