FROM TIMAS TILLAGES TO COLORADO RIVER. 
39 
Adding one hundred per cent, to these several costs, we have for the cost per mile of the 
respective sections $30,000, $57,600, and $89,800. The total amounts are exhibited as follows: 
2-30 miles of prairie division, at $30,000 per mile, gives. $6,900,000 
65 miles of rolling division, at $57,600 per mile, gives. 3,744,000 
*50 miles of mountainous division, at $89,800 per mile, gives. 4,490,000 
345 $15,134,000 
Average cost per mile. $43,866 
Section 4. DESCRIPTION OF ROUTE. FROM THE PIMAS VILLAGES TO COLORADO RIVER. 
To complete the central. section so that it shall embrace the entire district between the 
Rio Grande and Colorado, the best, in fact, the only line of location beyond the Pimas villages, 
will extend down the Rio Gila, on its left hank, following mainly the trace of the present 
wagon road to the crossing of the Colorado at Fort Yuma. Immediately beyond the Pimas 
and Maricopa villages the river makes a bend northward, turning the point of one of the 
isolated ridges found in that region. To avoid this bend, the line of location should leave 
the river valley at the Maricopa wells, and cross the ridge at a very favorable depression 
now occupied by the wagon road.f There are two summits which do not differ much in 
height, and have an elevation above the river bottom at the Maricopa wells of about three 
hundred and seventy-four feet, and at the Laguna or Tezotal below about eight hundred feet. 
The approaches to these summits are exceedingly favorable, being smooth plains extending up 
from the river bottom to the bases of the superposing ridges, which are broken so as to give an 
open and free transit through from the Maricopa slope on the one side to the Tezotal slope on 
the other. There will be required some excavation in the vicinity of the ridges, and the cross¬ 
ing can he effected on an ascending grade of about twenty-eight feet per mile, and a descending 
one of about thirty feet per mile; thence ascending thirty-three feet per mile to the western 
summit; thence to the Gila, with a descending grade depending upon the point at which the 
river is reached, between thirty and seventy feet per mile ; yet, by following the river valley 
around the point of the ridge, a continuously descending grade of 5.6 feet per mile can he 
had, hut at the sacrifice of about thirty miles in distance. This route may he found preferable 
on account of its passing near the mouth of the Salinas river, a large tributary from the north 
and east, draining an extensive district reported to he suitable for extensive agricultural opera¬ 
tions. 
From Tezotal to Fort Yuma the river valley can he followed the entire distance one 
hundred and twenty-two miles. Of this distance there are about one hundred miles which are 
highly favorable to a rapid and very economical construction of road, the river bottom being 
broad and smooth, affording fine opportunities for long tangents. At several points, however, 
the basaltic mesas impinge upon the river, hut these can he passed without much labor, the 
underlying strata being soft and friable sandstones, and in some instances simply diluvial or 
tertiary beds of gravel and clay, &c., where these bluffs occupy both sides ; the narrow lerme at 
their foot can he easily protected by rip-rap work, and rendered available for the support of a 
road bed. The difference in elevation between Tezotal and the crossing of the Colorado is about 
five hundred and seventy feet, giving an average descending grade of about 4.6 feet per mile.f 
°Many miles of this distance properly belong to the preceding division in character, though more rugged, and will 
require a greater outlay per mile. The actual mountainous section, as it is termed, does not exceed fifteen miles. 
f This cut-off is called the Jornada de las Estrellas. 
t The descent of the river bed in all its meanderings is much less. 
