CHAPTER II. 



RAILROAD REPORT. 



General summary.— Proposed railroad route from benicia to fort reading. — Proposed railroad route from fort reading 

 to vancouver, east of the cascade range.— route from camp 36, near tub head of dbs chutes valley, to fort 

 dalles. — Route from the des chutes to the Willamette valley, by the new pass near mount hood. — Proposed 

 railroad route from vancouver to fort reading, west of the cascade range. 



GENERAL SUMMARY. 



The detailed descriptions of the routes examined for a railroad will be prefaced by a few 

 remarks upon the relation of the different lines to each other, and upon their general character. 



The survey began at Benicia. From that place to Fort Reading, a distance of about 200 

 miles, but one route was examined. It lay through the fertile and settled valley of the Sacra- 

 mento river, where bridges would form the only expensive item in the construction of a railroad. 

 The supply of water and building material would be ample, and the average grade would not 

 exceed 5 feet per mile. 



1'wo routes, well supplied with water and building material, were examined, from Fort 

 Reading to the Columbia river— one east and the other west of the Cascade Range. A brief 

 description of each will be given. 



1. Route, east of the Cascade Range. — No insuperable obstacles were encountered on this route 

 until the head of the Des Chutes valley was reached ; but beyond that point it was utterly 

 impracticable. A pass was examined, however, through the Cascade Range, near Diamond 

 Peak, by which this valley could be avoided, and the Willamette river reached. The valley of 

 this stream afforded a route to the Columbia river, very favorable to the construction of a railroad. 

 This route from Fort Reading to the Columbia may be considered feasible. Its length is about 

 600 miles, of which 150 miles lie in a fertile and settled country, where the construction would 

 be easy. The rest of the line traverses a wilderness, generally barren, and, for the most part, 

 elevated from 4,000 to 5,000 feet above the sea. For about 200 miles of the latter section no very 

 heavy work would be required, but for the remaining 250 miles the expense of construction would 

 be very great. The chief obstacles would be encountered in crossing the western chain of the 

 Sierra Nevada ; in passing the two canons of Pit river ; in constructing the road along the 

 shore of Upper Klamath lake ; in following the canon of Klamath river, between Upper and 

 Lower Klamath lakes ; and in crossing the Cascade Range to the Willamette valley. 



It is thought that there would be danger of occasional obstruction from snow during a few 

 months in the year, upon the portion of this route east of the mountains. 



2. Route west of the Cascade Range.— The loss of the escort rendered it impossible to make 

 any side examinations upon this line. Although the travelled route proved much better than 

 had been anticipated, some portions of it were impracticable for a railroad. There are, however, 

 good reasons for believing that by further examination these places could be avoided. 



