= ale iaictatn tee 
) INDIANOLA 
ty. Should one of the contemplated railroads to the © 
Pacific be extended west from San Antonio, with its _ 
terminus here, Indianola will rank second only to New 
Orleans among the cities of the gulf in commerce and 
population. 
_The necessity of giving early employment to the 
large corps of engineers attached to the Commission, — 
in the duties which appertained to their profession, : 
induced me, among other reasons, to make an examina — 
tion of the country between Indianola and our place of © 
destination on the Rio Grande, in order to ascertain the — 
facilities it afforded for a railroad. With this view 1 
caused a party to be organized to make a chain and — 
compass survey, and to carry a line of levels to deter — 
mine a profile of the route from this point to El Paso — 
del Norte. The eyes of the South had long been di — 
rected this way ; for whether there might be a more — : 
practicable route or not further north, it was a question — 
of great importance to the southern section of the — 
Union, that all the information possible, should be ob- — 
tained with reference to the country we were about to_ 2 
traverse, and its practicability for the purpose of a rail . 
road. i= 
The various engineers, surveyors, and accitant 4 
were desirous to enter on active duty as soon as possi: | 
ble, and received with great satisfaction the order to 
commence their labors in a field comparatively un 
known. 
Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, of the Topographical | 
Engineers, was placed at the head of the party, an¢ — 
performed the astronomical duties; while Mr. John : 
Bull was the principal surveyor, in charge of this de — 
Vapi Ne Shee a Se Sa ehee ARIE Sag) os MRE 1k ds ene 
* 
