Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean: Vol. 2, Pt. 2

FROM TIMPANOGOS CARON TO GREAT SALT LAKE.
mountain is terminated more in stages; yet it is very abrupt, and we had some difficulty at
times in following the Indian trail along its face, in its natural state. These rocky precipices,
rising one above the other, soon gain an elevation of two and three thousand feet, and the highest
points finally attain an altitude of 4,000 feet above the river. The dip of the stratified rocks,
wherever they are exposed, is from the river, and consequently there is little danger of landslides in this gorge. The river as it enters the caion is thirty yards wide, flowing with a
strong current; but towards the foot it becomes still more rapid, breaking with considerable
noise over the rocks in its bed. The pass, which is ten miles in length, varies in widthfrom
one hundred to three hundred yards; an(d in constructing a railroad through it it would be
necessary to cross the stream several times, to avoid short curves, which could be done as easily
as bridges are usually built; and considerable blasting of rocks would be requisite at various
points, but amounting to no large aggregate. A little pine grows on the mountain sides
quite down to the river, but it seldom exceeds 8 or 10 inches in diameter.
The descent per mile for the first 5.70 miles from Kamas prairie, is 32.90 feet, and 60.90
feet to the mile for the next 5.20 miles; for the succeeding five miles it is 44.40 feet per mile,
and six feet to the mile for the succeeding 5.40 miles; and for three miles from the head of the
canon the average descent is 30.10 feet per mile; and for the succeeding eight miles, to our
camp below the canon, 39.60 feet per mile. Our altitude at this camp was 5,0.77 feet above
the sea, and 150 feet above the river.
April 22.-We descended the river a short distance this morning, and then turned around
the base of the mountain northward into tl)e valley of Utah lake, which lay beautifully bright
below us. A railroad from the Timpanogos canion should follow the same line, gradually
descending into the valley and passing through its numerous Mormon settlements to the foot
of Utah lake, where it should cross the Jordan, and, if practicable, cross the Oquirrh mountain through Cedar valley to the west of Lake Utah-the appearance of this part of the mountain, seen at considerable distances both from the east and the west, rendering it worthyof examination, if at any time a railway shall be constructed west from Timpanogos river; but if this
route should be impracticable, then it should descend the valley of Great Salt lake to the
north end of Oquirrh mountain. The descending grades by the latter line will be 33.80 feet
per mile for 14.20 miles, from the foot of the canon to the American fork; and 3.50 feet per
mile for 39.60 miles thence to our camp of the 6th of May, at the northwestern angle of the
valley of the Jordan. This unobstructed valley, of 20 miles in width by 30 in length, is
largely susceptible of irrigation and cultivation, and already contains many Mormon settlements, of which Great Salt Lake City is the principal.
It began to rain violently at 2 o'clock p. m., and continued until dark, soon after which I
arrived at Great Salt Lake City after a ride of fifty miles. Latitude 40~ 45' 37".
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