ROUTE NEAR THE THIRTY SECOND PARALLEL. 81 



route of the 35th parallel, and, with the assistant railroad engineer, reports the existence of 

 good building-stone there. From the Guadalupe mountains to the Rio Grande excellent 

 building-stone is found. 



The existence of coal upon the Brazos is of importance to this route. Fuel for working the 

 road, as well as lumber, will be considered separately for the whole route. 



In general it may be remarked on this section of the route near the 32d parallel, from the Red 

 river to the Rio Grande, 780 miles, that the topographical features of the ground present no 

 unusual difficulties and many favorable circumstances ; that supplies of building material can be 

 obtained throughout the line without excessive cost ; and that the supply of fuel and water, 

 throughout those portions destitute of it, can be had without greatly increasing the cost of construc 

 tion and transportation. 



The elevations are : 



From Preston, on Red river, 641 feet above the level of the sea, the ground rises 



in six miles to the level of about 1,200 feet. 



At the Upper Cross Timbers 1,782 feet. 



At the West fork of Trinity 1,524 feet. 



At the Brazos river 1,700 feet. 



At the divide of the Brazos and Colorado rivers 4,237 feet. 



At the Colorado 3,989 feet. 



At the border of the Llano Estacado 4,278 feet. 



The greatest elevation of the Llano Estacado is 4,707 feet. 



The general elevation of the Llano Estacado is about 4,500 feet. 



The elevation of the Pecos, where crossed 4,070 feet. 



The elevation of the summit of the Guadalupe Pass 5,717 teet. 



The elevation of the summit of the Hueco Pass 4,812 feet. 



The general elevation of the table-lands between the Pecos and the Rio Grande, is 



from 4,000 to 4,500 feet. 



The elevation of the Rio Grande valley, at Molino, is 3,830 feet. 



ESTIMATE. 



The estimate for cost of construction is, perhaps, in excess ; the cost per mile from Fulton, 

 on Red river, to the Rio Grande, a distance of 780 miles, being at the rate of $50,000 per mile. 

 On the northern route, the estimated mean cost of the first 780 miles is about $35,400 per mile, 

 (240 miles at $25,000 per mile next, 712 miles at 840,000 per mile;) yet, from the description 

 of these portions of the two routes, it is evident the difference in cost per mile of constructing the 

 two will not be great. This is mentioned to show what different judgments are formed in 

 making these estimates, and what caution should be used in being guided by estimates in figures 

 of the costs of routes that have not been subjected to the same judgment or same standard. The 

 difference of estimated cost in this distance of 780 miles on roads that would not probably vary 

 greatly in their actual cost of construction, is $11,700,000; and if the same difference should 

 exist throughout the entire distance, it would sum up to about $35,000,000. 



2. FROM THE RIO GRANDE TO THE MOUTH OF THE GILA. 



After ascending from the bottom lands of the Rio Grande, in traversing the region examined 

 by Lieutenant Parke between these two rivers, from Dona Ana to the Pimas villages, one appears 

 to be travelling on a great plain, interrupted irregularly and confusedly by bare, rugged, abrupt, 

 isolated mountain masses, or short ranges, seemingly, though not in reality, without system. 

 Winding around these isolated or lost mountains, or using a few passes through them, a railroad 

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