Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-04

Sound are certainly very great aud in the fu
ture II bids fair 10 he the great competitor o
San Francisco in the race for commerce.
Fronting China, recently opened to the CON,
merce Of the world, it will enter the field o.
competition with advantages unsurpassed by
any city on the Pacific. 1t is distant 5000
miles from Shanghai $500 miles from Japan
1000 miles from the mouth of tho AInoor
1900 miles from Australia, and East.
ward is only -four hundred miles from the ma,
gable waters Of the Missouri" These ore
some Of the Inducements for the rail road from
the Missouri river to Pnget's Sound"
In the construction Of this road no special
advantage can accrue to Virginia and the
South-its terlnini being situated without the
range Of our civilization. The distance Of thi.
connection is l,353 miles, and the cost
s72,2s5, 900.
We now come to the examination Of another
Pacific connection in which Virginia and the
Souti, are intimately and directly Interested
"A Pacific Railway is the title Of pamph,
let, by Albert W. Lea Civil Engineer. Of
Knoxville, Tennessee.
Mr. Lea calls his Pacific connection The
Central Transit" and proposes to build road
from Aransss Bay, in Texas to Mazatlan BAY.
in Mexico.
Taking Portland, Maine, as point common
10 both the Puget Sound and the Mazatlan
connections, and making that point the East
ern terminus of each road, we can easily judge
of the advantages of each route From
Portland to the mouth Of Fraser River
the distance, by an air line, is 1880
statute miles, from Portland to Mazat-
Ian, the distance s 2,2+0--diffcrcncc $50 miles
in favor Of Mazatlan. Ofthe former route about
50" miles of road arc already built, leaving some
1000 miles, increased by curvature. to be vet
made, TN the latter from Portland to Chat
tanooga, Tennessee, l.050 miles of the direct
line is nearly finished; the part thence to Jack
son. Mississippi, is under construction; and
from Jackson 10 New Orleans. the road is in
operation" The line from Portland to New
Orleans inay be treated as complete. The dis
tancc from New Orleans TO Mazatlan is / ,l40
miles; and the distance from Portland to Mazat.
Ian, via New Orleans. il 2.6l6 miles.
From New Orleans Westward, on the line to
Aazatlan, eighty miles, to Berwick Bay, are
finished. about Il, nurh more graded. iron pur-
chased for one hundred and siXty-thrcc miles.
and means secured for still another one hundred
miles. so that not more than epAt hu"dred
mites remain 10 he rtoe"ttd .tor, uad tie AZ
dntic ond Pacifc are ronAcctcd by mii roai
The difficulties in the construction of, this
line are not to be compared with those that he
set every other Pacific connection. In the first
place. 1t is eithin ht rench Of J.r;;roh eDter.
yrise, and the constitutional difficulties that hc-
set every other route are ohvlated. 4 grant Of
the right Of eoy Iron" Ktrie" can br obtained
bv the Federal Government, and the protection
Of the United States extended to the company
A part of this line, situated in Texas. is now
under construction. and will he built by the
lands granted by that State. prom Houston
The main trunk will stretch along the heads of
he bays to Corpus Christi. From Corpus
J. hristi to the Rio Grande the line is covered
~ the charter Of the .traiisas Road Company.
, ranted By the State of Texas; and. from the
) 10 Grandc to the Pacific by that OF compa-
mv organised under decree Of the Supreme
government OF Mexico"
!, Herein may be seen the Pacirk connection
s'opo-ed, ard very ably discussed. in the PAIN