| Annual Report of the North Carolina RR |
| as of June 1, 1862, |
| Examining Committee's Report |
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| Report of Committee of Inspection
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| To the Stockholders of the North Carolina
Rail Road Company:
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| Gentlemen,
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The Committee of
Inspection appointed at your last meeting “to examine into the
condition of your road, and make a full report of the same at the next
annual meeting,” most respectfully submit the following for your
consideration:
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Since the 30th June up to this time, we have passed
and re-passed over the entire length of your road, examining its
several parts and departments; and herewith give you our observations
and remarks under the following heads:
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Culverts
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In a former report
you were informed that a portion of your culverts, particularly those
on the eastern section of the road, were constructed too small. The
truth of that statement has been but too fully verified during the
heavy rains of the past spring. Three of the embankments of your road
east of Raleigh have been washed out, and three others damaged by
large volumes of water pressing for egress, thereby subjecting you to
heavy damages not only from loss of road way but also from the loss
sustained by a heavy passenger and freight train being precipitated
into the chasm. Your committee believe that besides the culverts being
too small for the area drained, some of the masonry is defective and
not carefully enough chinked with spalls to protect the embankment and
keep it from washing. Your committee would recommend that a competent
and faithful workman be employed to chink up with spalls and point
with mortar the masonry, wherever it may be thought necessary in all
the culverts east of Raleigh. The culvert masonry west of Raleigh
generally seems to be standing well.
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Bridge Masonry
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This is generally
in good condition. We would however recommend that some slight
alteration be made in wings of the abutments of Little river and Neuse
bridges, so as to protect te wall-plates and timbers in the ends of
the bridges from the wash and dampness. A small amount of pointing is
also necessary to be done at these two bridges, and at those over
Cate’s and Coddle creeks.
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Bridge Superstructure
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The roofs of all
the deck bridges leak very badly. We would therefore recommend that
they be temporarily repaired, until the times are such that iron can
be procured for covering them permanently. On both the eastern and
western divisions of the road a gang of hands has just commenced
repairing and adjusting the bridges. The Howe truss, when adjusted and
repaired will be as good as when new; but such will not be the case
with the lattice bridges. When they once give down they cannot again
be brought to their proper camber. Nearly all the lattice bridges on
the roads have lost their camber; some more and some less; it will
therefore be necessary to resort to some means to give them strength
and safety. East Buffalo bridge has already been strengthened by an
arch, but it requires some spur braces to keep its lattice vertical.
Back and Coddle creek bridges also require some spur bracing. Leonard
creek bridge requires either to have an arch put in, or be supported
with bents from below, and braces put in to strengthen the lattice.
Nearly all the superstructure of the other bridges requires some
adjusting or repairing. These adjustments and repairs should be pushed
forward with dispatch; and we would suggest that a competent and
practical bridge builder be employed to inspect from time to time the
bridges and work. Your committee would further suggest that two and a
half or three feet be added by brackets to length of the roofs at each
end of the through bridges on the road; particularly at Neuse and
Little rivers; it would add something to the appearance and protect
the timber.
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Road Bed, Ditching and Track
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From the general
reports of last spring, we were led to suppose all three in a bad
condition; but from examination we are pleased to find that the
ditching, timber, surface and alignment of track, are in a better
condition than last year; still a large amount of work is necessary to
put the road in a first rate condition – such condition as will
enable it to stand the heavy freight and passenger trains which the
exigencies of the times demand.
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The road bed, with
track, would in many places, be much improved if raised from six to
eight inches. This would make the removal of decayed sills and the
insertion of new ones much easier, and would also assist the ditching
very much. All defective cross ties should be removed before winter
and replaced by new ones; this will require from ninety to one hundred
thousand new sills.
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We are of opinion
that your road has never been as thoroughly ditched as it ought to be.
We think that, with few exceptions, the ditches ought to be taken out
both deeper and wider.
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While the alignment
and surface of the track are generally fair, we find that in some
sections the iron is bent by sinking of cross ties under the joints.
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Ballasting
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Several sections of
your road would be much improved by ballasting, and if the whole that
is necessary cannot be done, we would suggest the propriety of at
least ballasting the end of each sill on which there is an iron joint.
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Iron
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In many places
throughout the entire line, portions of bars have become laminated. On
one section we found upwards of one hundred and fifty defective bars.
As a general thing, it is only from twelve to eighteen inches of the
bar that has given way, and this might be repaired at a common forge.
We think it would be economy to have at least two forges constantly
employed in repairing these bars, until the whole that are thus
defective are put in good order.
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Weeds and Bushes
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On a few of the
sections these are allowed to encroach too much upon the road.
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Ware-houses
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A number of these
require slight repairs; and at Raleigh, Hillsboro’, Greensboro’
and Lexington, more room is demanded to meet the increased business of
these places.
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Loss and Damage
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Complaints have
been made to us of the heavy loss and damage sustained in goods all
along the line of the road. The general reasons assigned by agents and
others for this loss is the bad condition of the cars; to which one
agent adds joint depot; another want of room.
