190 NARRATIVE OF 1853. 
engineers and business men have deemed it expedient to open other lines where the grade could 
be reduced, even if it involved costly and excessive tunneling. This is the case in Massachu- 
setts. The Great Western railroad of that State, coursing along its southern border, and 
having its terminus at Albany, has grades of eighty feet or more; and now along the northern 
border of the State they are tunneling the Hoosae mountain as long, probably, as any 
tunnel on the northern route, in order to get the grade down to sixty feet, and to open another 
connexion between the waters of the Hudson and those of Massachusetts bay, at a saving of 
distance of only forty miles. These instances might be multiplied almost indefinitely, and they 
show precisely what our people will do when they come upon the work of our great overland 
communications. 
I had taken, however, the precaution to order from New York some barometers, and to get 
suitable supplies of drawing materials and stationery, with the view, as I reported to the depart- 
ment, of availing myself of every mode to gain a knowledge of the country. 
And in submitting the following report of my explorations of 1855 it is but justice to myself 
to say that the whole of it was done without any pecuniary assistance whatever, except the 
payment of the purchase referred to. It was done and with great personal exertion, as extra 
duty by myself and the two gentlemen with me, without causing the delay of the train for à 
single moment or the hiring of a single additional man. And thus did I gain facts which tended 
to verify the accuracy of the general results in the way of altitude in 1853; for I happened to 
have in my possession the copy of the preliminary computations for altitude, as derived from 
the barometrical observations; had it not been for this, I would not have my data even for 
publication in regard to profile. The profile itself was drawn in Olympia previous to my 
departure. 
It will also be observed that Mr. G. W. Stevens, whe had brought the portable transit 
through on the backs of animals from Fort Benton in 1853, had a little observatory made at 
Olympia, where he determined the latitude of that point. This young gentleman was of great 
promise, but to the affliction of all his friends he was drowned in the Skookum-Chuck in 
February ofthis year. He was my private secretary, and I had been exceedingly anxious that 
he should have an opportunity of resuming employment on the survey, and of going over the 
country to determine carefully the geographical positions. From causes already adverted to, 
our results for longitude were not reliable. 
I had forgotten to mention, in the proper place, that Lieutenant Arnold, who, under my 
general supervision, had relieved Captain McClellan from the charge of the military road from 
Fort Steilacoom to Fort Walla-Walla, executed the duty greatly to the satisfaction of the people 
and of the emigrants who went over the road, as well as to the satisfaction of the department. 
From his report to the War Department I give the following brief abstract and itinerary of 
his route. ' 
LIEUTENANT ARNOLD'S LABORS. 
In 1854 and 1855 Lieutenant Arnold completed the military road across the mountains by the 
Nachess pass, which had been commenced by the citizens of the Territory, and by Captain 
McClellan’s party in 1853. He thus reports on the nature of the country as it appeared to 
him in early summer : : 
Leaving Steilacoom, on the shores of the sound, the road crosses a tract of open prairies 
about ten miles in length, and nine in width, a part of what is known as the Nisqually plains. 
These plains are interspersed with beautiful lakes and scattered groves of timber, mostly oak 
and fir, the former of which must be of great value for ship building and other purposes at 
