The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-23
~ Faua and Lake Superior Railroad
survey.
Prom the Superior Gazette, Dec. 10.

From the Superior Gazette Dec 10.
We learn from q: member Of the corna tho,
the Me6srs, Johnson-One from st. PanI anJ
the other running from the head Of the LAKE
effected their connection Of the railway survey
of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Gonna.
nys route, week before last. This route be-.
gins at st. Paul upon the same ground occu-
pied by the Minnesota and Pacific Co, near the
mouth of Phalen's Greek, and then northerly
and easterly via White Bear Lake, Wyoming.
crosses Snake River mile west of Chengwa.
tana, Kettle River near the late bridge, through
the valley of Moose Lake, crossing the Mile
Lac road near its junction with the military
road, and thence to the Dalles of the St. Louis
River, where it crosses that river, and thence
down the valley of the st. Louis to this lake.
The whole distance of their route in final loca-
ton will be about one hundred and forty miles,
or not more than one or one and q half miles of
excess.
From st. Paul to the valley of the St. Louis
River, one hundred and fifteen miles of the
Creek valley-there is scarcely grade of any
force, nowhere exceeding fifteen or twenty feet
to the mile; on the southern berne of the st.
Louis valley, the route becomes entangled in
engineering difficulties by no means insur.
mountable however; yet the ground Is found
to be nearly six hundred feet above the lake
beset with sharp abrupt depressions; two hum
0AVA "a e1OoO Ola ASSO w VIC kIduEQ W tU6 O6ls
les, where the elevation is four hundred feet
above the lake the valley of the st. Louis
from the Dalles to the lake, twenty miles, calls
for about two hundred degrees of curvature.
and four hundred feet of gradient, both of
which have to be achieved within distance of
six miles and half This six and half miles
may be increased. and thus tighten the grades
at the expense of increase of distance and cur
ture. Compared with heavy work on other
roads this st. Louis valley section is light it
involves little If any rock excavation but
compared with the route directly from Moose
Lake to this place, the st. Louis valley be-
comes serious draw back to the prospects of
an early completion of the road but for this,
any efficient directory with the means, could
construct and equip the whole line in one full
year.
The amount Of bridging on the route is re-
markedly light; but three streems of any mag
nitude have to be crossed; requiring for the
St. Louis 120 feet Kettle 100 feet and Snake
River 100, In oil 800 feet, or less than two and
Qne-third, feet per average mile.
Except forty miles of the st. Paul end, the
route is through timbered land the clearings
of the road way will furnish the necessary
ties, bridge and culvert material Rock for
masonry is In situ at st. Louis and Kettle Riy-
er5.
The contractors will enjoy the benefit of a
good team road both in summer and winter as
the present travelled road from St. Paul to this
place nowhere exceeds mile or two from the
roilway line, and much of the way on the same
route.
This enterprise is endowed by the State of
Minnesota with seven, and by Congress with
ten sections equal to 10, $50 acres of land per
mile, and by the city of st. Paul with quar-
ter of million of dollars; nothing but crim-
nal and gross nfidelity to the interests of Min
nesota will prevent the completion of this rail-
was within the next t,oenty. four months.
The editor of the Gazette is mistaken. The
Congressional grant was given to the State for
railroad to Lake Superior, but not to any
particular company or route. The State grant
is given to the Lake Superior and Mississippi
company, and amounts to 4,4so acres per mile
Il ED. PIONEER