The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-12
s. HAv1 W. A PAcIr.c RAILROAD r'

Well, it seems not. And that is not tn
worst. There never will be, for there neve
can be, transcontinental railway over thi
Union Pacific route, such as commerce wants
and such as the world expects of American
science and enterprise. All that we alleged
some months ago, as to the Objectionable
features of this route, and as to the blundel
and swindle of the government subsidy
lavished upon the company which had
selected this route for the benefit of official
and unofficial spectators in wild lands and
visionary town lots, has been fully confirmed
by the experience of the past winter and by
the Investigations of a special committee OF
the United States Senate. With evident
reluctance to arrive at the damnatory con-
clusion, the majority of this committee agree
that In locating the road its projectors have,
with remarkable degree of exactitude, fol-
lowed the snow line across the continent
That is to say, the route comedies almost pre-
cisely with what may be called the isothermal
| line of the greatest annual snowfall from the
| Pacific to the Atlantic within the boundaries
| of the United States. In consequence of this
completeness in respect to workmanship, and
In respect to all accessory appointments, it
| would be liable to blockade from the begin
ming of the snow season in autumn to the end
of it in spring The report of the committee
above referred to tries to mitigate the start
ling force of this naked truth by presenting
it as the negative side of problematical as
sertion; saying that sit is an undetermined
problem if the Union Pacific Railroad be-
tween Omaha and Sacramento can be oper-
ated throughout the year." And hereupon
the report proceeds to review ''the elements
to solve this question" as follows
First-The known effects of drifting snow upon
the railway lines Of central Illinois aud of the hily
districts OF New England aud Pennsylvania. Sec.
oDd-The known depths to which suow falls aod
packs IN portions OF the Rocky Mountain region
Ihnd-Ihe extraordinary hight of the grades
and sharpness OF the curves in the passage Of tue
Sierra Nevada. Trains in Illinois have often been
showed under, and travel and traffic ia and out of
chicago have been completely enlarged. Rail-
road communication in Massachusetts New York
and Pennsylvania is often suspended in winter
these vclssitudes take place 10 States where
labor is abundant, where the stations on the lines
are very near together, where fuel and food
draught animals and tools are plentiful and acces.
slbie- But the line between Omaha and Sacramen-
10 IS az present almost continuous wilderness
Dor ions OF il will be settled. Population is
scarce-help in trouble cannot be had outside of the
trsin-the stock OF accessible fuel may be limited
10 the supply on the cars. In the deep cuttings,
and IN some OF the canyons of Dakota, Utah. Ne.
vada, and California, snow is well known to drift
chock full to the top and to pack hard. The |
depth OF snow in places travelled by the overland
stage-sleghs has been crediDly reported at from |
80 10 so feet, and il was not melted till Jupe |
GrsntiDg the efficacy of roofDg-grantng the |
adequacy OF machinery 10 accomplish as much on |
the Union Psclhc's line ss on the Chicago and |
Northwestern, or the Albany and Boston, there |
remains a risk, which must be constant with the |
Of winter. that the operations of this
Pacific road may experience long and serious 10.
tennpt0Ds, accompanied occasionally vita shock.
ing nisforiunes. II such Interruptions should
take place, the effect upon the new trade from
Asia TO Europe, across the United States, would
be very damaging. they would characterize the
route rs one not TO be relied On by international
But the question of interruption is no
longer question to be talked about in the
subjunctive mood. The liability to snow
blockade of indefinite duration was matter
Of scientific certainty from the beginning
and now it is matter of experimental
demonstration attested in a manner that
leaves not the least room for doubt, dispu-
'ation, or speculation. A few days ago, and
since the report of the Senate committee, the
Dostotfice department at Washington was
advised by its special agent, in telegram
rom Laramie City, that for fifteen DAYS the
Union Pacific railroad had been blocked BY
NOW for distance of two hundred miles
vest of Cheyenne, and that thirty or forty
thousand pounds of mails were detained
N the line After receiving this information
he postmaster general instructed the post
master at New York to send the mails for
)alifornia and the Pacific coast by way of
'anama. Further advices from the West
tated that the road was still closed, and that
was impossible to say when the snow bound
rains would be able to run through
Could anything exhibit the folly and fraud
this falsely located and extravagantly
ubsidized road in clearer light? The
ribune's question, ''Have we Pacific Rail-
bad p is answered. In the practical sense of
highway of commerce and travel, as good
II one season as for another no Pacific rail-
bad exists, and the existence of one on the
'ute selected in this case is a natural impos-
bility. gun that can't shoot is not gun,
ut useless combination of iron and wood.
boat that can't cross water with either
eight or passengers is as idle as a painted
mp upon a painted ocean" For like rea-
m, the Union Pacific railroad, without the
lality of perennial continuity, cannot be, as
CARDS commerce and travel for about half {
e year, more than the picture or the mirage of !
road. Although it has already been paid d
: the government between twenty and thirty !
illions Of dollars, it cannot at this moment v
ansport for the government a soldier or a a
all bag over two hundred miles of its track !.
nich were long ago reported, officially. as G
lished and in good working order. One of
Q worst aspects of the matter is that the 7
rant and scandalous favoritism of govern :,
emit towards this road has involved the neg Il
It of transcontinental railroad enterprises n
'ng routes which are in all points of view =
ore eligible. Nobody who has studied, 81