Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-06
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD

To the Congress OF the united states:
The memorial of the undersigned,
citizen of Tennessee, respectfully showeth
that at the Memphis Commercial Conven-
ton, in May last, he submitted the follow
ing resolutions, which were referred to the
Committee on the Southern Pacific Rail
road, without debate; and at the Louis
vile Convention, in October last, he of
fered the same resolutions, with an argu-
ment in their support, which were re
ferred to the same committee, but owing
to certain local influences and cOmbina-
tons, were not read or reported on. He
therefore begs leave to submit them, with
other facts and suggestions, to the favor
able consideration of your honorable body.
l. Resolved, That the material interests
of the whole country, commercial and po-
litical, imperatively demand the construc-
ton of Southern line of railway from the
Mississippi river to the Pacific ocean.
2. Resolved, That the city of Cairo, by
its various connections, by water and by
railroads, North, South, East and West, is
the most eligible initial point for the great
inter-oceanic railroad; and if constructed
on the route by Little Rock, Fulton, on
Red river, through Texas to the Rio
Grande, and thence to AIazatlan, on the
Pacific, will, by its connections already
completed, and to be made with the North
aud with the East, with the Atlantic and
with the Gulf of Mexico, afford greater
benefits and facilities to the various cities
and sections than any other possible route.
3. Resolved, That Congress be respect
fully urged, as matter of justice to the
South and Southwest, and as a means of
resuscitating and lifting up this greatly op-
pressed, down-trodden and impoverished
section, and of promoting the prosperity
and general welfare of the whole country,
to grant such aid to the Southern Pacific
Railroad, in money and in lands and priv
ileges, or in guaranteeing the bonds Of
companies as will insure its speedy com
pletion.
In advocating the construction OF a
Southern Pacific Railway, propose to
offer some remarks in reference TO the
great inter-oceanic line, which, to the as
constituent of the whole world, has just
been completed. While we contemplate
with'Won6er and admiration the sagaciOus
enterprise that undertook, and the aston
ishing perseverance, energy and adapta-
ton of means to ends that, in little
more than three years, has carried this
prodigious enterprise TO successful con
clusion, we have the modification TO
know, on the best authority, that it has
not been accomplished on a plan com
mensurate with the immense resources
contributed in money, lands and privil-
eyes by the action of Congress; nor in a
manner to answer the just expectations of
the country, as to its durability and useful
ness.
Such is the hasty and imperfect man
ner in which large portion of the work
has been executed that it is now necessary
to rebuild extensive sections of the road.
In fact, the last $50 miles received, viz:
from Ogden to PromOntory, has to be
Immediately reconstructed, else it will
speedily become useless, Notwithstanding
the immense expenditure, and there arenO
means in hand to proceed with the work,
except the receipts from the road. The
two companies, the Union Pacific and the
California Pacific, are quarreling about
these extravagant expenses, and accusing
each other of fraud and corruption in the
construction of their respective portions
of the road.
The experience and developments OF
the last few months practical use OF the
road have demonstrated the unfitness and
inadeduacy of this Northern line of rail
wav, as a great international route OF
| travel and transportation at all seasons,
and has fully verified the prediction made
by the speaker in an address, at com
mercial convention in this city, nearly
twenty years since, which was published
in the Memphis Appeal at the time.
| then predicted that a railroad built on the
line Just completed, would he liable tC
| obstruction by ice and snow to such al
extent as not to be passable by trains
during several of the winter months
This has been realized during the pas
winter, and will probably be, in all time
to come, every winter. The forty mile
of snow sheds, now more than half com
pleted, at an enormous cost, requirin!
SOC, 900 feet of lumber per mile, will no
secure the road against this obstruction
and will rot down in few years
The very high grades and short curve
on this line are another insuperable Objec
ton, that was presented by me, in tn
same argument, before the Convention
The ascent ON each side of the summit o
the Sierra Nevada has a grade of near 10
feet for many miles, and from Sacramen
| to to the summit, a distance of l05 miles
the average grade is 20 feet per mile; tn
maximum, for three miles in succession
being $50, and in another part l25 fee
for four miles continuously. These hig
grades will require locomotives of thirty
five and forty tons, and additional engine
to push over trains of any magnitude
which, with short curves, will inevitabl
tear the road to pieces, multiplying dis
asters, and rendering the expense of run
ming the machine so great as to consum
all profits, and so dangerous as TO dete
people from travelling upon it.
ANY one acquainted with the workin
of railroads will concur in these prediC
tiOns. and in the conclusion that this roa
will be found, AT all times, inadequate
the immense business it is expected TO dc
/ for. as said by me, in an address to til
! people of Tennessee, near twenty veal
: since, in advocating the construction {
the T tennessee Central Railroad, and i
| extension beyond the Mississippi rive
'EWhen this Pacific Railroad shall |
completed, it will draw TO it IL
2 trade from the bOundless shores of ii
? Pacific and Indian oceans, from Australi,
t POLYNESIA and the Spice Islands, frOl
f China and Japan, the wealth of Ormr
e and the Ind, the commerce of half IL
9 world, and an unnumbered throng of a
e nations and languages, will be found tra'