Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-05-21
Ths r ansconunsns aI Raiiraaa,

Tha Transeontinsnsa HaiiFaae
] The San Diego Union has pub
lished a supplement, filed with Al
essay by General SedgWiek, G 3.
describing the 800 parallel 0
Gila TFanscORtinental railroad
route, comparing It with the 35ul
parallel or MOjave route, enc
concluding that the former is pre-
ferable, and should have It's west
ern terminus at San Diego. It Il
q long document, requiring tim'
and study TO ascertain its main
points, 80 that some Of our read.
ers who have seen It, as well "a
others who have not, may b
pleased 10 see some statement oil
its substance.
According to Selgwick, the ella
rOnte is preferable in distance,
grades, cost, time, timber and
prospects Of local traffic. The
ella route is described as com.
mencing at Shreveport, on Red
river, running Sl3 miles over an
undulating plain, well timbered,
with average grades OF sixty.
eight feet. For 400 miles west
ward from Shreveport the soil is
so fertile that one engineer who
examined it said it was the best
district for wheat on the continent,
The total rise and fall in the Sl3
miles is 10000 feet. There are
three ridges to cross, the highest
being the Guadalupe, 800 feet.
The Rio Grande at the crossing
is $3.50 feet above the sea.
The total length of the CHA
route, including thirty-six miles
on the bank Of the Rio Grande,
from Shreveport to San Diego, is
1906 miles; the sum of the as.
cents and descents, $4,000 feet;
the highest point, 5,7O0 feet, and
all below the elevation at which
snow is troublesome in that lati-
tude. On the Moiave route the
distance to San Diego or San
Francisco, from the Missouri, is
greater than hal Of the ella route.
The sum Of the ascents and de
scents, Is $1,000 feet; the distance
Is 1851 miles, with two ridges
over 1000 feet, and over 400 miles
abovea an elevationIof 200 feet; A.
900 feet Of ascent and descent, and
less timber, water, population, and
tillable soil than on the ella route.
On Sedwick's showing the latter is
far preferable. When the Trans.
continental road is built on the
32d parallel, ii will, of course, run
TO San Diego or have u branch to
that place. It will be d terminus,
but whether 1t will bc the chief
terminus for transcontinental
traffic, cannot be determined till
after the road is built. We do not
believe 1t will, but we should be
glad to let San Diego have a
chance to prove what she can do.
General Sedwick says:
From tho Rio Grandc to the
Colorado the distance is 80
miles, with one ridge to cross,
aud Il total ascent and descent Of
5000 feet. The distance of $50
miles is made in the valley of the
ella. with m average grade of ten
feet to tho mile. The maximum
grade would DO eighty above the
sea. The valley of the ella for q
hundred miles from the Colorado
is a desert, but the upper part Of
the valley is fertile, and many
white settlers have, established
themselves there.
This section between the Colo
RADIO and San Diego is the most
barren, and will be the most cost.
~ for construction. The distance
is 49, miles; the highest point,
$500 feet; the sum Of ascents and
descents, 5000 feet, with maxi
mum grades Of 100 feet to the
mile. About half of the distance
is over q desert.
at is more than probable that
the capitalists of San Francisco
and California will look upon.
these arguments and the deduc.
tons drawn therefrom as detri-
mental to their State and city pros.
perity, and cry out against the
general scheme that does not
adopt their city as the Pacific ter
minus"
We do not see the probability.
We have yet 10 learn hat any
such feeling prevails, or is likely
to prevail here. In our opinion
san Francisco would profit by the
construction of Southern Pacific
railroad on either of the proposed
lines, and the citizens Of this
place would approve a liberal do
nation of land along the route to
any company that will give evi.
dcnce of its ability to build the
road. One of the great needs
of San Francisco is the develop
ment of the southern coast TO
counterbalance the progress Of the
north and the Sacramento basin,
which are not now entirely Deepen
dent upon this city for their com
municatiou with the Atlantic