Memorial relative to a New Route to the Pacific Ocean with a Plan for the Transportation of Despatches to Astoria in the Oregon Territory in Fifteen day^s,^
by Robert Mills, Engineer & Architect
City Washington
1847

The undersigned, respectfully, would lay before your Honorable body, a Plan, for facilitating intelligence from the seat of government to our Pacific Territory, by which public despatches may be transmitted to Astoria, in the Oregon territory, in the shortest possible time, which may not exceed fifteen days, and with an outlay little exceeding that allowed now for the transmission of the mail by the way of Chagres to Astoria.

The simplicity, and pract^ica^bility of the Plan here proposed, is such, and its being calculated to benefit the whole country, that your memorialist would believe, that when known to your honorable body, you would cause it to be carried into execution with as little delay as possible. And your Memorialist would therefore respectfully submit the annexed papers explanatory of the Plan, and its advantages over every other plan yet suggested, for expediting public despatches to our ports on the Pacific, and

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eventually opening the great highway of Nations across our country to the commerce of the Indias.

In view of the Public importance of this subject your memorialist would pray your honorable body to order a survey of the work, and if found practicable, to carry out the plans here proposed with as little delay as possible.

And as in duty bound your Memorialist would ever pray.

Mills’ Route to the Pacific.

Since the joint occupancy of our Oregon possessions has ceased, imigration from the States has increased with surprising rapidity, and the necessity has been imposed upon us to facilitate our intercourse with this distant portion of our territory; the question therefore, which now agitates the public mind is, by what means, and in what direction, can an overland intercommunication be easiest, and most economically effected? We have witnessed, with pain, the tediousness, and exposure, to which imigrants are now subject, in passing by the present route, and we naturally inquire “Is there not a safer, more direct and shorter line of travel for our people, to reach our possessions on the Pacific?”.

The commercial world has ever since the discovery of the Western Continent been seeking a shorter passage to the Pacific, and to India and China, than by doubling Cape Horn, or the Cape of Good Hope. Millians of money have been

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lavished, to effect a North West passage to the western Ocean, without avail; and failing in this, commercial Europe has turned its attention to opening a passage thro’ the mountains of the South American Isthmus which divide the two Oceans—but however flattering this scheme appears, no success has attended any of the efforts made to realize this commercial passage across, and could it be effected, it could not compete with the facilities offered thro’ our own country, to secure such overland communication with the Pacific. The Isthmus of Darien, Nicaragua, and Tehuantepec, are too remote—too far down South, to accommodate the great demands of Commerce, flowing from Europe, and from our own Country, to the Pacific; and it never would take this equinoxial route if it had another, not only more direct, but in a healthier clime.

Our proximity with the Pacific Ocean would always give us the advantages of its trade, if we but open a commercial highway thro’ our own country, overland, to this Ocean which would enable us to effect the passage in at least the same time with other routes named;—then shall we make it the interest of all commercial nations to pass by this route, and thus shall we become the recipients of this trade, and bring all nations into commerce with us.

Since the introduction of Steam, as a commercial agent, land conveyance, has been rendered as cheap as water transportation, and the safety, and despatch

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which attend the former, will render its use more general, and for safety to be prefered. Even should a ship canal be made thro’ one of the Southern Isthmusses named, the preference would be given to the more northen route, here proposed, on account of the advantages it would possess, both on the ground of economy, despatch and safety. When we consider the loss of time consequent upon sailing a distance of 4000 miles, and 20 days additional steaming, via, the Panama Canal, or by Cape Horn, the present route, a distance of 24,000 miles, and the saving of 120 days sail (steaming such a distance being too expensive) we must be convinced of the vast advantages derived to commerce by opening a route thro’ our own country. We shall say nothing of those benefits which would accrue to us as a people by having this vast trade passing thro’ our cities, for each of these marts would become the depositories of this trade.

Under this view of the subject, we should not delay a moment to enter upon this glorious work, especially, as ample means are at hand to ensure its execution at an early day.

The wisdom and patriotism of the National Councils are invoked to apply these means, and thus make this highway what it really should be, a National work. The public lands thro’ which this road-way would pass would be amply sufficient to reimburse all expenses incured on the work

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and when it went into operation it would sustain itself. The epediency of appropriating such Public lands for this purpose would be not only conceded, on the ground of its national importance, but of the value of the commerce it would secure.

