The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-16

| OF the United States. glance at the map
will show that Philadelphia, Cincinnati, st.
Louis, Denver, and San Francisco lie almost
In direct east and west line, stretching from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Fort Riley,
moreover, is nearly in the exact geographical
centre of the United States.
All the considerations of economy, of pub
lie utility, Of the rapid transportation of COM
merce, and the quick transit Of passengers,
require that in the construction Of the Pa
cifc Railroad, from this point onward, the
most direct line possible shall be chosen. Any
unnecessary deviation from that line must
entail an unjust burden upon the commerce
of the world. Unfortunately, when the ori-
ginal Pacific Railroad act passed Congress,
the geography of the interior of our country
was but imperfectly understood. AS natu-
raj consequence, It was then supposed that
the only practicable passes through the
Rocky Mountains were those in use by over
land travellers and EN- grants to the Pacific
coast. Accordingly, the initial point of the
Pacific Railroad was fixed with reference to
its location through the South Pass. Colo
RADIO at that time had but just begun to
attract public attention-its settlements were
few and small, and its development was as
yet quite insignificant.
By again recurring to the map, it will be
seen what an immense increase of distance
will be entailed upon the Pacific Railroad If
the old South Pass route is adhered to.
Fort Riley, the present western terminus of
the Union Pacific Railroad Eastern Division,
is in latitude 80 deg. north. Now, move
along west to South Pass and it will be found
to be in latitude 42i deg. north, or deg.
north of Fort Riley. Pass on now to san
Francisco, and it will be found to be in lati-
tude 37A north; or yfOe degrees south of South
Pass. There is, therefore, a direct loss of
Z deg. of latitude entailed upon the road by
taking this route In actual practice this loss
would doubtless be found to crowd closely
upon one thousand miles If Bridger's Pass,
about 1 deg. south of South Pass. be taken
instead Of the latter, similar, though not 30
enormous, loss would be incurred.
OF course, if these were the only practicable
passes to be found through the mountains,
that TACT would be decisive OF the whole ques-
ton; but such is not the fact. Nature herself
seems to have made provision tor the build
ing of this great railroad upon the most direct
route. In 1851 Lieutenant BERTHoUD made
thorough survey and exploration Of the
country lying between Denver and Salt Lake.
He discovered a perfectly feasible pass
through the Rocky Mountains, forty-eight
miles west ofDenver, and also passes through
the Park and Wastach Mountains, opening
out directly into the basin OF Great Salt Lake,,
Speaking of this country. Lieutenant BER-
THoUD says that he found the country lying
between the 105th parallel of West longitude
and Great Salt Lake, and between parallels
OF 80 and 43 North latitude, far superior to
any of the country north or south of it, by
either the South Pass, Bridgers Pass, or
Coochatope Pass routes, abounding with coal
and timber, with many fertile valleys, etc.
Berthoud's Pass was afterwards carefully
surveyed by the Surveyor-G of Colorado
Territory, and is now the route universally
favored by the people of that Territory.
From Fort Riley to Denver there is a most
direct and feasible route. For two-thirds of
the distance it follows the Smoky Hill fork
Of the Kansas river, along beautiful and
fertile valley abounding in coal, iron, gypsum,
and salt, and already settled to considerable
extent.
There is, then, perfectly feasible, plain, and
direct railroad route from Fort Riley west to
Denver, and thence to the basin of Great Salt
Lake.
There are other powerful considerations
which urge this route instead Of the South
Pass or Bridger's Pass routes. One is the
superior mildness of the climate. Practical
men have long foreseen that one of the
greatest difficulties to be overcome in the
successful operation Of the Pacific Railroad,
after it shall have been built, will be the ex-
extreme rigor of the climate through the
elevated mountain ranges of the interior.
When the thermometer marks much below
zero there is almost an end to railroad opera
tions. Water-tanks freeze up, rails become
brittle, Werkmen are frost-bitten, and the
whole business is prosecuted with the great
est difficulty. What shall we say, then, to
twenty and thirty degrees below zero, ex-
tremes frequently reached at Forts Kearney
and Laramie, and other points along the
northern route? ....
On the contrary, by the Smoky Hill, Den
yer, and Berthoud's Pass route, the road will
keep constantly below the 10th parallel of
North latitude, and no more serious difficulty
need be apprehended in operating it than is
encountered in the operation of the Pennsyl-
yania Central.
u 4 ~. Il.