ADVANTAGES OF THIRTY-SECOND PARALLEL ROUTE. 41 



Summing up these several sections, we find the lengths and cost of proposed roads to San 

 Diego aud San Francisco to be as follows : 



Length, miles. Copt. 



Fullon to Frontera 793 $31,812,000 



Frontera to Fort Yuma 545 19,022,000 



Fort Yuma to San Diego 189 *'7,571,500 



From Fulton to San Diego 1,527 59,005,500 



Average cost per mile $38,641 



Length, miles. Cost. 



Fulton to Frontera 793 $31,812,000 



Frontera to Fort Yuma 545 19,022,000 



Fort Yuma to San Francisco bay 634 31,378,750 



From Fulton to San Francisco 1,972 82,812,750 



Average cost per mile $41,991 



In contemplating the question of the construction of a railroad from the valley of the Mis- 

 sissippi to the Pacific ocean, the three features, length of road, elevation to be overcome, and 

 climate of the district to he traversed, are important considerations, and in the greatest degree 

 determine the practicability of the route proposed. The roufe by the 32d parallel possesses 

 decided advantages, as regards these three features, viz : 1st, by making San Diego the termi- 

 nus, it is by far the shortest line between the Mississippi river and the Pacific ocean. 



2d. The elevations to be overcome are the least, and it is believed that the maximum elevation 

 on the line, which is east of the Rio Grande, will be materially diminished by future explora- 

 tions. 



;id. The climate is particularly favorable, in regard both to the construction and the running 

 of the road, there being no obstacles to parties working throughout the year, and no snows to 

 embarrass the track. 



There is also another advantage possessed by this route alone. The material and supplies for 

 construction can be delivered at the crossing of the Colorado, a point to which steamboats are 

 now plying from the head of the Gulf of California, and by this means the track-lying can be 

 pushed both eastward and westward, in addition to that progressing from the two termini. 



The grades are generally very light, and the character of country is such as will admit of 

 rapid construction. The disadvantage of this route is the scarcity of wood and water along 

 portions of the proposed line on the great plateau of the continent, but this Im true in a greater 

 or less degree of every other line acro.ss the continent, particularly in regard to the snpjdy of wood. 

 The scarcity of water is found on plain stretches, where the grades will be exceedingly light, so 

 that the maximum effective force of the locomotive, on portions of the road where heavier grades 

 are encountered, will not be materially diminished by the additional weight of water required 

 to traverse the increased interval between stations where the lightest grades exist. 



As to the time required to complete the construction, this will depend on other considerations 



° Applying the same standard to the western section from Fort Yuma to San Diego, as applied to the most difficult pir- 

 tion of this route, between the Timas villages and the Uio Grande, and to the portion of the Gila valley from tho Pimas 

 villages to Fort Yuma, ne have to add to Poole's estimate S3, 258, 500, which gives for the total amount of western section 

 to San Diego, $62,264,000. Average cost per mile, $40,775. 



6T 



