Daily national Democrat., 1860-01-04
Pacific Railroad.

| templated Pacific Railroad, We are assured
by the gentleman to whom the letter was
addressed that we did not altogether appre-
hend the true meaning Of his 4th proposition
which was to the effect that a middle or
northern route would be considered sectiona
by the South The reason it would be con
sidered sectional, is that in Mr.. Felton's esti-
nation the Central or Northern route is inn
practicable, and to refuse to build on th'
only route which is really practicable simply
because it was south. would be indubitabl'
evidence that pure sectionolism was the rul-
ing motive with the North. Furthermore
his remark that the Southern route woul(
form connection with all the Southern al
well as all the Northern roads meant simply
that the South would not take the trouble o
connecting with trunk which was imprac
ticable for travel two or three months of the
year, when they could do better by building
road over the Southern route from theil
own resources, and have travel along it,
whole length without interruption at any
season.
Now, the only question isis the South
ern route of this character? The first OBJ
lection to the Northern or Central route i
the SHOWS. In regard to these on the South
ern route, the examination ordered by Jei
Davis, Secretary of War, in 1855, of the ex-
plorations and surveys Of the different routes
made under his superintendance, sets fortl
the fact in pretty. strong terms, thai
there never will be snow enough, in any OF
the passes on that route, to obstruet the pas
sage of cars If this be true it is very i'm
portant consideration.
1t also seemed to be quite firmly the opin-
ion of the War Department, from these ex-
plorations, that there was more uneven
ground, more ascents and descsnts, on the
Northern routes than on the Southern. The
principal Characteristic Of the latter, says
the Review of the Department, ''is the great
extent of high arid, smooth and nearly hor-
rizontal table lands which it ira verses, reach.
ing an elevation of 1000 feet upon the divid-
ing ridge between the Brazos and the Colo
RADIO of Texas, near which elevation it con-
tinues until it descends from the Pass of the
Sierra de Santa CatalinN to the Gila River,
space of nearly GOO miles" Throughout
the distance of 1852 miles, with few and
limited exceptions" the preparation of the
road bed for the superstructure "is already
made by nature and quite as perfectly, if not
better, than it could be done by the hand of
man. This item alone usually amounts to
from one half to two thirds and sometimes
three fourths of the whole cost of railroad"
Again, "the chief advantage of the route is,
that for the space of LOO miles or 1900
miles the usual item of great expense in
railroads is in great measure avoided, there
being no necessity to prepare an expensive
road bed, except in few instances in the
passes of the mountain chains. Draining
and ballasting are also dispensed with at tn
same time Over the remaining portion G
the rCute-4ls miles if to San Pedro, an
$50 if TO San Franciseo-the ground is gen
orally favorable to the construction of til,
road-bed.'
There being such an extensive field for a
natural road.bed, it remains to be seen
what is the character of the mountain passes.
| If these are so difficult as to greatly dispro-
portion the advantages of the natural road
bed why then the route is not so good a one
after all. In reference to this the report ot
| 1855 says "The mountain passes of th,
route are generally favorable; those west o
the Rio Grande requiring no difficult engn-
eering for location through them, and but
little rock excavation or expensive embank-
ment and side cutting. The Guadalupe and
Hueco passes are more difficult The short
tunnel on the San Fernando Pass, and those
that may be needed in the New Pass, will
not be found difficult in their execution"
But the main objection to the Southern
route has been its long arid region From
the Rio Grande to the Rio Mimbres, II miles,
there is no water at all in the dry season
From the Rio Mimbres to the Rio San Pedro
the distance is l52 miles. The only water
in this extent is at Vale de Sauz, 70 miles
I'VE believe) from the Rio Mimbres and a
small spring twenty five miles further on.
Then there is another stretch of dry ground
from San Pedro to Tucson, So miles, and an
other from Tucson to the Gila, 70 miles.
These are pretty serious difficulties; for rails
road gangs as they are called, must have
water at distance of every few miles, to
say nothing Of the necessities of the road
when cars are running. The only remedy
for this trouble is the sinking of artesian
wells; and on this point Dr. c. c. Parry,
Geologist upon the Mexican Boundary sur
vey, expressed the opinion strongly, that ar.
tesian wells. of no uery great depth, could
be bored successfully. He based this opin-
ion upon the geological fact that these wastes
present central depression in their substra-
ia and gradual rising, basin-like, from those
Expressions to the margins of the mountains.
Inc deposits are mostly porous and thus free.
ui'ow the percolations Of water. These
depresslons or subterranean basins po,rror,,
receive the drainage of the higher reoions
Almost all the mountain streams s;n,, S.c.n
reaching the plains or soon after, and TIM,
permeating the soil, must cause an abundano,
of water underneath, which boring woul,
soon reach. Such is the theory. and, if
be correct. the difficulty alluded to become
comparatively quite a small matter.
We are by no means preudieed in favor
the Southern route, our sole object being [
| do Justice TO all routes alike