New-York tribune., 1869-05-08
THE PACIFIC RAILWAY.

SAN FRANCISCO, May O.--lne people Ol JhiS O''J
and of Sacramento in state of great excitement
IN regard to the completion of the Union Pacic hi-
road Grand preparations are being made in both
places in observance of the event. which will occur
on Saturday The bankers of this city have given
notice that their houses will be closed on that day.
and business will be generally suspended. Arrange
ments have been made with the Western Union Tel
sgraph Company so that each stroke of the hammer
on the last spike driven shall be reported simutane-
ously at New-York and San Francisco by telegraph.
Beside the silver mounted and polished California
tie a spike Of gold silver pick, and silver ham
mer for use in the completion of the road were for
warded to the end Of the track The excursion train
for the eastern end of the Central road with the Com
missoners, and Gov. Stanford and guests on board,
was nearly wrecked yesterday by large tree which
had fallen across the track. The distractions were
discovered in time to preserve the passenger ears
which were uninjured; but the locomotive was
thrown from the track and damaged
THE LAST RAIL OF THE UNION PACIFIC TO BE
LAID on MONDAY-THE CELEBkAIloN AA
ST. LOUIS.
ST. LOUIS, May IAN Omaha dispatch says;
telegram from Fort Dodge to the Chiet-Englneer OF
the Union Pacific Road announces posltvey thaV tne
last rail will be laid on Monday at nOon' Inc cee
bration IN this city will be the greatest ever goteh
nm The Masons. Odd Fellows, military, and other
ing there will be illuminatious and fireworks.
ITS ORIGIN, HISTORY, AND COMPLETIoN.'
Many fascinating volumes might be written upon
early explorations across our continent. The first
and most remarkable was led by Cabeca de Vaca
Spanish gentleman with few companions, sole sur
vivors of the expedition of Narvaez which had come
to Florida with five ships and COO men, In the Fall
of 1928. af,er all their comrades had perished, De
Vaea and his little party started westward from near
the mouth of the Mississippi. They encountered
terrible hardships being often detained by hostile
Indians and suffering so from hunger that they
killed and ate one of their own number They
crossed what are now Louisiana, Texas, New-MeXico,
and Arizona and finally after eight gears of wander
ing four of the party, naked, wounded, and half
dead reached the Pacific in Lower California Their
wonderful story is found only in the rare records Of
old voyagers; what new Prescott, or Irving, or
Motley will re-tell it for us
Two hundred and thirty years later, Jonathan Car
verof Connecticut who, oficerin the Kings SER
vice had taken part in all the by which the Can
adas fell into the possession of Great Britain started
westward from Boston. He journeyed slowly, via
Albany Lake Michigan and Green Bay, to the "Ouis-
consin" River: and afterward TO Western Minnesota
OF Dakota. Unable to go further, he came back and
visited London where he sought aid from the British
Government to prosecute his explorations through to
the Pacific But after long delay that was denied,
and even his papers, which the authorities had taken,
were not returned. From copies in his possession,
however he published in London, in 177S, an inter
estng account Of his travels. His preface Is full OF
prophecy and pathos After urging the establish
ment of posts and settlements as likely to "open
communication between HudsOn's Bay and the
Pacific it continues:
settlement on the Pacific would not only disclose
Of trade and promote many uSein alscov
10 China and the English settlements in the East Indies
with greater expedition than tedious voyage by thc
Cape Of Good Hope the Straits OF Magellan will allow
Of. That the completion OF the scheme have
had the honor Of first planning aud attempting will some
Whenever IS and the execution OF is carried on WIN
prupnev. those who so fortunate as to succeed wiz
reap exclusive Of tim national ADVANTAGES that must en-
sue, enoltmeHfs beyond their most sagnne expectations
And while their spirs are elated 10y ther success, pe
haps hey nicy besfOC e0Benddon and blessings on
ne person hat Gisi pointed OFT % YEN ZEN me ne, 9, Iag
Mighty kingdoms Will emerge from these WlGerhesSes,
and stately palaces and solemn temples win gded spires
Euppant the Indian huts, whose only decorations are inc
bai6arous trophies Of their vanqulshed enemies
After Carver came our Government expeditions
those of Pike and Long, for whom two noble noun
tans in Colorado titly named; that OF Lewis ana
Clark. elsewhere described in these pages; that OF
Bonneville in 1892 the first that ever crossed to the
Pacific with wagons; and those of Fremont Who
named Utah the Great Basin" and who ala more
than any other one man to kindle interest III inc
western half Of our continent and to hasten its de-
velOpment.
who first suggested Pacific Railway In l0S,
jonathan Carver foreshadowed it, and he of all men
was fnrtbest ahead of the age in which he lived in
1876 the Rev. Samuel Parker, in his Journal OF an
overland trip recorded his opinion that the noun
tains presented no nsuporable obstacle to railway
In 1888. Lewis Gaylord Clark wrote IN the hRicfer-
hooker: The reader is now living who will make a
railway trip across this vast continent in lo1J' Asa
whitney began TO urge his project upon State Legs
iatnres and popular gatherings, and he confirmed 70
aoitate the subject for five years. lie proposed TO
build a railway from The Mississippi TO Puget Sound
california was not yet settled by whites II Congress
yonld give him public lands to the width of 80 miles
along the entire line. Later experience has shown
that their proceeds woud have been utterly insult
Gcient Yet Whitney failed not on that account bni
because he could excite no general interest IN the
snI,ioct In 1850 the first Pacific Railroad bill wae
introduced into Congress by sturdy old Benton. II
contemplated q railway only where practicable"
leaving gaps in the inpassable mountains TO be filed
mn by a wagon road As yet, even the Alleghanes
were not crossed by any rnbrolen railway, but by
series of inclined planes, upon which the cars were
drawn up and let down by stationary engines. III
1s594 by direction Of Congress, nine routes wer'
suryeyed to tho Pacific on various paIaiieiS
between the British Possessions ana Mexico
Among the young officers in charge OF these e&piora
tions were Mcclellan, Pope, Saxton' ParKe' aiio
Whipp!e. Another Lieut.. Gnnnison, was murdered
by the Indians while in the performance OF DIS duty
The surveys resulted in thirteen huge quarto Vor
umes Of reports. which are now cmioSlties N oul
historical literature. Being issued Mt Goveinmohl
expense they were prOfusey illustrated with coioreu
engravings Of flowers plants, reptiles hshes, Dilus
mountain scenery, aud other objects which had nc
-. ha