CHAPTER XIII. 



Comparison of the Distances on Several Routes. 



The several distances to Horse Plain, where the three routes by the Bitter Root river, the 

 Jocko, and by the cut-off from the point of departure in the Blackfoot pass, are respectively 

 143 miles, 136 miles, and 111 miles. The route by the Bitter Root river will be adopted in sub 

 sequent comparisons. 



The whole length of this route from St. Paul, by Little Falls, the Grand Coulee, the Milk 

 River valley, the northern approach by Lewis and Clark s Pass, by the Blackfoot River valley, 

 and the three several routes as above, by Clark s fork, the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers, to 

 Seattle, will be 2,052, 2,045, and 2,020 miles, respectively; and by the Yakima valley and 

 Snoqualme Pass, will be 1,897, 1,890, and 1,860 miles. It is probable that further surveys will 

 reduce these distances thirty to fifty miles. By going through the Marias Pass, the distance will 

 be about the same. 



A route down the Cceur d Alene mountains would give, respectively, 1,975 and 1,829 miles. 



From Little Falls the distances are 



To Lake Superior 125 miles. 



St. Paul 112 



Chicago 435 &quot; (via Stillwater and Madison.) 



And the distances from Seattle of the two routes to these three points will be, in tabular form, as 

 follows : 



Snoqualme Pass. Columbia and Cowlitz. 



To Lake Superior 1,902 miles 2,058 miles. 



St. Paul 1,890 &quot; 2,045 &quot; 



Chicago , 2,213 &quot; 2,368 &quot; 



The following table gives a comparison between the two routes from St. Paul to Seattle, or 

 Puget sound, by the Columbia and Cowlitz, and by the Snoqualme Pass: 



Snoqualme Pass. Columbia and Cowlitz. 



Length of route 1,890 miles 2,045 miles. 



Summit level 5,300 feet 5,300 feet. 



Distance when road is 4,000 feet or more above sea 86 miles 86 miles. 



Distance when road is 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea 206 &quot; 206 &quot; 



Distance when road is 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the sea 957 &quot; 932 &quot; 



Distance when road is 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the sea 1,692 &quot; 1,564 &quot; 



Distance when road is less than 1,000 feet above the sea 174 &quot; 488 &quot; 



Length of tunnels 9.32 &quot; (long tunnel) 2.59 &quot; 



4.86 &quot; (short tunnel) 



Grades 50 to 60 feet 20 &quot; 



&quot; 30 to 50 feet 600 &quot; 580 &quot; 



to 30 feet 1,246 &quot; 1,472 



It is assumed that any route to Oregon by the South Pass must make the Great Salt lake set 

 tlement in its course, descending into its valley by the Timpanogos river, and that it will pass 

 west of the Great Salt lake. 



