hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

SURVEYS ORDERED. 521
The surveys occupied a number of years, and were
continued under acts of congress of May 31 and August
5, 1854." "They had," says Gwin, "the exact
result which I predicted, that no one route could be
agreed upon." He avoids saying that the south
would not permit the north to have a road, lest a
northern population should flow out and absorb the
public lands; and the north would not permit the
south to have it for fear the iron rails would bind
the territory acquired from Mexico, including California,
to the slave-holding states.
* The northern route along the Missouri was explored by Gov. I. I.
Steveni of Wash. Ter., and Capt. George B. McClellan of the engineer corps.
The route near the 41st and 4*ind parallels was explored by Capt. J. C. Fremont,
Capt. H. Stansbury, top. eng'rs, and Lieut E. G. Beckwith, 3d reg't
artillery. The route near the 38th and 39 th parallels was explored by Capt.
J. Vv\ Gunnison, top. eng'rs, report by Lieut E. G. Beckwith. The route
near the 35th parallel was explored by Lieut A. W. Whipple, top. •ng'rs.
T*Sn rrm A ~ AT ~ - Ort - 1 * * f he route near the 32d parallel was explored by *"* Capt. •*" John •-*— T» Pope, _- TT__-A. I.ieut
John G. Par'ce, and ^lajor William II. Emory, top. eng'ra. Examination of
extension of this route from the mouth of the Gila to San Francisco was
made by Lieut R. S. Williamson, top. eng'rs. The reports, which fill—with
those oi subsequent explorations in California, Oregon, New Mexico, and the
Pacific coast generally, and which include observations upon the mineralogy,
botany, forestry, and fauna of thii coast and Indian characteristics and CUBtonn—seven
quarto volumes, are a::iong the most interesting documents ever
published by the government. Vol. I. is devoted to a report of Jefferson
bayis, sec. of war, condensed from the several reports of tne different expeditions,
with a tabulated statement of the distances, altitudes, estimated
cost, etc., of"the various Iine3 surveyed. I take from this elaborate table a
few figures. The northern route, from St Paul to Vancouver, was estimated
to be in a straight line 1,445 miles, by the proposed railroad route 1,864
miles, sum of ascents and descents 18,100 feet, cost $130,781,000; route
near the 41st and 42d parallels from Council Bluffs to Bcnicia, distance in a
straight line 1,410 miles, by the proposed route 2,032 miles, sum of ascents
and descents 29,120 feet, cost $116,095,000; route near the 38th and 3Cth
parallels, from Westport to S. F. by the Cochetopa and Taheachaypah passes,
distance in a straight line 1,740 miles, by the proposed route 2,080 miles,
sum of ascents and descents 49,986 feet, cost ' so great that the road is impracticable;
' route from and to the same points by the Cochetopa and Madeline
passes, distance 10 miles greater, and sum of ascents aud descents
56,514 feet, cost same as above; route near the 35th parallel, from Fort
Smith to San Pedro, distance in a straight lino 1,360 miles, by the proposed
line 1,892 miles, sum of ascents and descents 48,812 feet, cost $169,216,265;
branch road from the Mojave river to S. F., distance 400 miles, sum of ascents
and descents 7,500 feet, cost $19,935,000; route near the 32d parallel,
from Fulton to San Pedro, distance 1,400 miles in a straight line, by the
proposed route 1,618 miles, sum of ascents and descents 32,784 feet, cost
168,970,000; extension to S. F., distance 440 miles, sum of ascents and descents
10,150 feet, cost $25,100,000. On none of these routes were there
more than 670 miles of cultivable land reported; on some not more than 374.
Pac R. R. Rcptf i. 31; Beechy, in Royal Geog. Soc Proceedings, 1866, 165.