The opening of a speedy communication with our Oregan territory must be admitted to be of paramount importance, and worthy the attention of the Congress of the Nation—and as the [fixed?] expenses of the work, on the Plan here proposed, will require an expenditure of little more than the appropriation already made for carrying the mail across the Continent to our Pacific possessions, it will require but the act of Congress to authorize the Post Master General to appropriate these means to consummate this plan of communication with our Pacific Territories.

It is announced in the public Journals that the Telegraph Company will effect a telegraphic communication with the City of Charleston by December and the City of New Orleans by January ^or Februarry^ next (1848) which will enable the government to send a despatch so far on its route to the Pacific. At this point, a Steam boat is proposed to start with it, and ascend the Rio Grande to Laredo (on our side of this1 River) to which it is always navegable for boats drawing 4 to 5 feet water. At this point it is proposed to construct a line of Telegraph, (of about 400 Miles) across, to the Gulf of California, to which point the written despatch would be transmitted, where another Steam-boat would be ready to convey it to Astoria touching at Mazatlan, San Diego, Monterey,

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San Francisco, or any other points North, on the Pacific; and if required, another Steam boat may convey intelligence down South, to the ports on the South American Pacific coast. If greater despatch is required the Ocean Steamer may be stationed at the Port of St Diego, with which a telegraphic line would be opened, and to the point where it would start from, on the Gulf, a steam-boat may as-cend, say to the mouth of the great Colerado river, which lies nearly in the same latitude with San Diego, say in ^Lat^ 32° to 33° d. and but a short distance between, about 50 to 60 miles.

By this Plan the government despatches may be transmitted to our Oregon possessions and back in an incredibly short time as well as commercial information.

The route of the Rio Grande is one of, if not the most, important points of communication with the Pacific, that could be presented for adoption, whether regarded for its economy, or its domestic value, from its being in our midst where every step of the route would enhance the value of the Public and private lands thro’ or near which it would pass. A route which would be open all the year round; and passing thro’ a high & healthy region, would be soon filled by an enterprizing, ^&^ industrious population, and thus secure for ^it^ all the purposes of commerce and personal travel, for there is no question, but that a permanent road-way would soon follow the Telegraphic line, and thus the tide of imigration would set in this direction, and the whole country

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be soon populated, and commerce spread its sail from our side of the Pacific, far over its placid surface, to gather rich harvests from foreign lands.

It requires but a movement on the part of our national councils, to commence this work, (a work truly, as we have before remarked, National in its character) of opening, first a Telegraphic communication, and afterwards a permanent high way for travel, and commerce, leaving it to individual enterprise to provide the means of transportation, and reap the golden harvest.

The attention of Congress is respectfully called to the importance of this plan, first, in a national point of view, second, from its economy of execution, and third from its expediency. We have daily proofs of the zeal manifested and manifesting by foreign governments to effect an overland communication across our continent, by other routes, which, tho’ they may appear to be shorter, can be shown to be much inferior, and longer in time to accomplish, than that we here propose; and shall we lie idle, and allow them to enter upon a work, naturally our own, and in which we, as a commercial, and free people, are so deeply interested?

It has been shewn, that the route of the Rio Grande possesses advantages over every other, in point of economy, both of time and money, for its execution. To render this plain, we have only to consider, the great difference of latitude, and longitude, between the two points,

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of starting from the waters of the Gulf, on the Atlantic,^,^ and the points reached on the waters of the Pacific,^,^ either with reference to our Oregon possessions, or our trade with the Indias; or the Islands of the Pacific. Chagres, the Atlantic point of departure, proposed to cross the Continent, lies in N. lat. 9°, 19′ and West long. 1° of Washington, While the mouth of Rio Grande lies in N. lat. 25°, 56′ and W. long. 20° of Washington, a difference of 17°, 37′ of latitude and 19° of longitude, all in favor of the latter. Again, Panama, on the Pacific lies in N. lat. 9°. and W. long. 1°, 10′ of Washington; and San Diego, on the Pacific in N. lat 33° and W. long. 40° of Washington. And the mouth of the Gulf of California in N. lat 23°, and West long. 32° of Washington, a difference of 24° of lat, and 38° 50′ of long. in favor of the Rio Grande route—and with respect to our trade with the Indies, or China, (Canton for instance, which lies in the same latitude with the mouth of the Gulf of California) ^it would be^ greatly advantaged. And in favor of the Mail route to Astoria by San Francisco** a difference of 24. degrees of lat, and 20 degrees of long.

