RAILROAD REPORT ROUTE WEST OF CASCADE RANGE. 47 



to the north, but, even if this should not prove to be so, both the ascending and descending grades 

 could be reduced, by side location and an increase of distance, to less than 200 feet per mile. 

 This could be easily done, as the ridge is not furrowed by many ravines. The removal of a large 

 quantity of timber would be the principal difficulty. 



From the summit of the pass to the Willamette valley, the railroad would follow a route which 

 we could not travel over, on account of an immense number of logs that completely blocked up 

 the way. We passed along ridges, however, from which we could overlook it, and see that the 

 fallen timber was probably the only serious obstacle. The great ravine extending north and 

 south could be crossed, and Clackamas ravine entered by a lateral canon and followed, apparently 

 without any obstruction from bends or side spurs, to the valley. The approximate distance 

 would be thirty-eight miles, and the approximate grade, for most of the way, 125 feet per mile. 

 It would be less than this, near the summit. 



Throughout the whole distance, the supply of timber, water and stone is abundant. Occa 

 sionally a little heavy rock and earth cutting would be required, but the chief difficulty, in 

 preparing the road bed, would be to clear away the mass of timber, logs, and underbrush, which 

 now renders portions of the route utterly impassable. During the winter, it is probable that the 

 pass is blocked up with snow, to a depth of 20 or 25 feet, but concerning this, nothing is known 

 with certainty. 



PROPOSED RAILROAD ROUTE FROM VANCOUVER TO FORT READING, WEST OF THE CASCADK 



RANGE. SURVEYED BY LIEUT. ABBOT. 



The party which examined this route, was deprived of its escort, by the officer commanding 

 the Columbia River and Puget Sound District. As this loss caused the survey to be made under 

 great disadvantages, and prevented certain important side explorations, it has been deemed 

 proper to state, in full, the circumstances of the case, and to give a detailed account of the Indian 

 disturbances, which greatly embarrassed the party in the performance of the duties assigned to 

 it by the War Department. This has been done in Chapter V, under the date October 19, and 

 between the dates October 30 and November 5, inclusive. 



The result of the survey showed the route to be much more favorable to the construction of 

 a railroad, than had been anticipated, and, although certain portions of the line actually exam 

 ined were found to be very unfavorable, it is thought that a way to avoid these places would 

 have been discovered by further exploration, had not this been prevented by the loss of the 

 escort. 



The climate of the regions through which this route passes, is mild. The mean winter 

 temperature, for the two years 1853 and 1854, was 33. 78 Fah., at Fort Jones, which is situated 

 upon the coldest portion of the line. At Fort Reading, for the same years, it was 46. 12 Fah., 

 and at Fort Vancouver, for the four years, 1850, 51, 52, 53, it was 39. 54 Fah. This informa 

 tion is derived from the Army Meteorological Register, published in 1855. Unpublished records 

 of the medical department show that the mean temperature at Fort Lane, for the winter of 1856, 

 was 38. 89 Fah. It appears from these data, that, should a railroad be constructed upon this 

 route, there will be little danger of serious obstruction from snow. 



An unlimited supply of wood, water and stone, for railroad purposes, is found in the 

 immediate vicinity of this line, throughout its whole extent. It only remains, therefore, to 

 consider the route with reference to the actual difficulties of construction. 



It may be well to state, that, as the grades upon the route travelled are given on profile No. 1, 



