112 CASCADE MOUNTAINS AND PASS OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 



The crossing of the Columbia at the Snake river presents no special difficulties. From the 

 Dalles to Vancouver, there will be expensive rock-cutting. All the streams can be easily bridged. 



This is not the place to discuss whether the road should keep north or south of the Columbia 

 river the whole distance. The crossing at Vancouver is undoubtedly objectionable, as interfering 

 with navigation. There is an excellent crossing at the Cascades, at the Dalles, and at several 

 points thence to Wallah-Wallah. The final location cannot be properly made till the practicable 

 connexions are made with the Salt lake, the Willamette valley, and California, to all which routes 

 the line down the Columbia, either in whole or in part, will be the main trunk. It is possible 

 a better deflection to the vaUey of the Columbia may be found a little more eastward of the present 

 route, close under the base of the Cceur d Alene mountains, to a crossing of the Snake between 

 the Peluse and the Kooskooskia, and thence to the valley of the Wallah- Wallah river, and 

 thus the route made to lend itself to either bank of the river and its several connexions. In the 

 vicinity of Vancouver, the crossing, instead of being by a bridge, might be effected by suitable 

 ferry-boats. It is sufficient for my present purpose that there is a favorable route down the 

 Columbia, and that a connexion can be made with the valley of the Willamette. 



In view of the agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial advantages of Oregon, the navi 

 gability of the Columbia to Vancouver and Portland for sea-going vessels and steamers, and the 

 rich character of much of the adjoining country in the Territory of Washington, and looking 

 also to a connexion with California, I am of opinion that a line down the Columbia, thus found 

 eminently practicable by the exploration, must enter into every plan of railroad connexion from 

 the St. Lawrence basin, by the northern route, to the Pacific. 



The question simply is, whether the unrivalled commercial advantages of that sound, its being 

 six hundred miles nearer to Asia, making it the natural port of freights and passengers to our 

 entire North and to Europe, are such as will authorize the construction of a road through the 

 Snoqualme Pass, even at the expense of much difficult work and tunnelling, in order to save the 

 increased distance of one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty miles of the line of the 

 Cowlitz. 



For detailed information in reference to the geographical description of the Cascades, I will 

 respectfully refer you to the reports of Captain George B. McClellan and Lieutenant J. K. 

 Duncan, C No. 7 and C No. 8; and of the line of the Lower Columbia, to the same reports 

 and that of Mr. F. W. Lander, B No. 6. The report of Dr. Cooper, C No. 9, will give some 

 interesting facts in relation to the natural history. 



