Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-12
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAIL.

United States engineers, acting OF
the authority Of Congress, were
busily engaged in exploring the
various routes to the Pacific, taking
in most instances, the Mississippi
river as ther point of departure.
Five different routes were carefully
explored, the most northern being
near the forty seventh. and forty
ninth parallels, and extended from
the Mississippi river to Puget's
Sound, by way of South Pass. The
most southern route was near the
thirty second parallel, and the ex-
plorations were chiefly confined at
that time to the country lying be-
tween the upper waters of Red
river, and El Paso, on the Rio
Grande. Other reconnoisances
were made along the source of the
ella river to Fort Yuma, on the
Colorado, which were subsequently
extended to the Pacific, at San
Diego. Is sispils5a 3
The Union Pacifc railroad, re-
Gently completed, is laid down with
certain notifications on the line of
route near the forty-frst parallel,
as surveyed and reported on by
Lieutenant Beekwith in 1854. The
disadvantages of this route, as Off
cially stated at that time, consist
principally in the great elevation of
the summils of the Rocky noun
tain strata, the great elevation of
its plains, the long and severe
winters, which will impede the
working of the road by their sever
ity, and the serious obstacles inter-
posed during the inclement season,
by The SHOWS on the prairies and In
the mountain ravines and gorges.
To the difficulties, as reported by
the surveying party, says the Balti-
moro Gazette, has since been added
the equally serious one, that por-
tons of the road, as constructed, J.
will, in all probability, be under.
water at certain seasons of the
year. Experience alone will test.
how far these objections are valid
But considering the extent of
country still to be occupied, and the.
Importance of a Southern route to.
the Pacific, it has been argued that
railroad from the Pacific to the
Mississippi, running along or near
the thirty second parallel, and hay-
ing for its Northern Mississippi.
terminus the city of Memphis, and
for its southern Vicksburg, or some.
point even still lower down, pre-
sents superior advantages in many
respects to any other. Such road
in point of length would be the
shortest of any from the eastern
terminus to q Pacific port. 1t would
cost, according to the official report
alluded to, at least twenty millions
OF dollars less than any other route
mere than a thousand miles of
the distance being made up of table
lands and plains. The other por!
ton of the route is susceptible of
easy construction by reason of the
open and otherwise favorable fea-
lures of the mountain passes,
whose natural slopes admit of use
without extensive and costly prepa-
ration, and especially. because of
the mild winters and temperate
summers of all the route, and of its
freedom from impediments, delays
and dangers from snow and ice.
Such are the advantages as set
forth in favor of what is now known
as the Memphis and 81 Paso route to
San Diego on the Pacific. Its prin-
eipal disadvantages relate to the
cost of the construction of a por-
ton of the line between the Pecos
and the Rio Grande, and the dis
lance from San Diego TO San Fran
cisco. On the other hand, the
friends of the road claim that the
port of San Diego is admirably
situated for the China trade, anC
also that of Asia generally; as ''aI
sailing vessels can ON account O.
the trade winds, reach San Diego
from China in hundreds of miles
less sailing than they can reach
San Francisco. All sail vessels from
Asia make the Pacific coast at OF
below San Diego, and then are OBJ.
liged to sail up the coast to San
Francisco" ...# BIS. l.H a.5
| 1t is further contended that
whilst this railway starting from
any of the Southern cities would be
very much shorter than the Union
and Central Pacific road from San
Francisco to New York, it would
also be the only really trustworthy
line for travel and traffic between
| the Pacific and the Atlantic coast
However this may be, it would GER
tainly prove of great advantage t.
all the region south of Cairo, Hi
nois; would open up vast tracts 0
fertile land to immigration and set
Element, and would, for purposes 0
trade, be Of unquestionable benef
| to the States of the lower Missis
sippi and the Gulf L1 I
The nrOiect of q railroad frop