ROUTE NEAR THE THIRTY SECOND PARALLEL. 
81 
route of the 35th parallel, and, with the assistant railroad engineer, reports the existence of 
good building-stone there. From the Guadalupe mountains to the Rio Grande excellent 
building-stone is found. 
The existence of coal upon the Brazos is of importance to this route. Fuel for working the 
road, as well as lumber, will be considered separately for the whole route. 
In general it may be remarked on this section of the route near the 32d parallel, from the Red 
river to the Rio Grande, 780 miles, that the topographical features of the ground present no 
unusual difficulties and many favorable circumstances ; that supplies of building material can be 
obtained throughout the line without excessive cost; and that the supply of fuel and water, 
throughout those portions destitute of it, can be had without greatly increasing the cost of construc¬ 
tion and transportation. 
The elevations are: 
From Preston, on Red river, 641 feet above the level of the sea, the ground rises 
in six miles to the level of about... 
At the Upper Cross Timbers...•. 
At the West fork of Trinity... 
At the Brazos river. 
At the divide of the Brazos and Colorado rivers. 
At the Colorado....... 
At the border of the Llano Estacado. 
The greatest elevation of the Llano Estacado is... 
The general elevation of the Llano Estacado is about. 
The elevation of the Pecos, where crossed... 
The elevation of the summit of the Guadalupe Pass. 
The elevation of the summit of the Hueco Pass. 
The general elevation of the table-lands between the Pecos and the Rio Grande, is 
from...4,000 to 
The elevation of the Rio Grande valley, at Molino, is.. 
ESTIMATE. 
The estimate for cost of construction is, perhaps, in excess; the cost per mile from Fulton, 
on Red river, to the Rio Grande, a distance of 780 miles, being at the rate of $50,000 per mile. 
On the northern route, the estimated mean cost of the first 7S0 miles is about $35,400 per mile, 
(240 miles at $25,000 per mile—next, 712 miles at $40,000 per mile;) yet, from the description 
of these portions of the two routes, it is evident the difference in cost per mile of constructing the 
two will not be great. This is mentioned to show what different judgments are formed in 
making these estimates, and what caution should be used in being guided by estimates in figures 
of the costs of routes that have not been subjected to the same judgment or same standard. The 
difference of estimated cost in this distance of 780 miles on roads that would not probably vary 
greatly in their actual cost of construction, is $11,700,000; and if the same difference should 
exist throughout the entire distance, it would sum up to about $35,000,000. 
2. FROM THE RIO GRANDE TO THE MOUTH OF THE GILA. 
After ascending from the bottom lands of the Rio Grande, in traversing the region examined 
by Lieutenant Parke between these two rivers, from Dona Ana to the Pimas villages, one appears 
to be travelling on a great plain, interrupted irregularly and confusedly by bare, rugged, abrupt, 
isolated mountain masses, or short ranges, seemingly, though not in reality, without system. 
Winding around these isolated or lost mountains, or using a few passes through them, a railroad 
11a 
1,200 
feet. 
1,782 
feet. 
1,524 
feet. 
1,700 
feet. 
4,237 
feet. 
3,989 
feet. 
4,278 
feet. 
4,707 
feet. 
4,500 
feet. 
4,070 
feet. 
5,717 
feet. 
4,812 
feet. 
4,500 
feet. 
3,830 
feet. 
