The hydraulic press., 1860-08-04
Henness Pass Railroad survey.

s. G. Elliott, county Surveyor of Placer,
has been making a wagon road survey from
Dutch Flat, Placer county, near the Nevada
line, along the old Truckee emigrant route,
through Truekee Pass, at the head waters of
the South Yuba, as far as Sardine Valley,
w'aich is l79 miles east OF the summit, and
r-..ere The line of survey intersects the Hen
ness Pass Turnpike. He has viewed the
route with some reference to its advantages
for line of railway, and says il is more ia
vorahe than he expected. He found the al
titndeof Truckee Pass TO be 800 feet which
is several hundred feet less than is stated on
the maps. Many citizens of Placer and Ne
vada county now desire him to make pre-
fimina'ry raffroad survey along the route de-
scribed, and to survey also, two other lines
north OF this. One from Nevada as its in-
tial point, proceeding across the South Yu6a
to Eureka, on the ridge between the stream
named and the Middle Yuba; thence to jack
sons Ranch and the Henness Pass, and down
the eastern slope along the line of the True
kee and Henness Pass Turnpike. This
would connect with the Nevada, Auburn,
Folsom and Sacramento railways. The 9TH
er survey would 6e the same from the Hen
ness Pass eastward. but would approach the
western slope aid valley by a lie via North
San Juan and Marys,ile, being the most
direct line from the great basin to California.
Mr.. Elliott will make preliminary surveys
by the three routes surveyed, for the sum of
$500: and wifi also issue, in pamphlet form
his reports of the same, with maps and esti
mates. 1t is thought the surveys coald not
be made for as low a sum as this, but for
the fact that persons on the several routes
u m f,,rp oh Atom. no 4
rs free contributions. Citizene of Dutch
Flat have already supplied instruments. We
arc assured that the contemplated surveys
excite considerable interest III Placer and
Nevada cosntfes, and that money will be
liberaly subscribed to insure having them
made. Mr.. Elliott has proved his capacity
for the work by his reconnaissance fora rail-
way from Nevada to Auburn, which WAS
adopted in the report OF Sherman Day 10
the Directors of the Sacramento, Placer and
Nevada Railroad Company.
These surveys would establish in dein-
ite manner the practcability Of the Henness
Pass for railway, and would indicate by
what route leading from it the Sacramento
valley could be most easily approached. If
a practicable route were sGrveyed across the
Sierra Nevada, and plot of the same laid
UeiOre C0HSTeSS, tfat EOCy, Ut Capitalists,
would be able te decide promptly whether
the central route is the best tor a transcon-
tinental railroad as claimed by its friends.
Such survey would also fix the public
mind upon the subject; draw attention to
the superiority of the Henness Pass for
freight and passenger transit over the noun
tains, and to Marysvlle AS an important
point to touch in connecting the Pacific
Railroad with the railway system Of the
foothills and valleys of the western slope.
For these reasons, thus briefly stated, the
contemplated surveys are Of great import
ance to this city, and lis business men ought
to assist in contributing the amount neces-
sary 10 defray the cost Of making them =
They should not permit the people of the
mountains to exceed them in foresight and
public spirit IF we have not been misin-
formed, the projected surveys really excite
much interest in the regions they would
penetrate, and the enterprise to which they
point is considered by Intelligent men as
within the range of early accompl shment if
undertaken with proper zeal and determina-
n.-Marvsyiiie Anpeal