The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-17
ENGLAND.


lFrOm the LONDON Times, Now 3O.J
The close Of tho civl In the United States has
been signalized by feat OF railway enterprise I'M
paraeied, and indeed hardly admitting Of parallel,
in any other country. Few empires contain even
room enough for line OF railway 5000 miles long:
fewer still would find the means of bridging SUCH
enormous distances with iron rails The diihcuity
OF the work, too. was much enhanced by the nature
of the ground. II we suppose the territory OF the
UAited States to be some 5000 miles across from the
about one-half OF this represents settled country. A
modern town on the Missouri river called Omaha
City marks the limits OF civilization towards
the West. Towards the East this new city
is already connected with the system OF
American railways, but at this point the lines STOP;
and well they may for the distance from New York to
Omaha is in Itself nearly as great AS that from Cal
cutta to Peshawur--in other words, as the whole
breadth OF the Indian Empire. Nor would IT, indeed,
extend these lines any further at present. FOR beyond
Omaha lies immense desert. We use the term
not as implying that the entire tract Is barren rego or
not yet brought under the dominion OF man Inc
object, therefore, OF the present enterprise is IN
fact, to connect the State OF California with tue
State OF Iowa. on the western border OF winch
Omaha City is situated. AT present an American
wishing to go from New YORK to san Francisco woula
have TO take ship, down to the lsthmus OF
Panama, cross this neck OF land, and then go up TO
Caifornia-a journey OF twenty days at least. This
is by no means satisfactory TO people OF whom IL
was SAID by one OF their own cOuntrymen that any
man would readily risk his life for the chance or
arriving anywhere fye minutes before ANYBODY else.
So they have determined to carry railroad across
the great desert at once, and enable any traveller TO
book through from one ocean TO another.
The distance to be thus traversed Is actually not
much less than the distance between the Old World
and the New. The additional length OF line required
to connect Omaha with sacramento and thus bridge
the continent. IL nearly 1000 miles, The engineers
calculation gives just l72l miles as the breadth OF
the gap" and the country along the whole way IL
wild and unfenanted as Patagonia. IL Is not OK
actly uninhabcd. but the population such as II Is,
only adds to the peris OF the enterprise. The vast
plains and mountain ranges oyer WHICH the railway
treacherOus Indians These regions are the last
resort OF the red men In their retreat to the West
before the ever-moving settlers and we have re-
Gently reported more than one instance OF their
attacks upon the Inc and the w0rkmen. General
Sherman's duty at this moment consists In protect
ing the track as far as possible with United States
troops; but the distance to be guarded Ii so enor
nous and the Indians are so wary that trains are
wrecked In spite OF all his efforts. The country
itself, with the exception OF some formidable noun
tain ranges, Is In many parts not Ill suited for rail-
way work. For some hundreds OF miles the line can
be carried along valleys and over plains without
much difficulty. and the cxpertness OF the Americans
is such that the progress made seems incredible
the v war an
indeed, SO favorite scheme that the inevitable
suspension OF the works during. the all-absorbing
contest Is occasionally spoken OF not the least
among the evil consequences OF the rebellion. No
sooner, however was peace restored than the enter
prise was vigorously resumed.
few months after the surrender OF the Coincide
rate armesthat Is TO say at the close of the year
lSo5fhe gap, Of ,.2l miles between n sacramento
seventy-one miles or the intended railway had been
laid down-thrty -one on the sacramento and forty
on the Omaha side. At this moment these seventy
one miles have been prolonged into 1928 leaving
only 400 to be added IN completion Of the whole
work. From Omaha the line has been carried on
for a distance OF nearly 1000 miles, so as almost to
reach that halffabulols city IN which the Mormons
thought to exclude themselves eternally from the
world. From Sacramento a length or nearly 400
more has been laid and the engineers are confident
that before the close OF the year now approaching
the entire line from one ocean to the other will be
opened for traflc. When IL is remembered that this
line, besides being carried through desert regions
and over lofty hills. crosses the tremendous range
OF the Rocky Mountains some idea may be formed
OF the magnitude OF the work and OF the astonsh-
ing expedition with which II has been accomplished
Next year an American citizen may CRAFTY himself
by taking the longest railway journey IN the world,
aud crossing yast continent In stretch reck0ned
by hours.