| Annual Report of the Richmond &
Danville RR |
| as of October 1, 1864, |
| Superintendent's Report |
| |
| Superintendent's Report |
| |
| Superintendent's Office R. & D. R. R. |
| Richmond, December 7th, 1864 |
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J. R. Edmunds, Esq.
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President pro. tem.
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Sir,
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I submit the following report of the operations of the road
for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 1864:
|
| Earnings
of the Road for the Year |
| Local passengers |
|
$588.992.23 |
|
| Through " |
|
121,096.10 |
$710,088.33 |
| Outward local freight |
|
89,617.27 |
|
|
" connection " |
|
67,317.03 |
|
| Inward
local
" |
|
142,402.98 |
|
|
" connection " |
|
52,315.18 |
|
| Intermediate local " |
|
80,862.61 |
|
|
" connection " |
|
8,980.94 |
|
| Coal |
|
133,973.30 |
|
| Belle Isle |
|
3,015.72 |
$578,485.03 |
| Express |
|
102,714.49 |
|
| Southern Express |
|
147,427.30 |
|
| Confederate States Mail |
|
15,264.07 |
$265,405.86 |
| Confederate
States Transportation |
| Passengers |
|
862,795.85 |
|
| Freight |
|
816,938.78 |
$1,679,734.63 |
| Earnings of Telegraph line |
|
|
27,915.11 |
|
Total Earnings |
|
$3,261,628.96 |
| Expenditures |
| Accounts registered from 1st Oct.,
1863 to September 30th, 1864 |
|
$2,196,794.39 |
|
| Negro hire |
|
153,400.00 |
|
|
|
$2,350,194.39 |
|
| Deduct inventory October 1st, 1864 |
425,720.50 |
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| Add inventory October 1st, 1863 |
239,795.48 |
185,925.02 |
|
|
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$2,164,269.37 |
|
| Deduct cost of materials furnished Piedmont
Railroad from shops |
|
130,000.00 |
|
|
|
$2,034,269.37 |
|
| Add cost of provisions purchased but
not entered on register |
|
100,934.50 |
|
| Due Confederate States Government for
provisions loaned |
|
151,180.00 |
|
| Salaries |
|
20,654.76 |
|
| Taxes, insurance, &c. |
|
37,368.23 |
|
| Working expenses for the year |
|
$2,344,406.86 |
$2,344,406.86 |
| Nett earnings |
|
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$917,222.10 |
| Working expenses 72 per cent. of gross receipts. |
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| Nett earnings 28 per cent. of the gross receipts |
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| Expenditures
for the Year |
| Salaries |
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|
$20,654.76 |
| Taxes, insurance, &c. |
|
|
37,368.23 |
|
Maintenance of Roadway and Real Estate |
|
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| Repairs of road |
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$548,320.80 |
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" " bridges and culverts |
|
27,853.40 |
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" " wells
and water stations |
|
31,993.80 |
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" "
buildings |
|
18,901.47 |
$627,069.47 |
|
Repairs of Machinery |
|
|
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| Shop expenses |
|
$105,742.11 |
|
| Repairs of engines |
|
107,796.52 |
|
| Repairs of passenger, mail and baggage
cars |
|
66,510.13 |
|
| Repairs of freight cars |
|
99,818.07 |
$379,866.83 |
|
Operating |
|
|
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| Oil and tallow |
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$117,551.00 |
|
| Cotton waste |
|
2,940.83 |
|
| Wood |
|
185,335.37 |
|
| Train expenses, including pay of
conductors, engineers, baggage-masters, firemen, brakesmen,
cleaners and overhaulers |
|
275,395.58 |
|
| Depot expenses, including pay of
watchmen, agents, and their hands, and stationery, and other supplies |
|
266,919.48 |
|
| Advertising |
|
1,480.75 |
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| Office expenses |
|
34,112.27 |
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| Engine and car rent |
|
107,584.00 |
|
| Stock killed |
|
11,372.00 |
|
| Lost and damaged freight |
|
26,528.65 |
|
| Telegraph expenses |
|
35,145.18 |
|
| Coalfield incline plane |
|
17,492.00 |
|
| Miscellaneous expenses |
|
50,486.48 |
$1,132,343.59 |
|
Construction |
|
|
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| New buildings |
|
$51,328.09 |
|
| New bridges and culverts |
|
7,915.72 |
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| New passenger, mail and baggage cars |
|
3,902.00 |
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New wells and water stations |
|
2,398.92 |
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| New machinery for shops |
|
17,265.81 |
|
| Depot improvements |
|
4,736.38 |
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Relaying track |
|
46,522.68 |
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| New engines |
|
13,034.38 |
147,103.98 |
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|
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$2,334,406.86 |
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The working expenses have been largely increased this
year by the damage to the road by the raids of the enemy; the work and
materials furnished by the company for the re-opening of the road
having been charged under the heads of Repairs of Road, Relaying
Track, Repairs of Buildings, &c. The cost of the heavy iron
supplied by the Government, and the expenses of the Government force
that assisted in repairing the road is not included in the years
expenses, not having as yet been settled, the terms of settlement have
been agreed upon, but the amount of the indebtedness of the company
has not yet been ascertained.
