the Pass-about 39° 30′-when it turns easterly and continues for 34 miles, passing south of Donuer lake to the Truckee river, having crossed the entire summit and snow belt, and avoided the deep and wide cañons with which this range is intersected. This portion of the line is necessarily characterized by a large proportionate distance in curves, this feature being imposed not only by the abrupt and broken nature of the country and its materials of granite and porphyry, but by the necessity of obtaining distance by the grades as above intimated. The location, however, is rigidly restrained by the legal limits prescribed, both in regard to curves and inclinations. After meeting the Truckee, which is at a point about two miles east of the easterly end of Donner lake, and nearly at the confluence of the outlet of this lake with the Truckee, the line is confined to the valley of this river through the Washoe mountains as far as the Big Bend of the Truckee, where the valley widens and the stream suddenly deflects to the north. This point is 189 miles from Sacramento. On this portion of the route the general alignment becomes of a more favorable character, there being only one stretch thereof, of about 20 miles, where this stream pursues a northerly direction through a narrow and deep cañon, which necessarily diverts the line from its direct course. The Big Bend marks the westerly edge of the Truckee and Humboldt desert on which the line now emerges. Striking easterly for seven miles to turn the southern extremity of the united Truckee and Nightingale mountains, the line bends to the northeast and continues over a light, rolling and sandy country and alkaline plain for about 40 miles to the Humboldt lake; thence in the same general direction skirting the west side of the lake and its low meadows, and ascending the wide valley of the Humboldt river in a course nearly north, it reaches and crosses the 41st parallel of latitude in 117° 40' west longitude. Continuing the same direction for three miles further, it changes to an easterly direction for six miles, and here reaches its greatest departure from a straight line, joining the points of Sacramento and the northern extremity of Great Salt lake. It then bends to the southeast, recrossing the said parallel within a short distance of its intersection with the meridian of 117° 30′ west longitude; also crossing said meridian and proceeding therefrom about six miles, when it resumes its northeasterly direction and again strikes the 41st parallel in longitude 117° 20′ west. From the last-mentioned point the line runs southeasterly 36 miles, when it bends to a more easterly course, which it holds for 18 miles, skirting the northern base of the Shoshone range of mountains. Thence it deflects southerly and passes the cañon of Beowaere Gate in a distance of nine miles; thence running due east 12 miles, passing Gravelly Ford and into Ten-mile cañon, it assumes the general northeasterly direction for 90 miles, passing through various cañons of the mountain ranges of the Great Basin to Humboldt Wells. Leaving the valley of the Humboldt at this station the line assumes a more easterly general direction, with but one important detour to the south through North Pass in the Trano mountain range, and reaches Monument Point, the most northerly extremity of Great Salt lake, in a distance of 142 miles from Humboldt Wells, making, as before mentioned, a total distance of 662 miles from Sacramento. From Monument Point the line skirts the northerly shore of Salt lake, crossing the salt flats at the head of Spring bay, and thence bears in a general easterly direction to the summit in the promontory range, which it crosses through a low and very favorable pass, and skirting the southerly slopes of that range, reaches the valley of Salt lake about 10 miles north of Bear River bay; thence running slightly south of east in a direct line for 20 miles, it reaches the foot of the Wasatch mountains, in latitude about 41° 33', and deflecting to the right, follows the foot-slopes of those mountains in a southerly and very direct course for 33 miles, to the mouth of Weber cañon, making a total distance from Sacramento of 752 miles. In crossing the Great Basin the valley of the Humboldt river necessarily determined the route of the road towards the northern extremity of Great Salt lake. From the evidence furnished by the records of the various national explorations which have been made over this unsettled area, and by the surveys of the company's engineers, the commissioners are satisfied that no means have been left untried for the determination of the shortest and best route across the basin. In addition to the uses of the road as a line of continental transit, observation shows that its location must open for disposal an extensive tract of public land, which, though hitherto unknown except to a few explorers, and the emigrants who have passed over it, is likely to be found of greater agricultural and mineral importance than was previously supposed. The immediate bottom of the Humboldt has long been known as affording good pasturage and hay crops. Its ample supply of