'Ii REPORT COLONEL CHARLES BARRY, ON THR PRELIMINARY SURVEY, COST OF CONSTRUCTION. AND ESTIMATED REVENUE OF A BRANCH I OF V ROM3 MARTSYILLE, CALIFORNIA, TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER IN OREGON; TOGETHER WITH A REPORT ON THE WEALTH AND RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF OREGON. SALEM, OREGON: STATESMAN POWER PRESS. I 1864. omw,Pilm. .,..- 200 -- -TI-1-1- I -- - I I I I 'e 9-M - - "- t -1..-- - 7- I I11 I t' I" To the Directors of lh GENTLEMBEN: I h and explorations for Willamette, Umpqu therewith connected This report. being description of rontA non-professional lam In passing from I three routes are p wav of the Grave t leys and the Canyo ,by the party undet tr~ansit bengn appl maximum of gradE The country betw( leys is made upo hills, and necesai railroad line throq of the Canyon, ae nearly 100, feet pe .the whqle route, ,tlii part of the lin struction on the prop*ed by 1Ric I ; | 4Wie3m~( ]1vt#8fPL To the Directors of the C4iforniaand Columbia River Railroad Comnpany: GENTLEMEN: I herewith submit my report of surveys and explorations for an eligible railroad route through the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue river yalleys, and matters therewith connected. This report being intended for general circulation, the description of route, &c., will be made in common and, non-professional language. .ROUTS. In passing from the Rogue river to the Umpqua valley, three routes are proposed. The first, is the one by the way of the Grave creek, Wolf creek and Cow creek val- leys and the Canyon. This route was examined last year . by the party under the charge of Mr. Elliot, the level and transit being applied to every, part of the line, and the maximum of grades found to be about 80 feet per mile.- The country between the Rogue .river and Umpqua v*- leys is made up of low aid irregular ridges and broken hillsand necessarily requires many curves to "1work",,a, railroad line through them. The grade from the summit of the Canyon, aonorth course, for eight miles would be nearly 100' feet per mile, and this is the highest grade on the whqle route. The cost of constructing arniload. on this part of the line will be fully equal to the, cost of con- struction on she Siskiyou mountains. AAn. other . route Proposed by whuish to; pass &om the Rogu. rjiver, t the WI I I 4 Umpqiua valley fro I Applegate and I Uimpqua valley, is that leaving the Rogue river near the mountains. mouth of Big Butte creek and passing up Trail creek on the general line of the old Kearney trail, and over the di- I. PASSES IN > vide and down a branch of the south fork of the Umpqua In September, ivercoming into the main valley at the mouth of Myrtle railroad engineer creek. For want of time I could not examine this route the rePass creek'' with the instruments, but members of the engineer's party from the Umpqtd who had been over the route, report the grade very easy, valley. The leve the route almost'destitute of rock cuttings, and plenty of its length, 80 the good timber. I believe this route will make a saving of rately determine( nearly twenty miles in distance over the other route, and in this pass is no if equally favorable for the construction of the road would somewhat crook save not less than $1,500,000 in the cost of construction. V from the gorge-i Another aoute from Rogue liver valley, is to leave Rogue cannot be reme river at Minersville, passing up Evans 'creek about four r one, and in all r miles, thence tip Ditch creek, following the general line of and sharp curve 4 the Eliff trail through to the upper Cow creek valley near I' It is amply supi the south end of the Canyon. This route would avoid the vations would i Cow creek hills almost entirely. Once in the Umpqua entering the I valley ando further trouble, as to grade, is encountered would be a ver until we reach the Calapopia mountains. This seems im- duous freshets probable to those who have only seen the Umpqua valley Spring. from the top of the stage coach, or in passing along' the In January stage road. The Umpqua valley appears to the traveler the then. newl: as a succession of many' small valleys' separated by low pooias being a hills, and this is partially the case'; but all these small Pass creek psi 'valleys, upon'examination, are found to connect with each on a, straight other on the same plane;. This being the case, the engin-. JUmpqua to tl eer has no more trouble in working a line