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The probable cost of replacing the cars destroyed by the
enemy is omitted as being evidently no part of the working expenses,
but it should be taken into consideration in deciding on the
appropriation of the nett earnings of the road, as the present supply
of cars is insufficient, and most of those destroyed should be rebuilt
during the ensuing year.
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During the first eight months of the past year, the
expenses exceeded the earnings, owing to the low rates of Government
freight, but since the opening of the Piedmont Railroad, on the 19th
day of May last, and the advance in the rates of compensation for both
Government and private transportation, the earnings have increased
rapidly, and in October, the gross earnings were $792,327.81, while
the expenses properly chargeable to that month were $385,165.00, or
less than 50 per cent. of the earnings. The expenses of working the
road have also been somewhat increased during the past year by the
cost of work done in preparing the road for the increased business
thrown on it by the opening of the Piedmont Railroad.
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Raids of the Enemy
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May 13th, 1864. A body of the enemy's cavalry, under Gen.
Kautz, struck the road at Coalfield, destroyed Coalfield, Powhatan and
Chula stations, tore up nearly a mile of track, and burnt several cars
and an engine. The track was reopened for traffic on the 15th of May,
on the third day after it was first broken by the raiders.
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June 23rd, 1864. A large column of Yankee cavalry, under
Gen. Wilson, struck the road at 52 mile post, 1 1/2 miles east of
Junction, destroyed all the buildings and nearly 1 1/2 miles of track
at Junction, and passing westward along the road, burnt Green Bay,
Meherrin, Keysville, Drake's Branch, Mossingford and Roanoke Depots,
about 20 miles of slab track, and such tresseling as they passed on
the route. The Government furnished heavy rail for relaying the burnt
track, and the road was opened for business on the 16th of July,
twenty-three days after it was first struck by the enemy, the portion
of the road relaid with heavy rail in place of the worn-out slab track
being greatly improved and better than it has ever been since the road
was built, the flat bar track first laid having been always unsuitable
for a heavy business.
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Roadway
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There is now but 11.83 miles of flat bar track left on
the road, and this is being steadily substituted with heavy rail. The
condition of the entire track at present is better than it has ever
been, the great improvement resulting from the removal of the flat
bar, having more than compensated for the deterioration of the portion
of the road originally laid with heavy rail.
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During the year, sills sufficient to lay 17 miles, and
stringers sufficient to lay 7 1/2 miles of track have been used in
repairing the road. The length of sidings a present is 14 miles, some
of the iron on sidings having been taken up to repair the main track.
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Bridges and culverts are generally in good order. The new
culvert near 89 mile post is nearly completed.
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Depots and Buildings
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The depots burnt by the enemy have been in most cases
replaced with temporary structures sufficient for the business, the
Government having assisted in putting up the freight houses. The other
buildings are generally in good order.
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The workshops at North-Side have been somewhat improved
during the year, but there is still much work to be done at that point
to complete the original plan of buildings. The condition of the
Manchester shops remains unchanged.
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Motive Power
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There are 22 engines on the road belonging to the
company, and 9 hired from other Railroad companies, total number at
present 31. Tabular statement marked (G) will show their names,
dimensions, condition, &c. The engine mileage for the year is
317,410.
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Rolling Stock
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The stock of cars belonging to the company on the road on
the 1st of October, is as follows:
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| 9 |
first class passenger cars |
| 7 |
second class cars |
| 5 |
mail and baggage cars |
| 4 |
conductor's cars |
| 120 |
eight-wheel box cars |
| 50 |
eight-wheel flat cars |
| 13 |
four-wheel stone cars |
| 1 |
four-wheel wooden coal cars |
| 54 |
six-wheel iron coal cars |
| 3 |
gravel cars |
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In addition to these there are the following cars on the
road hired from other companies:
|
| 3 |
passenger cars from E. T. & Va. R. R. {East
Tennessee & Virginia RR} |
| 2 |
ambulance cars from C. S. Government |
| 31 |
box cars from E. T. & Va. R. R. |
| 18 |
box cars from N. & C. R. R. {Nashville
& Chattanooga RR} |
| 9 |
box cars from Georgia R. R. |
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The aggregate is as follows:
|
| 26 |
passenger and baggage cars |
| 4 |
conductor's cars |
| 169 |
box cars |
| 50 |
flat cars |
| 55 |
coal cars |
| 16 |
material cars |
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Many of the cars that have disappeared from the
inventory, were old and worn out, and were pulled to pieces and
materials used in other cars.
