ROUTE NEAR THE FORTY-FIRST AND FORTY-SECOND PARALLELS. 57 
open, with abundant grass on the immediate bottoms, though the hills on either side are rocky 
and bare. At the source of the Sweet Water, the summit of the South Pass is attained, its 
elevation being 7,490 feet, the distance from the first gorge in the Black mountains being 291 
miles, and from Fort Laramie 321 miles. 
This whole section, from the first gorge to the summit of the pass, 291 miles, will be expen- 
sive, and is assimilated, in amount of work required, to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, 
and may be estimated, therefore, to cost, for construction and such equipment as will be 
required for first use, 50 per cent. being added for increased cost over eastern prices, $75,000 
per mile. 
The only practicable route known, from the South Pass to the Great Basin, is by Fort 
Bridger through the passes in the Wahsatch mountains, explored by Lieutenant Beckwith. 
The route would traverse the Great Plateau, following Sandy creek, a tributary of Green river, 
to the crossing of the latter, from which point to Fort Bridger no doubt exists of its practi- 
cability. The distance is 131 miles; the elevation of Fort Bridger, 7,254 feet. 
The amount of work on this section would be considerably less than that on the preceding, 
and the construction and equipment may be estimated to cost $50,000 or $55,000 per mile; 50 
per cent. being added to the cost at eastern prices. 
From Council Bluffs to Fort Bridger the distance is 942 miles, and from Fort Leavenworth 
1,072 miles. 
The points of supply for ties, lumber, &c., will be found only at the eastern extremity, 
on the Black Hills and on the Wind River mountains, the distances apart being 500 and 
300 miles. Fuel for working parties will be found along the Platte; none on the streams of 
the great plain west of the South Pass. Good building-stone is found on the Sweet Water. 
Coal is to be had at the eastern terminus, and extensive beds exist on Green river and its 
affluents; the distance apart of the points of supply being about 800 miles. 
The route along the South fork of the Platte and Lodge Pole creek, by the Cheyenne Pass 
and Bridger’s Pass, is not so well known as the other. Lodge Pole creek has never been 
continuously explored, and there is no profile of this route. Respecting the Cheyenne Pass, 
Captain Stansbury says his ‘‘examinations fully demonstrate the existence of a route through 
the Black Hills, not only practicable, but free from any obstructions involving in their removal 
great or unusual expenditure.’’ He gives no estimated grades, and had no barometer or other 
instrument for measuring elevations. 
From the Cheyenne Pass to Fort Bridger “the country can be crossed in many places, the 
choice being determined by considerations of fuel and water.’’ That selected crosses the 
divide between the waters of the North fork of the Platte and Green river, by Bridger’s Pass. 
The expense of construction on this route, from the Cheyenne Pass to Fort Bridger, would 
probably be less than that along the Platte. The rock-cutting would be small in amount, 
and in soft material. It crosses ground much cut up by ravines and gullies, and in many 
places easily torn up by the torrents, probably requiring care in location, and much masonry, 
which the absence of good building-stone would render expensive. Captain Stansbury says 
an extensive embankmentwill be required on Muddy creek, west of Bridger’s Pass. The dis- 
tance from Council Bluffs to Fort Bridger by this route is 897 miles. 
A reliable comparison of the cost of the two routes cannot be made with the present informa- 
tion; and in the estimate of the cost of the whole route, I shall adopt that by the South 
Pass, though Captain Stansbury, who examined both, is positive in his preference of the other. 
It is probable that no unusual difficulty may be apprehended from the depth of snow be- 
tween Fort Laramie and Fort Bridger. The quantity that falls is not exactly known. 
The eastern terminus of the exploration of Lieutenant Beckwith upon the route of the 41st 
parallel is at Fort Bridger, situated on Black’s fork, a tributary of Green river, at an eleva- 
tion of 7,254 feet above the sea. The line ascends the divide between the waters of Green 
river and those of the Great Salt lake, by the valley of Black’s fork or of one of its tributa- 
8a 
