The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-18
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.


Twenty years ago, the suggestion of
transcontinental railway, connecting our At
lantic with our Pacific border by direct
overland route, was regarded by most people
as stupendous absurdity. Whoever chooses
to run over a file of the New York Herald
will find therein editorials in which a railroad
hence to the Pacific is classed with one across
the Atlantic to Europe or through the sky to
the moon. Such was the opinion of men
who prided themselves on being practical,
and regarded all who dissented as dreamers
and visionaries
A Pacific Railroad over the central route has
now been more than year in full operation.
AS the two ends had been pushed across the
Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada re-
spectively at least eighteen months ago, we
may say that-so far, at least, as obstruction
from snow and ice is concerned-ith has stood
the test of two years actual working. For
more than two years passenger trains have
started daily from Omaha and from Sacra-
mento respectively, and have crossed the great
mountain chains which on either hand inclose
the Great Basin with facility and with regu-
larity. We doubt that there has been, on
any part of the long route, greater deten-
ton than has repeatedly occurred on the
Central and Erie lines respectively through
this State, or on that which connects Albany
with Boston. Undoubtedly SHOWS will be en-
COuuLOlSu1 Ill UuO COuI6o VI lllCullIlo, WhlCu
| will test more severely the resources of
modern engineering; but then the provisions
for resisting and overcoming these embarrass-
| ments will be annually extended and per-
fected. Doubtless the work itself will gra-
dually be Strengthened and otherwise i'm
proved as experience shall dictate, and the
average speed of passenger trains will be con-
siderably accelerated; but were nothing to be
done but to maintain the present capacity of
| H. a., ofa1,
| place the average time required to reach San
Francisco from Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, or Washington, inside Of
eight days. while Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
Chicago, and st. Louis are each considerably
nearer to the Golden Gate. Practically we
may say that half the people of the Atlantic
States are within a weeks journey of the
Pacific.
And this road has been pushed across by
far the most difficult and costly of the three
projected highways to the sunset land. Its
extreme and it's average elevation are both
far greater than those of the Northern or the
Southern routes far more snow falls and lies
on this than on the Northern route, and many
times the quantity that falls on the Southern;
and it is within bounds to say that either of
these can be built for two-thirds the cost of
this, while the Northern will not be obstructed
by snow one day where this will at least
IuIee, uOr inc OOuInoru OLo uhy WuoIo JulS
will be not less than ten. The entire problem
of overland travel and trade by rail may thus
be regarded as conclusively solved.
True, it may be urged that the peeuniary
phase of the question is still in doubt; but
that would be mistake. Twenty years will
see the present road overcrowded, though it,
two rivals be meantime constructed-over
crowded, even though its reasonable expecta
tions of an immense freighting business il
the products of the farthest East should b'
entirely blasted. Colorado, Wyoming, Mon
tana Idaho, Utah, Nevada, are to-day in th'
main wild wastes and deserts: the year 1S9C
} will return their civilized population at no
} less than ten millions of intelligent, ener
getic, industrious freemen. The sugar, tea
! coffee, wares, implements, etc. ETC., which
they must draw from the seaboard States
! would support a railroad; while millions o.
J tons of mineral which will now pay neither
I for smelling on the groundnorfor transporta
tion to the States, will soon be whirled ava!
to the seaboard smelling works. aud even Il
J Europe. The abundant salmon the peaches
J grapes, and other delicate fruits of California
will yet fill train after train consigned to tn
} Helenas and Virginia Cities of the elevate,
/ mining regions, where such fruits cannot b
: growp, Asyet, shipments from either eeas