Astoria lies in ^N.^ lat. 45°, and West long 48° of Washington, which to reach, from New Orleans, by Chagres would require to sail or steam thro’ 65 degrees of lat. and 66 degrees of longitude.

These are important facts, in proof of the gain in time by the Rio Grande route,—and to determine the gain in point of expense, we have, not only to compare the cost of ^a road 400 miles [but?] the cost of^ construction, from Chagres or over to Tehuantipec; but also the cost of steaming, or sailing over six thousand miles to gain the same point.

To give some idea of the distance which the mail to Astoria is now proposed to be taken,

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reference may be had to the advertisement of the Post Office Department, an extract from which is in the following records. “No 3.” Proposals for carrying “the mail from Astoria, by San Francisco, in California, Monterey, and such other places on the Coast, as the Post Master General may direct, to Panama, New Granada, with an extension to Chagres, 4660 miles, and back every two months, in Steam ships, between Astoria, and Panama, and by suitable land conveyance between Panama and Chagres.

Proposals for once a month conveyance will be considered.

No 2. From Charleston S.C. by St Augustine, Key West, and Havanna, in the Island of Cuba, to Chagres, in New Grenada, 2140 miles, and back, once every two months, in steam ships.

Proposals, for once a month &c. will be considered.”

Here we find that the distance to be overcome by the present proposed mail route, from Charleston to Astoria is 6800 miles—while by the route of the Rio Grande it would not be more than 3000 miles, and by Telegraph ^but^ 2000 miles, counting time as distance. By the plan of connecting the Telegraph with the Steam boat, intelligence might be communicated between Washington and Astoria, or any point of the Pacific between, in fifteen days—thus a weekly in place of six or eight weeks intercourse may be established between the two places.

To effect results so important, a very small outlay, would, in the first place, be required, having reference to conveying written intelligence by means of the Telegraph;

In conversation with the President of the Telegraph Co., in this City, on the cost of constructing a mile of wires he observed, that for a single wire the estimate was only 80 dollars per mile and the expense of the double wire would not double this amount.

The London Magazine of Science, for last month states, that the Electric Co. have invented a machine which will communicate intelligence simultaneously to some 40 or 50 British Cities, among them Glasgow Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Hull, York; It can communicate to all these places from 1000 to 2000 letters per minute.

M^r Barnes of the Cincinnati Telegraph office communicated and read dispatches, to and from Louisville, without the use of the regulating instrume[nt?] It was done by the ear,^;^ he was enabled to tell the letter indicated each time by the slight difference in the interval between the ticks—by this means long dispatch may be communica[ted] in a brief time.

But both of these surprising powers of the Telegraph are I understand familiar with the Telegraphic Company here.

the cost of constructing which, across from the Rio Grande to one of the navigable rivers of the Gulf of California, would be but $100.000 which, as previously stated, would be little more than the outlay for only one year, in carrying the mail by the other route*Such a plan could be carried into execution in less than one year. Steam boats of good draft now run up the Rio Grande at the lowest stage of its waters to Laredo 700 miles above its mouth. This point may be attained in about 5 days from New Orleans; the distance then by Telegraph to the California waters would be as naught, in mental travelling, and the steamer of the Pacific would convey the intelligence, communicated by Telegraph, to Astoria, in less than ten days*

Sail vessels have run the distance in 17 days and a steamer could do it in half the time on an average.* This is a subject worthy the attention of Congress and we may indulge the hope that when presented to their consideration they will take such action on it as to authorize the Post Master General to construct and establish and Telegraphic communication across from such point on the Rio Grande as may be found most expedient, to such point of the navigable waters of the Gulf of California accessible to steam boats, and to contract for transmitting intelligence between New Orleans and Astoria from each end of the Telegraph line.D