of railroad P valley.: CThi passing through any other II 'through this valley than in distinguished level country. What is kiiown as the "Robert's niir'll the observadi ,I the valley can be crossed east of the present stage road, gate pass Wa followed around. -9it a moderate'grade, or the river can be *1 of * railroad on the level. There is but little grade, but few curves. and not many side hill cuttings. in passing 'through tht . M, I I A I I' 6 UJmpqua valley from Canyonville to the entrances to the the Rogue river near thV 4 Applegate and Pass creek passes in the Calapooia passing up Trail creek on mountains. ney trail, and over the di- south fork of the Umpqua PASSES IN THE CALAAPOOIA MOUNTAINS. ,y at the mouth of Myrtle In September, 1863, in company with Mr. Pollay, a ld not examine this route railroad engineer of large experience, I carefully examined 'ers of the engineer's party the "Pass creek" pass through the Calapooias, leading .Port the grade very easy, from the Umpqua valley to the head of the Willamette k cuttings, and plenty of valley. The level and transit was applfid to every foot of ite will make a saving of its length, so that both curves and grade could be accu- over the other route, and rately determined. The lowest grade that can be obtained ruction of the road would in this pass is not less than 80 fbet per mile. The pass is the cost of construction. somewhat crooked compelling several sharp curves, and valley, is to leave Rogue from the gorge-like character of the pass the curvature Evans 'creek about four cannot be remedied. The pass is comparatively a low owing the general line of one, and in all respects, except the high grade in part of St ,r Cow creek valley near and sharp curves ih another part, it' is an excellent one.- hiis route would avoid the It is amply supplied with timber and stone, and the exca- Once in the Ulmpqua vations would not be great. It possesses the advantage of o grade, is encountered entering the Willamette valley at its very head, which ntains. This [ seems im- ti: would be a very material one, were it not for the' tremen- een the Umpqua I valley duous freshets that flood that part of the Iflley evey )r in passing along the Spring. appears to the traveler In January of this year I made a personal exploration of bleYsseparated I by low the then. newly discovered "Applegate Pass" in the Cala. e; but all these small pooias being a pass located to the West of the stage road (the Id to I , connect with each Pass creek pass being east of tho riad) add riunning almost ng the case, the engin. on a straight line from one valley to the othek-.from the 'ing a line of railroad Umpqua to the Siuslaw, or part of the great Willamette ig through any i other ( .valley.' (This pass was discovered. by the old pioneer and the "Robert's inr- i^ I distinguished explorer, the Ilonu.Jewe Applegate.) From be present stage road, the observations then made I was satisfied thttithe Apple- an be followed atound gate pass was superior in every rspcets for the purposes grade, but few curves. of a railroad to 'the Pass, creek pan ; adId nJuie- of this I passitg through the 0111- 1. , /- M "I I1 '6 the 'Willamette th, 41 in *year, when the surveying party comm'elned operations all the field notes 1 4 the -field, they commenced at Oakland in the Umpqua vali- i sion, I could hav i pasw, and soon determined I ley and passed through this neW I . I ground again, esp( survey the correctness of my former ob- by an actu~al werechamoring fo I servations. City can not be c I Inleaving Pass creek to go through, the Applegate pass deciqion, especial1 t~he -hne pursues the little valley of Rock creek to the lation to one pass summit of the pass, on nearly a straight line, running a Jlittle east of norW, and the deseent from the summit to ROUTE THROT the ,Siuslaw on the north side of 'the, mountains, is in tlae Thefirst prelin 1same direction and about the same grade, Which will not entirely throtigh A .cxcee 5 feet to the mile, on the constructed line, on I North end of thi4 t ,either slope.. The grade on both slopes is regular and the easterly course: t( I -excavation will be slight-,-timber abundnt and of an ex- I M~L; thence not ,cellent quality, Ass,.railroad pass it is superior to the thience, on a curi mountains, Pass creek passiu kaving less distance in the I 80 feet; thence ;and in being destitute- of curves and )uaving fifteen ifeet below the forks- i less grade,.