ROUTE NEAR THE FORTY-SEVENTH AND FORTY-NINTH PARALLELS. 
11 
From the Rocky mountains to Seattle, wood, stone, and other building materials, are found 
along the line of the route, or at points so accessible to it, that it may he considered well sup¬ 
plied with them throughout. 
The information upon the character of the soil upon the route does not admit of satisfactory 
conclusions to he deduced. It is sufficient, however, to show that in this latitude, as in that 
of the Arkansas, the uncultivable region begins about the 99th meridian. Immediately under 
the Rocky mountains the soil improves, probably from the mountain wash. The tertiary and 
cretaceous formations extend, in these latitudes, from about the 97th meridian to the eastern 
base of the Rocky mountains, and, under the meteorological conditions found in this space, 
are unsuitable for agricultural purposes. There are some very limited exceptions to this gen¬ 
eral character in portions of river bottoms. These tertiary formations in the arid regions of 
Asia and Africa form the great deserts of those countries. 
The country west of the Rocky mountains to the Pacific slopes may likewise be described as 
one of general sterility. The eastern portion of the Great Plain of the Columbia is represented 
to be grassed ; its middle and western parts almost entirely sandy, rocky, and sterile. The 
mountain masses, spurs, and table-lands of the Cascade chain, east of the main crest, are sterile. 
There are exceptions to this general sterility in the mountain valleys, where the soil is better 
constituted for fertility, and the rains more abundant; but, although portions of these are 
suitable for agricultural purposes, they are better adapted to grazing. The sum of the areas 
of cultivable soil in the Rocky mountain region does not exceed, if it equals, 1,000 square 
miles. West of the Cascade mountains there are rich river bottoms, clay formations that are 
arable, and prairies offering good grazing. 
The principal favorable characteristics of this route are its low profile, low grades, and the 
low elevation of the mountain passes, and its connexion with the Missouri and Columbia rivers. 
The reported sum of the ascents and descents is the least of all the routes; this proportion 
may, however, be changed when the minor undulations are measured. The principal unfavor¬ 
able features are, in construction, the tunnel required on the Rocky mountains, and the difficulty 
and expense of construction from the eastern approach of the Rocky mountains to the Spokane 
river, and the expense of the construction along the Columbia river, from the Dalles to near 
Vancouver. These, when considered carefully, are serious objections to the route, not only in 
the money, but the time, they will consume. In thickly-populated countries their construction 
would be difficult and costly; situated as they are—the Rocky mountain region especially—the 
difficulties, cost, and time required, are greatly increased. 
The severely-cold character of the climate throughout the whole route, except the portion 
west of the Cascade mountains, is one of its unfavorable features; and, for national considera¬ 
tions, its proximity to the dominions of a powerful foreign sovereignty must be a serious 
objection to it as a military road. 
Its cost has been estimated by Governor Stevens, by the Columbia River valley and the Cow¬ 
litz, at $117,121,000 ; the cost of work at eastern prices having had 25 per cent, added to it 
from the Bois des Sioux to the Rocky mountains, and 40 per cent, thence to the Pacific. It 
has been thought safer to add 100 per cent, to the cost at eastern prices from the eastern slope 
of the Rocky mountains to the Pacific. This would swell the estimate to $150,871,000. 
Should Governor Stevens have included a full equipment in his estimate, $10,000,000 should 
be subtracted from this sum to bring the estimate in accordance with those of the other routes, 
and the cost then becomes $140,871,000. 
The length of the route from St. Paul to Vancouver is 1,864 miles. The sum of ascents 
and descents, as far as reported, is 18,100 feet, which will be equivalent, in the cost of working 
the road, to an increased horizontal distance of 343 miles: this added to the length of the 
line of location, gives for equated length 2,207 miles. 
From St. Paul to Seattle, by the Columbia route, is 2,025 miles, which the sum of ascents 
and descents increases to an equated distance of 2,387 miles. 
