The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-11-04
Survey Of the Natchess Pass.
Tacoma Ledger.

The work of exploring and surveying
for railroad route over the Cascade
mountains is about concluded. The
engineer in charge, Col. Smith, and
his assistants Messrs. White and Clark,
are now here engaged on the maps,
profiles, estimates and report of the
same. The two parties under Messrs.
White and Sheets, respectively, have
for some time been engaged on the
route through the Natchess pass.
They have ascertained the best APP
prOaches to the pass from both the east
and the west side of the mountains;
the curves have been run in, the tun-
nels located, and all the difficult pOr-
tions of the line measured and esti-
mated with all the thoroughness re-
quired for the company to decide with
out further information the merits of
the route. Mr.. Sheets party, under
the direction of Mr.. Kingsbury, re-
mains out to finish some details of the
work on the west side, while the former
is engaged in making reconnaissance
toward the head of
GREEN RIVER
For pass reported to exist there, and
to be much lower than any hitherto
discovered. That low depression in
the mountain range to the north of
Rainier which is apparent from Ia
coma, which seems to be far below the
snow line, and which we have been
accustomed to regard as the Snoqual-
mie pass, is now declared to be the
Green river pass. Within three weeks
the parties now out will have re-
turned.
The general result as to the Natchess
is that it is fairly feasible route, less
| difficult and expensive by far than
| that portion of the Central Pacific
which crosses the Sierra Nevada range,
the tunnels of which are long, and the
curves abrupt, with snow sheds over
| 10 miles in length. There are two
| Natchess passes, about five miles
apart, called the North and South
passes. A road through either would
require a tunnel, but the formeris pre-
| ferred. On the eastern side of the
mountains from the North pass the
grades and work are very light. The
distance from the summit to the mouth
of the Natchess river at
YAKIMA CITY
Is about 63 miles, the first Is or 90 miles
being of very light work and the re-
mainder, say 10 miles to Yakima,
though somewhat heavier, passing rs
it does over some rocky points and
crossing the river a number of times,
will be nevertheless light in grade and
work. On the western side of the
range line has been surveyed from
the tunnel of the North pass to the
valley of the Greenwater, distance
e I t., "a
east and west Of the South pass. The
stretch of II miles from the summit of
the North pass in descending to the
valley of the Greenwater will be of
maximum grade; thence to Willleson,
40 miles, the work required would be
comparatively light with the eXcep-
ton of or miles near Mud Mount
ain where it will be heavier but quite
practicable for a railroad. Adding to
the distance above given the 81 miles
of line already constructed and in OPP
Grafton between Tacoma and Wilke-
son, road from here through the
North Matches pass to the plains of
measure only about l46 miles. The
question of
SUPERIORITY
OF the several routes surveyed is now
to be determined by the company be-
fore any active work of construction
will begin. AS was stated ut the time
these surveys began last spring, it is
their intention to build over that line
which from the reports shall be the
cheapest and best, in view as we'll of
the cost of operating the road as of
the required outlay in original con-
sfr.ofion