File:The Isthmus of Tehuantepec - being the results of a survey for a railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, made by the scientific commission under the direction of Major J.G. Barnard - with (14573861477).jpg

Identifier: isthmusoftehuant00will (find matches)
Title: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec : being the results of a survey for a railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, made by the scientific commission under the direction of Major J.G. Barnard ... : with a résumé of the geology, climate, local geography, productive industry, fauna and flora, of that region : illustrated with numerous maps and engravings
Year: 1852 (1850s)
Authors: Williams, John Jay, 1818-1904 Tehuantepec Railroad Company United States Naval Observatory, former owner. DSI
Subjects: Railroads
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton & Company ...
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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From the point of leaving the Malatengo River to the termi-nation of our survey going south, the excavations will be entirelyin a compact gravel, consisting of rounded quartz and sandstonepebbles. For the first two miles of this distance the ground isquite undulating, and will require a grade of sixty feet per mile,and rather expensive work, to overcome the ascent from theriver; the surface of the country then becomes much more uni-form and level. The plains of Xochiapa are bounded on the north by therange of hills of the same name, and extend about six miles tothe south, and four or five miles in an east and west direction.They are drained by the Malatengo and its tributaries, and arealmost entirely destitute of timber; they generally present avery smooth surface, but more or less undulating, the soil beinggravelly, and unfit for tillage, except in the valleys borderingthe streams, but afford fine pasturage, and we find scatteredover them numerous herds of cattle, horses, and mules.
Text Appearing After Image:
ENGINEERING EEPORTS. 43 Our surveys of this portion of the route were completedMarch 24th, when we commenced running northerly from Mt.Sarabia. The line of survey crosses the elevated ground separating thevalleys of the Malatengo and Sarabia rivers, with a maximumgrade of fifty feet per mile, and light work ; advancing thence,it runs in a southwesterly direction a distance of one and a halfmiles, to the crossing of the Sarabia; then curving to the right,its course is N. 18° W. for a distance of five miles; thence it iscontinued for about three miles in a direction N. 11° W.; ad-vancing thence, and curving to the right, the course is 10° E.for a distance of four and a half miles; then curving to theleft, it is continued about four miles in a direction BL 23° W.,and in about one mile further, is brought upon the ridge whichseparates the waters of the Jumuapa and Jaltepec rivers;thence the course of the line averages about N. 16° E. for adistance of some five miles, to the crossing

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