TABLE OF LENGTHS, ETC. 

 A. 



31 



Table showing the lengths, sums of ascents and descents, equated lengths, cost, &c., of the several 

 routes explored for a railroad from the Mississippi to the Pacific. (For the grades, see the 

 profiles accompanying the report.) 



* These are the estimates of the office, those of Gov. Stevens having been brought to the same standard of increased cost as the other routes, 

 and his equipment reduced to that of the other routes. His estimates were $117,121,000 and 7,030,000. 



f Supposing the route to be a straight line, with uniform descent from the Uu-kuk-oo-ap mountains (near Sevier river) to the entrance of the Tah-ee- 

 chay-pah Pass, the most favorable supposition. 



tThis estimate for the route near the 35lh parallel is thought to be largely in excess. 



|| These sums do not include the areas of cultivable soil as far west as the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains. 



The sum of the minor undulations (not included in the sum of ascents and descents here given) will probably be greater for the route of the 47th 

 parallel than for the other routes ; that for the route near the 32d parallel will probably be the least of all. 



With the amount of work estimated for the roads in this report, the equated lengths corresponding to the sum of ascents and descents has hut little 

 practical value. With a full equipment and heavy freight business, the sum of ascents and descents becomes important. A comparison of the degree 

 of curvature of the routes cannot be made. 



NOTE TO TABLE A. 



The sum of the ascents and descents given for the various routes, does not take into con 

 sideration those minor undulations which sometimes largely increase the aggregate. 



I think it probable that when detailed surveys are made, it will be found that this sum for 

 the route near the 4 fall parallel will be more increased than those for the other routes, and 

 that the sum for the route near the 32d parallel will be less increased than the others. 



The equated lengths corresponding to these sums, may give erroneous impressions. If 

 the loads to be habitually carried over the roads are within the power of the engines over 

 the greatest grades proposed, then the sums of ascents and descents really have little meaning 

 or value. The wear and tear of rail and machinery, and consumption of fuel, would be some 

 what greater on the road having the largest sum ; but the difference would not be worth taking 

 into account, unless there was an equality in all other respects between the routes. 



If there are some grades so steep as to require the division of the loads habitually carried 

 over other portions, the cost of the extra locomotives, and of working them over those portions, 

 will show the extent of the disadvantage and yearly cost. 



