22 ROUTE NEAR THE THIRTY-FIFTH PARALLEL. 
The exact distances over which water is not found at certain seasons are not stated. 
Between the 100th meridian and the Pacific there are spaces destitute of it, where, from 
the known character of the geological structure, there is no doubt that sufficient supplies can be 
obtained either by deep common wells, artesian wells, or reservoirs. 
These more abundant supplies of timber and water, west of the Rio Grande, are attained 
at the expense of great elevation and somewhat rugged ground. 
The Galisteo Pass in the Rocky mountains, and the passes in the Sierra Madre, being wide 
openings, or valleys, rather than mountain passes, no difficulty need be apprehended from 
snow, even if it fell to greater depths than those known; over the remainder of the route no 
difficulty from this cause is to be met with. 
The sum of the ascents from San Pedro to Fort Smith is 24,641 feet; of descents, 21,171 
feet; equivalent, in the cost of working the road, to an increased horizontal distance of 924.5, 
- which added to the length of the line of location, 1,892 miles, gives for length of equated dis- 
tance 2,816 miles. 
The general features of the country indicated lines for examination at more than one point, 
which will probably greatly improve the route by reducing the ascents and, shortening distances. 
The party was, however, unable to examine them. 
The heaviest grades that will probably be required on the route from Fort Smith to San 
Pedro, do not equal those in use on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. 
The description of the topographical features of the route is not sufficiently minute to enable 
one to form a satisfactory opinion of the difficulties of ground to be encountered, and, con- 
sequently, of the probable cost of the formation of the road-bed. Lieut. Whipple assimilates 
the several portions of the route to roads already built, possessing, as nearly as possible, similar 
features and difficulties. 
Four hundred and eighty (480) miles of the route are assimilated to the Hudson River rail- 
road, 151 miles to the Worcester and Albany railroad, (Western railroad,) and 374 miles to 
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad—making 1,005 miles assimilated to railroads among the most 
costly that have been constructed in the United States. 
The impression given by the description of the route in the report induces the opinion that 
the ground is more favorable than the comparison of Lieut. Whipple supposes. 
Assuming this assimilation to be correct, and bringing the estimate to a uniform standard 
of increased cost over eastern prices and of equipment, the estimated cost of the route from 
Fort Smith to San Pedro becomes $169,210,265. 
This estimate is believed to be, as above stated, in excess; but the data for reducing it have 
not yet been reported to the department. 
Should it be desired to reach San Francisco by the Tulares and San Joaquin valleys, the 
route should leave the Mohave valley some 30 miles before reaching the entrance to the Cajon 
Pass, 1,768 miles from Fort Smith—elevation about 2,555 feet—and proceed across the south- 
west corner of the Great Basin towards the Tah-ee- ranean Pass, reaching its entrance at an 
elevation of 3,300 feet, in a distance of about 80 miles. The route from this point is coincident 
with that Berenice ceened for the 32d parallel. 
The sum of ascents from San Francisco to Fort Smith, by the route from Mohave river to 
Tayee-chay-pah Pass, is 25,570 feet; of descents, 25,100 feet; the equivalent in miles of hori- 
zontal road is 963 miles, which added to the location-distance between those two points, 2,174 
miles, gives for equated length of road 3,137 miles. 
The exploration of the route by Lieut. Whipple, and his report thereon, are entitled to 
the highest commendation, for the completion of the work in all its parts, the full and exact 
observations which he made for the determination of longitudes and latitudes, and the wide 
range of scientific research which he instituted into all the collateral branches connected with 
.the question which his exploration was designed to solve. 
