The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-07-15

The Exploration Last Summer.

The Exploration Last Summer.
From the Special Report Ut W. Minor Roberts, Z. s
Civ'i Eueinc<r.. Of Reconnaissance made under
tis direction OF J. Cooke Co, Financial Agents
os toe Company.
1.-THE length Of the Report prevents our giving more
than that portion 81 tho general description which r.
Iaits u MO.itaual
(CoNTISUED)
From Helena We went in coach over o
good road along the Missouri river valley.
one hundred and fifty miles, taking notes OF
the country going and returning. We stop.
ped at Fort Shaw, on Sun river, and after
vi, asalnt interview with General De TrObr;-
and. obtained from him the promise of an
escort. for the purpose Of visiting Cadottcs
Pass. ut the source of the inidIl. fork of the
Dearborn river. I'VE spent day at Fort
Benton. examining the points Of interest in
thai vicinity. which were shown 10 us by
the gentlemen of that place. Among other
things we looked ut the OutcrOp OF u coal
mine which l.al recently been discov.
cred within less than two miles Of that place.
This has been nm unfortunate season for the
business men Of Fort Benton; the water has
been so low in the Upper Missouri river that
the steamers could not ascend that high,
a:d were compelled to discharge their car.
goes several hundred miles Dc!ow.)
l.ciurning ~ the crossing of the Dearborn
river, We found our escort arrived in advance
Of us. The next morning We started on
horseback up the Dearborn river, guided by
Mr.. CoIdwcIl, whom We brought from Fort
Benton. and Mr.. Cooper, who Is working a
coal mine at this point on the Dearborn riv.
cr. We passed across several forks OF
the Dearborn. and were on some very clc.
waited points, atfording us u good vlcw Of
the Topography, which was spread. map.
like, before Us. uncncnmbered by trees,
though covered by some Of the richest grass
VIC had seen anywhere during our long
Journey. In the afternoon We arrived at
C.dotic's Pass. l went down about two
miles on the west side to the waters Of the
Warktuot. u where could see the c!iarac-
ter Of its valley, which below here il favor
able for railroad. This pass YVES surveyed
under the direction of Governor Stevens,
aah It's general characteristics are known.
It Is not materially different in its elevation
from Alullnu's Pass. and like that has abrupt
ascrnts on both sides; but q much logger
tunnel il unavoidable The approach ON
the eastern side, from its appearances, Is
nue., more costly than tia, from the west.
crn side. on account OF several heavy rayincs
and because the country on the eastern side
il 5G7 feet lower ut the proposed tunnel en-
trance than the western. captain Mullan,
who surveyed this pass, thus refers 70 it in
his report
The tunnel will be 10 miles in length,
when there will be a cut commencing fifty
feet deep and coming out in the valley OF
the D.l....soo: five hundred and tifty.eight
thvusanu,.ls Of mile west Of the tunnel,
fncurly six.,cn,l,s of mile] The cut and
the tunnel nave grade OF sixty feet TO the
mile. The highest point Of The road, there.
fore, will be ut the entrance OF the cut, al
elevation of five thousand one hundred and
ninety five feet above the level Of the sea.
and eight hundred and forty nine below the
mountain summit. (Summit Of the ground.
GOA feet The entrance of the cut will be
two a,d nine hundred and tifty.cight thou
ssndtLs miles t2 95 miles, west of the west
crn base of the mountain, which Is five
hundred and sixty feet higher than
the eastern"
Captain Mullan's line approached the
eastern end Of the tunnel with 50 feet per
mile grades. BY the use Of 50 feet per mile
grades the tunnel on his line could be started
900 feet higher and would he considerably
shortened; but it is obvious that this portion
of tho route would be very costly and difi'
cult.
CAPTAIN Mullan also surveyed a route
through Lewis and Ckrk's Pass. This: as
well rs the other, was traced from the Mis-
souri,, via Sun river, and on the last nineteen
miles approaching the tunnel, he reports
Every heavy and difficult work. The tun.
nc itself is 2s miles long The summit level
Of the tunnel Is at .debouche half mile
west of the western base Of the mountain,
and 8. O96 feet above the sea-" THE noun
tain pass being $50 feet above the sea"
The difficulties OH the Lewis and Clarke
Pass route. as surveyed, are so great Is to
render 1t almost impracticablc in view Of the
fact that there are other routes more advan
tageous We then proceeded from Helena
10 Bozeinan city, where we were well re-
ccived by the gentlemen of that place, and
there met delegation OF gentlemen from
from Virginia city, who accompanied us
over to the Yellowstone. (Col Bracket,
WHO is in command of Fort Ellis, about
three miles from Bohemian, kindly furnish
cd US an escort under the command OF Lieut..
Hamilton, who went with our party over
the BOzrman summit and back.)
II will b. impossible for me, in the space
and time contemplated for this preliminary
report, to consider thoroughly aud properly
discuss in detail, the merits Of the several
routes proposed for the road crossing tho
Rocky Mountains; enough, however. is
known to enable me 10 offer an approximate
estimate of tho cost, etc, Of constructing
railroad Of about two thousand miles in
length. between Lake Superior md Puget
Sound. hy the route Of the Missouri river
valley part Of the way, and by the Yellow.
stone valley from its mouth, via Eozealan's
Pass. ns already described.
(Thc country westward from Lake Su-
pcrior to the Missouri river has been 81 fire.
auently explored that is characteristics arc
now well known. They are ably and clear.
" set forth in the reports made to you. a
few days ago, by Governor Marshall. Of
Minnesota, and Philip w. Holmes, Esq,
which have studicd) .-
PROBABLE COST OF TUE RoAD. r ~
lprcscut nm approximate estimate OF the
cost Of building the railroad, at present rul'
Ing prices for work, from Lake Superior 10
the head Of Puget Sound, distance Of two
thousand miles. on the longer of the pro-
posed routes. ~ nearly ~ can IN asccrtaincd
from former surveys and explorations, and
from my own personal observation on .
large portion of the line, Including all the
most difficult parts. .,.,.--.,ly-.-a
son,e explanatory remarks The line upon
which the estimate IL to be given runs from
the head Of Lake Superior across the Mis-,
eissippi. the Red river. and the Dakota river
"a the Missouri; thence crossing the Mis-.
souri into the valley Ut the Yellowstone,
and along that stream 10 Bozeusan1 Pass,
through the BELT rsngsof mountains; thence