water, connected with its forage, suggests its future development as a grazing country at least, while from the facility with which its higher portions can be artificially irrigated from the river, there are reasons to believe that a more varied agriculture can be successfully undertaken. In some of the smaller tributary valleys, on soils of the same general nature, cultivation has been already commenced, the neighboring mining settlements and to some extent the military posts of the United States being supplied therefrom. The remoteness of this region, and the uncertainty of peaceful relations with its Indian population, until the building of the railroad, have not only made it undesirable for settlers, but excluded all inducements to the study of its capabilities. It was known only as an unavoidable route by which the emigrant had laboriously travelled to more inviting prospects, and was therefore dismissed as useless for any other purpose. The construction and operation of the road opening this region to observations of a different nature, must tend to a study of its real capabilities. The road, by requiring permanent establishments at various points, which will become the residence of its employés, facilitates this result in fixing germs of settlements where cultivation will be more or less undertaken, and should success attend these experiments, a demand for these lands may be expected to follow. The line, at different points, opens upon naturally favorable branch routes that connect it with remote and important places, both to the north and to the south. In the former direction we have Oregon, Idaho, and Montana; in the latter, Arizona and the country beyond, which can be reached by a favorable valley route intersecting the central portion of Nevada, and skirting in its passage the mining region of the mountain range which embraces the rich white pine district. All the branch routes, over which we believe railroads with the facilities afforded by the present road can be comparatively cheaply constructed, combine to enhance the prospective importance of the arterial line of communication. ALIGNMENT. In referring to the details of the aligument and grades of the road, we have selected the portion visited by us on which the track was laid, making an entire distance of 450 miles from Sacramento, as an ample indication of the character of the work in these respects, since all its difficult portions are therein included. In this distance the total lengths are as follows, viz: Straight lines. Curved lines Minimum lines (573 feet radius).. Miles. 264,4 185-% 2100 96 In which it appears that the proportion of entire curve to straight line is 0.413, and that of minimum curve 0.0066, nearly. GRADES. The grades from Sacramento to the summit of the Sierra Nevada are as follows, viz: Total length of level. Total length of level, 105 feet per mile.. Total length of level, 116 feet per mile (maximum). Longest plane, 116 feet per mile (maximum) Average grade to summit, 66.97 per mile.. The grades from the Sierra Nevada summit to the 450th mile are as follows, viz: Total length of level.... Total length of 95 feet per mile (maximum) Beyond the Big Bend the grades partake of a lighter character, the heaviest being but 52.8 feet per mile. At a few points in the narrow cañons of the Humboldt, the minimum curve of 573 feet radius is introduced. The limits as to curves and grades prescribed by law, with the conditions of the topography of the country, appear to us to have enforced the location of the road as we have found it established. The elevation to be overcome in the passage of the Sierra Nevada, the difficulties thereof from the bold, broken, and cañon-intersected country, were unusual, and of themselves sufficient to task engineering skill to the utmost to obtain any route whatever practicable by the locomotives, while the law imposed still further requisitions which, in order not to transcend them, made necessary the most thorough examination of all the ground and points which offered a chance for a location. The line as here established has involved the heaviest and most costly work, and though, as far as mere appearance is concerned, it might possibly have been changed at one or two points, it would have been done at the sacrifice of a heavy expense without practical benefit. The essential demands of the road in respect to its alignment and grades seem to have been steadily kept in view, the grades having been compelled by the nature of the locality, leaving no alternative of change. As a relief to the labor of traction involved by the conjunction of these grades and numerous curves, we find short tangents in all cases introduced between each pair of curves where their direction is reversed, though often at much expense. Along the valley of the Humboldt the route passes over a more favorable country for alignment and grades. The lower bottom lands have been avoided as subject to overflow, and affording a less firm material for the road than the more elevated plains skirting them. The occupa tion of these higher rolling plains, without incurring long and deep cuttings for the light