| Annual Report of the Memphis &
Charleston RR |
| as of July 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| Transportation Department |
| M. & C. Railroad, Memphis, July 1st,
1861 |
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Col. Sam. Tate
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| President |
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Sir,
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I herewith submit the following report of operations in
the Transportation Department, for the last fiscal year, terminating
June 30th.
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The receipts from all sources have been:
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| From Passengers |
$1,022,595.48 |
| From Freight |
729,885.93 |
| From Mail |
54,064.58 |
| From Express Freight |
26,296.94 |
| From Rents, Tolls and Privileges |
8,279.67 |
| Gross Earnings |
$1,841,122.60 |
| The total operating expenses, conducting
transportation, maintenance of way, cars and motive power,
amounts to |
793,735.78 |
| Nett earnings |
$1,047,386.82 |
| or 56 89/100 per cent. nett earnings, to 43
11/100 per cent. expenses. |
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| The gross increase of nett earnings over
business of last year, amounts to |
$206,025.93 |
| Increased expenses for same period |
32,235.78 |
| Increased nett earnings |
$173,790.15 |
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Taking into consideration the disturbed commercial and
political condition of the country, the operations of the road show
satisfactory and gratifying results; in obtaining which, the
machinery, rolling stock and road bed, have not been neglected, but
fully maintained and kept up.
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Motive Power and Rolling Stock
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The rolling stock of the Company consists of:
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| 50 |
Locomotives |
| 30 |
First Class Passenger Cars |
| 9 |
Second Class Passenger Cars |
| 2 |
Branch-Road Passenger Cars |
| 11 |
Baggage Cars |
| 2 |
extra Baggage and Pay Cars |
| 314 |
Box Freight Cars |
| 254 |
Platform Freight Cars |
| 25 |
Stock Cars |
| 41 |
Gravel Cars |
| 74 |
Road and Hand Cars |
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There has been added to the road equipment during the
last fiscal year, four first class passenger cars, from the works of
Barney, condemned and worn out cars, have been replaced by new cars
built in the Company's shops, and charged to operating expenses.
Parker & Co.; 28 box cars and 26 platform cars.
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The motive power has been increased by the addition of
eight new first class engines, two passenger and six freight; five of
which are from the Rogers Locomotive Works, and three from the works
of M. W. Baldwin Co., all most excellent machines.
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Four of the freight engines are ten wheelers, and have
fully realized expectation, and have proved more economical than any
other engines in dispatching a heavy freight business.
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The completion of the offices and depots at Huntsville,
Collierville, La Fayette, Grand Junction and Corinth, add much to the
convenience and accommodation of business and travel.
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A passenger depot at Decatur, passenger and freight
depots at Courtland, Leighton and Tuscumbia, are greatly needed, the
erection of which is earnestly urged.
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Under the management of Col. M. B. Prichard, the track
and bridges have been kept in good order and greatly improved by
ballasting, renewal of cross-ties, ditching, filling in trestles and
replacing trestles with wooden and iron bridges; placing, beyond a
doubt, the safety of trains over rapid streams, heretofore subject to
damage from high freshets, so common to our line of road.
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Many wood-sheds and water-stations have been erected on
the line of road during the year. Some of the tanks are supplied from
fountains, affording a full and reliable supply of water at all
seasons and to a great extent aid in operating the trains with
regularity and economy.
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If the system of wood-sheds and fountain tanks is carried
out at every practicable point on the line of road, it will place that
branch in a reliable condition at all times, the want of which, has
often been the source of much inconvenience.
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The report of the Chief Engineer will place before you
these matters in more detail.
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The trains have been run with usual success and regularity.
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But one passenger has been killed or injured during the
year from accident to trains.
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On the 4th of September a heavy freshet washed out a
culvert one and a half miles east of Trinity, by which the express
train going east, was thrown from the track. An iron rail passed
through the end of one of the passenger cars, striking a passenger by
the name of Sam'l L. Turnbull, on the head. He survived his injuries
about twenty hours.
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On the 15th of October, the locomotive Cherokee blew up,
about one half mile west of La Grange. The explosion is supposed to
have been caused by the heated condition of the engine and the sudden
supply of cold water in the boiler.
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The runner and firemen were slightly injured. No one else
hurt.
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The usual tabular statements in condensed form,
exhibiting the annual operations and comparisons, are herewith
submitted:
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No. 1 Statement of Monthly Receipts and Expenses for the
year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 2 Detailed statement of expenses
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No. 3 Statement of number and receipts from through
passengers for the year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 4 Statement of number and receipts from local
passengers from each station, for year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 5 Showing amount of passenger receipts for each
month, for year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 6 Statement of receipts from local and through
freight, east and west, for the year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 7 Statement of amount of freight received and
forwarded for the year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 8 Statement of the number of bales of cotton carried,
for the year ending June 30th, 1861
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No. 9 Description, mileage and condition of locomotives
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The following synopsis from statements is here inserted
for convenient reference
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| Total number of passengers carried |
353,646 |
| Equivalent to through passengers |
94,240 |
| Passengers carried one mile |
25,539,040 |
| Average distance traveled by each passenger --
miles |
72 |
| Excess in number of passengers carried over last
year |
61,991 |
| Excess of passenger receipts over last year |
$47,336.15 |
| Number of passengers carried Eastward |
175,409 |
| Number of passengers carried Westward |
178,237 |
| Total receipts from Eastward passengers |
$509,705.70 |
| Total receipts from Westward passengers |
$512,889.78 |
| Difference in No. passengers Eastw'd and Westw'd |
2,828 |
| Total receipts from through freight East |
$182,378.20 |
| Total receipts from through freight West |
$96,590.47 |
| Total receipts from local freight East |
$202,749.90 |
| Total receipts from local freight West |
$248,167.36 |
| Receipts per mile of road |
$6,326.88 |
| Expenses per mile of road |
$2,727.61 |
| Repairs of roadway per mile |
$845.91 |
| Miles run by passenger trains |
464,336 |
| Miles run by freight trains |
345,336 |
| Miles run by ballast and extra trains |
142,853 |
| Total miles run |
952,525 |
| Repairs of engines per mile run |
5c |
| Cost of wood per mile run |
5c |
| Cost of tallow, oil and waste per mile run |
0.9c |
| Cost of engineers and firemen per mile run |
5.3c |
| Aggregate cost per mile run |
16.2 |
| Number of bales cotton carried to Memphis |
165,657 |
| Number of bales cotton carried to Florence |
2,240 |
| Number of bales of cotton carried to Chattanooga |
20,009 |
| Total number bales carried on the M. & C.
Railroad |
188,349 |
| Decrease in number of bales compared with last
year |
37,052 |
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During the month of May the road was deprived of the
services of two valuable officers, by sudden death: Thomas Dougherty,
Master Mechanic in the Memphis shop, died after a short illness, on
the 10th May.
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John Gramps, Track Master on the Western Division, a
number of years in the service of the Company dropped dead in his yard
from apoplexy, on the 26th of May.
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Both of these gentlemen were experienced and efficient
Railroad men.
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To T. H. Bunch & Wm. Babb, Assistant Superintendents,
for efficient and valuable services, I am much indebted.
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It is again my pleasure to bear testimony to the
continued zeal and interest manifested by all other officers, agents
and employees of the Company in their respective departments.
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Respectfully submitted,
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W. J. Ross
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General Superintendent
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