Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-03-09
rHEylLLKr ROUTE TO rHr PACIFIC,


Tue iyur principal routes thnl have been
11ry1ged % the Pacific have The following
mead elevation Above thu soa leveli 4. The
ektremo southern OF Tc1aa Pacific totle,
sklfting The border Of MuSico, has an atcfAgt
altitude of a,sO feet; 9. Tho abeh parallel
route, 5000 feet, 3. The middle route, ex-
lending LII miles from Omaha 10 sacra-
from Lake Superior and b. Paul 70 Puget
sound, 1000 feet ,.Ak,,
The middle route tnpk occapled by ,be
Union aud Central PAaIhc foadt scales Tour
principal suthmits, having the following ele-
fatons, 0,1e0 feet, 7,0t9 feet !, t6s feet, and
3, ,2S5 feet. The northern, route has on ia
main line eo, one principal summlh and tSsl
feet. Nine hundred SontinuoIs miles on ' he
middle route have a greater average eleva-
uon than the highest summit on The north
ern, and $50 continuous miles ou The former
limo arc 1000 feet above tho hlghes, point ou
The remarkably low altitude Of the north
sIn line fully IS snE.le " as,|s9a.lSn \, IA % \. Y
N, from lake superior for distance Of
800 miles on thls line the country Il avast
plain, partly tlmberod but mainly prairie,
gradually rising from 100 feet elevation
above The sea near Lake Superior, 10 9T0
feet near ne Rocky Mountains. This plain
has varied surface, and In its deprcssions
now the navigahlo waters of the Mlasisaippl,
the Red, Tho Upper MiasoaTi, and the fel-
lors.one, and their mauy tribulArics.
Mistlaipp and the ned River Oh The North
the northern route traterses the rolling
prAlfies Of Dakota 10 The broad aud fertile
yalleye OF the Missouri and Yellowstone.
Tho latter u follows nearly thp entire length
Of Montana 70 the foot Of he nountalnG.
Ascending the eaatern alnpe BY an almost i'm
percoptible grade, and surmountlng the SIN
gle divide BY q pass % tcmsreahle that y
Mounialna,@ the northern ilns entan he
ynllay Of abraneh Of ihe OoluIhbla and fol
lows that noblo river. 70 tldo-wnler on tho
Pacific. The leading Advantages resulting
70 the Northern rarlne railroad from the
low altitude OF the valley rodte along which
it ls building are; I. A mild climate Ard q
sheltered position. q Exemption from deep
and drifting enowu, and hence with orhinary
stfuctious. 3. A productive and verdnfe-
coyered country nanking The road, resulting
In rapid settlement iargU tfibuiAfy bopi-
lation and probable local trafic. 4. An
abundance of good waior. 5. saving Of
many millions In cost OF construction, With 4
proportionate reduction Of interest burden.
0. A Succession Of natural and easy grades,
WHICH VIII AINIAIN IOOuCt the CD1A Nl tIUIul-
Ing the road, and enable the same motive
power 10 accomplish far greater results, both
In speed and traffic, than are possible on an
elevated or mountain route. - -
The expcrience Of the past winter, the se-
verest alncc our Territories were eottled and
not likely 70 DO repeated for mauy Year,, has
thoroughly justined the claim that the North
ern Paolhe road, when completed, will not bo
ettny umo oosuuctea " SNOW, Autnen.ie
reporh otncial, unoincia and Incidental,
ltary and signal ofiicers and settlers, retiru.
sentinQ an ln,portant seciIona oi The route.
agree that during the past hard winter there
has not been dime whom, with the procAu-
tions usually taken on roAds In Northern
States, Northern Pacific trains could not have
made regular trips.
Chief Engineer Roberts, Of the Northern
Pacific road, who hAA no superior 10 bia pro-
the Western snow problem during the past
three years and In q recent report, based on
very full data, he sums up his concluslons In
this sentence. with Ordinary means Of pro
lection At exposed polnls the Northern Pa
cihc railroad, when completed BY the Yol.
lowStone routs, can unquestlonably be kept
open for regular traffic lts entire length
across The continent, even during winters a.
severe as the present. should they occur.
He further says, allnding 70 mass Of teati.
mony fFum MontAnAl g i17 7 =
"Thess very hyofAble ftporls during yin.
tsr % enpr.eedented severity coser the iaoll
sisvse,s ano moentainoas peltiona 2! cur nngl
srrr - :. ~, ~. ,,,,., ..d ~. 4. ,.....,
bsf.d maj the oh.,ruStisns os fns tjui1u Pseias
have been Virtually csnanpd % : section Of isI
nilea, syury part o. which u a least Loo feet
higher than the highest sammit on ths North.
ere route and mest o. which y 2 ~ 70 400 let
nt .et tnAn ne molnt..n sootlon oi - va ieutth
fectiv rafe ~ rred,et for M Istisr nj -
exemption from Vintsr biockads ns 4 sn,oycd
BY railroads in New York and New England"
Iutellieent iudxes bolluve that he Union
Pacific COMPANY, taught hy experienoe. viii
be able hereafter 10 prevent any serjous blorlrs
ade on their line. Whether thIs shal PROV
true or not II can be consldercd settied ina,