grades, which on this part of the route have been adopted, necessitated such courses as would carry the line economically over them; but we find that its curves are of favorable character, safely passable at the highest speed that is likely to be demanded on any road. CONSTRUCTION. The embankments on the ballasted portion of the road, originally 14 feet wide at the grade line, with slopes of one and one-half base to one rise, have been somewhat rounded off by the two years' wear, but are firm and sound at a safe distance from the ends of the ties. At several points along the passage of the Sierra Nevada they are supported by massive stone retaining walls, which we find in total length to be about 2,500 feet, some portions being 75 feet high. Where these embankments lie along the edge of streams they are amply protected from the wash by proper slope walls, the total length thus defended being about 5,000 feet. It was observed along some portions of the embankments, more especially on that portion of the road east of the Truckee, that although they were originally left full 14 feet at the grade width, a portion of their material at the edges had been taken away at the time of track-laying for the purpose of a partial ballast about the ties. This was done as an expedient for temporarily securing the track for provisional use in the construction of the road beyond, and will be provided for in the final ballasting. Under the proper head in the accompanying deficiency estimate will be found the cost of this reparation. EXCAVATIONS. The excavations in earth cuttings are in width from 18 to 20 feet, depending upon local conditions. The slopes are from one base with one rise to one and a half base with one rise. In indurated material, whose character resists abrasion in the sides of the cut, the widths are made from 16 to 18 feet with slopes of onehalf base to one rise. In solid rock, below the level of the snow belt, a few cuts are made 14 feet, though in most instances they are left 16 feet wide. Through the snow belt the excavations are left 18 feet wide at the grade line, with side slopes of one quarter base to one rise. At all proper places ditches were cut above the upper edges of the side slopes to intercept the flow of water over them. TUNNELS. There are 15 tunnels on the whole line of the road, all of which are included in the passage of the Sierra Nevada. They measure in total 6,262 lineal feet, the longest being 1,659 feet, and the shortest 92 feet. Their clear dimensions are 16 feet wide by 19 feet in height. Two are timbered throughout; three timbered in their approaches, and internally to such extent as was required by the nature of the material; and 10 left entirely untimbered, the material being of the hardest and most enduring granite and trap rock. Ample ditches are provided in all these tunnels for drainage. The following table shows the number and character of the tunnels: The total length of the road provided with masonry culverts is 375 miles. They are generally of stone, though west of the Sierra a few are of brick, laid in hydraulic cement. They are all of ample width, with paved bottoms, many being left uncovered as conveniences for cattle passes. Those under high embankments appear to be strongly covered, some being laid in cement-mortar and turned with heavy arch stone. It was observed generally that wherever a proper stone material could be obtained for these works within six or seven miles, it was used. On the remaining 75 miles of the road no permanent culverts have yet been built. This portion being across the desert and on the plains of the Humboldt, where no suitable stone at any reasonable distance could be found, where the embankments are exceedingly light, and where, as our observation showed, there could be no wash from rain, openings lined with wood have been left across the roadway, which material is to be replaced by stone, forming proper open culverts, when the completion of the road towards its eastern terminus will admit of the employment of means for its transportation. The cost of supplying this deficiency will appear under the proper head in the estimates. BRIDGES AND TRESTLING. The proportionate extent of bridges in the 450 miles of the route appears to be unusually small in comparison with many other railroads, being only 4,807 lineal feet, or less than one mile. This favorable result is due to a careful study in location, with a desire to avoid, as far as possible, the crossing of large streams, and to carry the line over solid ground, wherever this could be done. The trestling and such framed works as were deemed necessary for the passage of deep cañons and ravines, and for the approaches to the bridges proper, extend in a total length to 9,661 feet, of which, however, more than one-half pertains to the single crossing of the bottom-lands of the American river, whose extraordinary floods, inundating this whole area, precluded the use of an embankment. Experience has shown the futility of an attempt to cross this overflowed bottom with a solid embankment, since during the last winter the one that had been built on the right or eastern bank of |