The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-18
LINKING OCEAN WITH OCEAN.

LINKING OCEAN WITH OCEAN.
The Pacific Railroad-A Review of the
Enterprise from its Conception to Its
Completion-What 1T viii Accomplish
Yor the Country.
The consuumation of the great engineering
work which now spans eur continent, suggests
glance backward to review the progress OF
the age. ANY man who had predicted fifty
years ago that by science, and the practical ap-
plication OF it, the Atlantic would be brought
carer n this year to the Pacific than New
York then was to Boston, would have exposed
himself to strong doubts Of his sanity. Yet
this seeming maniacal fancy has been realized.
Deserts and mountains have in vain interposed.
The line across the continent is so long that
trains upon it are run BY eight or ten different
times, and contemporary suggests that
ultimately we shall have double set Of hands
upon all watches-one for local time, and
one for general time-uniform all over the
world"
II is said that a Pacific road was foreshad-
owed, before the age Of railways, by Jonathan
recorded his opinion in his journal OF an over
land trip, that the mountains presented no
insuperable obstacle to q railway. But the
most remarkable foresight was evinced by
Lewis Gaylord Clark, who. in 1885, wrote in bis
popular magazine, the Knickerb ecker The
reader is now living who will make railway
trip across this vast continent" In 1840, Asa
Whitney began to urge his project upon State
Legislatures and popular gatherings, propos-
ing to build railway from the Mississippi to
Puget Sound (Californis was not yet settled bY
whites) il Congress would give him pubic
lands to the width Of thirty miles along the
entire Il e. In 1850, the first Pacific railroad
bill Was introduced into Congress by Thomas
81. Benton. It contemplated railway only
where practicable" leaving gaps in the I'M
passable mountains TO be filed up by
wagon road. As yet, even the Aleghanies
were not crossed by any unbroken railway,
but by series Of inclined p.anes, upon
which the cars we're drawn up and let
down by stationary engines. In 1854. BY
direction ofCongress, nine routes were survey
ed to the Pacific, on various parallels, be ween
the British possessions and Mexico. In 1859,
Congress authorized the construction OF three
roads, Northern, q Southern and q Central
and thus indicated our natural and inevitable
trans-contiuental system. They were TO re.
ceive no money endowment, but very liberal
land grants. But before any active steps were
taken to build them all such enterprises were
e1tlngulshed for the time by the late civil
war. The Central Pacific Railroad Company,
was, however, chartered by the California
Legislature in the midst OF the war, and as
continental railway began to be considered .
military necessity, in July, 1862, one was char
tered by Congress from the Mississippi to the
Psc:ic. One OF the greatest difficulties to be
apprehended on the Pacific road is Snow, which,
upon the Sierras. sometimes falls TO the depth
OF thirty feet, and which caused last year
1t4 ~ kr0I oil nOh
twenty-five miles Of what are called snow sheds
are erected to protect the track. An early re-
suit, however of this line is expected 10 be the
securing Of Southern line, which will be re-
CURED by the necessities OF trade, and secure
from the wintry obstructlons to the present
route.
II has been remarked that opportunely with
the notes Of preparation for the grand opening
of the railway yesterday came news Of the pro-
gress made by the E lst Iudla Telegraph Com
pany III coupling Canton with Calcutta, London
and New York. By the end OF the year, when
the llne ls expected to be completed, San Fran
CISCO will send her news for Chin1 east and her
ships west, will transmit orders for teas and
silks three-fourths Of the way around the globe
in q moment, and will receive the shipments
from an opposite direction in little over
fortnight. The distances across the continent
are gwen as follows: New York to Omaha,
tpoint OF commencement of the Union Pacific
Railroad,) 1879 miles; Omaha to Ogden, Spolnt
OF commencement OF tn, Central Pacific Road,)
1880 miles, with the addition OF branch to
salt Lake City, 40 miles; Ogden to Sacramento.
7l8 miles; Sacramento to San Francisco, lZ0
miles-making the whole distance from New
York to San Francisco 3ST miles.
From the advanced sheets OF new edition
Of Richardson's beyond the Mississippi, we
learn that "of the eighteen hundred miles be-
tween Omaha aud Sacramento, not one-third ls
really mountainous, but more than two-thirds
were go counted, and received the higher gov
ernment endowment, $4,000 or $48.0. per
mile. Much Of the Central Pacific traverses
fiat country, yet not one mile received less than
So 900. The Union Pacific obtained the high
est mileage, $751; 600, for one hundred and fifty
miles west Of Cheyenne, heavy mountain work,
though the region is really one long, inclined
plane-'as fine . country to build railway
through as lies on the face Of the globe
Building and equipping the entire hne proba-
bly, cost, on an average 81, 600 per mile. The
government bonds issued averaged $50, ,OO0 per
mile, aud the company's first mortgage bonds
sold for $SO, 900 more, leaving . net cash profit
uf $17, 900 600 upon the construction alone, in
addition to the ownership Of the road and it's
maenI6cent land grant" Thus We see what 8
glorious good thing the builders have had OF it
at the peoples expense. But many believe
that the profits are even much larger than here
represented.
The New York Journal Of Commerce takes
decidedly moderate view OF the probable sue
cess and advantages Of the Pacific Railroad.
That journal says:
Turning from the glare and din Of this feu
de joie, let us devote o few sober words to an
estimate Of what the Pacific Railroad will do
for this country and for the world.
10 begin with, We. must discard the extrsva-
CANT language Of the advertising agents. We
must remember that the Pacific Railroad, like
every other scheme which has bonds to SELL
has been heavily puffsd, and continually pre-
sented to the public In the most favorable light.
A great many gentlemen have had Q powerful
interest iu keeping this road before the people
a. most desirable investment. II they have
dipped their pencils in rainbow colors in por-
tcaying the attractions Of the line, they have
done no more than usage permits in such cases.
But now that the object has been accomplish
ed and the work done. no critic can be accused
Of design to underrate this great national
exploit if he prefers not to adopt the superla-
tive enthusiasm Of those who, for business
purposes. hsve diligently written upon the
Pacific Railroad.
The Pacific Railr lad will be Of great advan-
taee to California and all agricultural regions
on the Pacific. Many emigrants will 20 out
there who now settle in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
and other States. But we do not anticipate the
rush Of small farmers which some Of the San