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This applies especially to the wooden coal cars and
gravel cars.
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The probable actual loss of cars by raids of the enemy
and accidents is sixty.
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Telegraph
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A statement of the receipts and expenditures for the
telegraph line will be found in
tables marked (L) and (M,) the results are as follows:
|
| Gross earnings |
$26,565.00 |
| Expenditures of working |
25,608.18 |
| Nett earnings |
956.82 |
| Or 3.6 per cent. of the gross earnings,
and 11.8 per cent. of the total cost of the line |
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The destruction of the line by the raids of the enemy
increased the expenditures during the year $2,087.00, making the total
expenses $27,695.18.
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In the item of telegraph expenses reported under the
general head of working expenses, amounting to $35,145.18, is included
the cost of the telegraph line on the Piedmont Railroad, which amounts
to $7,450.00
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The cost of materials used for working telegraph line and
the pay of telegraph operators has increased very much in the last
twelve months, and the rates of charge produce a revenue but little
more than is required to meet the ordinary working expenses.
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Tonnage
|
| Local tonnage, outward |
2,995 |
| Local
" inward |
6,346 |
| Connection tonnage, outward |
1,186 |
|
"
" inward |
874 |
| Intermediate tonnage, local |
4,519 |
|
"
" connection |
51 |
| Coal tonnage |
42,190 |
| Belle Isle tonnage |
3,507 |
| Total Confederate tonnage |
28,547 |
| Total tonnage for the
fiscal year |
90,215 |
|
|
Mileage
|
| Local, outward |
314,095 |
|
" inward |
593,802 |
| Connection, outward |
138,360 |
|
" inward |
92,533 |
| Intermediate, local |
247,763 |
|
"
connection |
4,480 |
| Coal |
540,949 |
| Belle Isle |
5,261 |
| Total Confederate |
2,733,333 |
| Total mileage for the fiscal year |
4,670,576 |
|
Miles |
| Average distance of transport of all freight |
51.77 |
| Average distance of transport, outward local
freight |
104.87 |
| Average distance of transport, inward local
freight |
93,57 |
| Average distance of transport, Confederate
freight |
95.74 |
| Average receipt per ton per mile for all freight |
29.08 |
|
"
"
" "
" "
private " |
31.07 |
|
"
"
" "
" "
coal
" |
24.07 |
|
"
"
" "
" " Belle Isle
freight |
56.09 |
|
"
"
" "
" " Government
freight |
29.09 |
|
|
Passenger Business
|
|
1862 and '63 |
1863 and '64 |
Increase |
Decrease |
| Private travel |
145,997 |
139,624 |
|
6,373 |
| Government travel |
88,793 |
125,342 |
36,549 |
|
| Total |
234,790 |
264,966 |
36,549 |
6,373 |
| Nett increase |
|
|
30,176 |
|
| Mileage of private travel |
|
|
8,551,804 |
|
| Mileage of Government travel |
|
|
11,980,557 |
|
| Total mileage |
|
|
20,532,861 |
|
| Total mileage in 1862 and '63 |
|
|
13,374,559 |
|
| Increase |
|
|
7,157,802 |
|
| Average number of miles
traveled by passengers |
| Private travel |
64.8 |
| Government travel |
95.6 |
| All travel |
77.5 |
| Earnings from private travel |
|
$710,088.33 |
|
"
" Government travel |
|
862,795.85 |
| Total |
|
$1,572,884.18 |
| Average receipt per
passenger per mile |
| Private travel |
8.30 cents |
|
| Government travel |
7.20 cents |
|
| All travel |
7.66 cents |
|
|
|
1862 and '63 |
1863 and '64 |
| Mileage for the year |
300,186 |
317,410 |
| Receipts per mile run |
$4.11 |
$12.76 |
| Expenses per mile run |
$2.73 |
$7.38 |
| Receipts per mile of road |
$8,775.52 |
$23,132.12 |
| Expenses per mile of road |
$5,843.38 |
16,626.99 |
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All of which is most respectfully submitted by
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Your obedient servant
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Chas. G. Talcott
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Superintendent
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