Identifier: reportsofexplora121unit (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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ain, and called it La Montana del Carmelo. This may be concluded from the circumstancethat the historian of the expedition of the Sutil and Mexicana (1792) uses the name as analready old and known appellation, t It seems, however, that this name was not givenexclusively to this peak, but to the whole snowy range between Mount Baker and MountRainier. On the expedition of Vancouver, Lieutenant Joseph Baker, of the ship Discovery, discoveredthis mountain for the first time in the afternoon of the 30th of April, 1792, at the ship stationnear Fort Discovery, from which point it bore north 43° east. Vancouver called it after him,Mount Baker, which name it has always retained. Mount Baker, which stands quite near the49th degree of north latitude, may be said to be the northwestern boundary pillar of theterritory of the United States, and with it we conclude this review. * See account of the voyage of the Sutil and Mexicana, page 64.■(■ For instance, on page 47 of the Sutil and Mexicana.
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CHAPTER XVI. METEOROLOGY. Cold as an obstruction to the railroad rootk.—Snow as an obstruction to the railroad rcute.—Observations on tbe Isother-mal Chart.—Table op mean temperatures at stations between the mouth of the St. Lawrence and Puget Sound —Com-parison of Nebraska with regions having a similar climate in Europe.—Climate of Washington Territory.—Generalconclusions. COLD AS AN OBSTRUCTION TO THE RAILROAD ROUTE. It is alleged that the weather is so cold on this route that it will be impracticable to workmen in the construction of the road for a large portion of the year, and that it will be imprac-ticable to run cars for many days in the winter. But we have very complete observations on these points, and great lines of railroad inoperation over tracts of country as cold and even colder than the route from Fort Benton tothe shores of the Pacific. The following table gives the mean temperatures of the winter of1853- 54, at stations on the route of the expedition, with

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