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Stations
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Your attention has
been repeatedly called to the fact that your cars and engines both at
Goldsboro’ and at Charlotte have to stand without shelter exposed to
the weather. This is a loss to the road, and an evil that ought
certainly to be remedied. You have also been repeatedly informed that
a joint shed is much needed at Raleigh; yet you have taken no action
in the matter. It is a reproach both to the road and to the State,
that the station at our Capital, where hundreds of passengers are
passing and repassing daily, should be without a passenger shed to
protect them and their baggage from the weather, and that a station
where ladies and gentlemen are often compelled to wait for hours for
the arrival of the cars, should not even have a private room for
ladies or a water closet for gentlemen.
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Additional
accommodation for passengers is needed at several other stations, more
especially at Greensboro’. It might be well to defer the erection of
buildings at this place until the location of the Danville road, so
that joint arrangements may be made.
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The drainage of
several of the stations is bad, and ought to be improved; especially
ought this to be done at Raleigh and Charlotte.
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Wood and Water
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From the increased
business of the road, besides deepening a number of the present wells,
an additional number of wood and water stations will be found
necessary, as your committee are fully of the opinion that the present
number of wells will prove inadequate to supply the trains with water
during the summer and fall.
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Your supply of wood
is very small, especially on the western division of the road, where
we fear your trains will be delayed on account of fuel during the
coming season.
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Stoppage of Passenger Trains
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Complaints have
been made to us both of the uncertainty of these trains stopping at
certain stations and of their failure to observe the regulations in
regard to the length of time fixed for stoppages at stations. The evil
complained of deserves attention. We would recommend that the
regulations for stoppages be strictly observed, so as thereby to
prevent as much as possible the trouble and vexation arising from
being left; to be left is bad at any time, but in these trying times,
when so many are hurrying forward to minister to sick or wounded
friends and relatives, it is a great
evil.
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Telegraph
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Your Committee are
happy in being able to report to you, that the Southern Express
Company have now nearly completed a line of Telegraph connecting
Raleigh and Charlotte, with offices at all the principal depots. This
is a work which ought to have been done by the road years ago – a
work which would have saved annually for the Company, in the safety
and expedition of its business, more than the entire cost of
construction.
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Accidents
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Your Committee find
that during the past year, there have been twenty-five trains off or
partially off the track, from the following reasons: one from washing
out of culvert; one by running over a cow; three by defects in the
track; twelve by broken axles; eight by various parts giving way about
the cars. Besides the above there have been two destructive and one
slight collision. While your Committee regret that these accidents
have caused the loss of much property to the company, and the death of
three of the Company’s hands, and one of the Express Company’s
Agents, still there is great reason to be thankful, that while most of
these accidents occurred to passenger trains, not a single
passenger’s life was lost and but few received any injury.
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Engines and Cars
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As a general thing
they are not in as good condition as they were last year; several of
the engines are defective, and require overhauling, and many of the
cars, both passenger and freight, are in a bad condition, and, unless
they can be substituted by new ones, ought to be thoroughly repaired.
Your committee believe that your running stock during the past year,
has not been sufficient for the business of your road, and that the
peculiar character of the freight has, in many instances, been very
damaging to your cars, which, together with the difficulty of
obtaining supplies for their repairs, will, in some measure account
for their bad condition.
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Lights and Water on Passenger Trains
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There is a great
deficiency of the first in your cars, and the weary traveler with the
sick and wounded soldiers and their care-worn and anxious friends who
are constantly passing over your road, suffer much from thirst,
because there is no supply of the latter. Your committee would most
earnestly recommend that these defects be remedied.
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Pay of Section Masters
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Your committee
report what they deem a subject of just complaint on the part of the
Section Masters, caused by a reduction of their wages from
thirty-three to twenty-five dollars per month, and would recommend
that their wages be raised to at least what they were previously.
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Work Shops
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This department, so
important to the well being of your road in the past, and from the
very nature of things, its mainspring in the future, was visited by
your committee, and we were surprised to find so few hands at work
while there appeared so much work waiting to be done. On inquiry, we
were informed that it was difficult to get, and keep good mechanics at
even increased wages, on account of the trouble they experienced in
getting good and convenient boarding houses. We were told that some of
your workmen have not only to go miles into the country to obtain
board but have also to pay very high prices. This is an evil which
your Committee think ought to be at once corrected, by providing a
suitable boarding house, that good mechanics may be obtained and
accommodated in sufficient numbers to do the work so necessary to the
prosperity of your road.
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In addition to the
above suggestions on the part of your Committee, we beg leave to
re-affirm so much of the suggestions contained in the Report of your
Committee of last year, as have not yet been acted upon, and desire
that the same be received as a part of our Report.
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As the President
with the Superintendent and Master Machinist of your road will
doubtless give you Reports of the several departments more in detail,
your Committee will here draw to a close. Before concluding however,
we beg leave to return our grateful acknowledgements to your
President, Superintendent, Master Machinist, and all other employees
of the Road whom we have met, for their kindness in affording us every
facility in their power, for a proper and thorough examination of the
Road in its several parts.
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We remain, Respectfully,
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Your Obedient Servants
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| John M. Morehead
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Com. |
| William Murdoc
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| William R. Holt
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