An outline of the central transit : in a series of six letters to Hon. John Hemphill / by Pryor Lea.

  • Lea, Pryor, 1794-1879.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An outline of the central transit : in a series of six letters to Hon. John Hemphill / by Pryor Lea. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    17/32
    economy of preparation, and in concurrent use, for an inter- oceanic railroad, within the northern temperate zone, capable of continuous and advantageous extensions by land. Second, as to connections toward the Atlantic, all of Texas, east and south of the Cross-Timbers, and of the mountains, with much more of it, the States along the lower and middle parts of the Mississippi, and all the Atlantic coast are nearer to the Pa- cific at Mazatlan than at San Diego or San Francisco ; and the differences of distances are generally very great. Third, as to connections toward the Pacific, embracing Mexico and The United States, the distances north and south are conven- iently divided, the railroad continuations would have the greatest natural facilities, and separate parts might be made and used, with wonderful convenience, in connection with the Gulf of California and The Central Transit. Of such separ- ate parts there would be two roads ; one from San Francisco to the head of the gulf, about six hundred and fifty miles in length ; and another from Mazatlan to the City of Mexico, about six hundred miles in length ; by which means, with the gulf, the chief population, and wealth, and business of Cali- fornia, and of Mexico, would be mutually connected, while they would be identified with the principal transit. But, an- other road, branched from some point on the eastern part of the primary railroad, to the City of Mexico, would have still more important bearings than that of its correlative in the west. Fourth, recurring to the eastern connections, the dif- ferences in right lines, as heretofore presented, would be aug- mented in actual road lines, because this route would best conform with coast plains and great valleys, so as to have much easier grades, and far less amount of local curves, than any more interior route. Fifth, the gulf route would have comparative economy and expedition in construction, because of less grading and cheaper bridging than those of any other route traversing interior ridges and valleys. Sixth, the gulf route, as no other, would have numerous contacts with the coast,' and general approximation to it, so that supplies by sea, particularly iron, would be the cheapest, and navigation 2