| Annual Report of the Richmond &
Petersburg RR |
| as of April 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Office |
| Richmond & Petersburg R. R. Co. |
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Richmond, March 31st, 1861
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Charles Ellis, Esq.
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President
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Sir,
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I herewith submit a report of the department under my
control during the past year:
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| Receipts or Earnings |
| From transportation of passengers |
74,985.34 |
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| "
extra baggage and express freight |
4,633.81 |
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| "
United States mail |
7,350.00 |
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transportation freight |
58,064.42 |
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miscellaneous sources |
5,398.76 |
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| Total receipts or earnings |
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$150,432.33 |
| Expenses of Working
the Road |
| For repairs of road |
7,536.35 |
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"
" " bridges and
watching |
2,278.13 |
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"
" " depot and
water stations |
2,633.60 |
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" " locomotive
engines and tenders |
6,332.28 |
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" " passenger,
mail and baggage cars |
4,002.31 |
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"
" " freight cars
and flats |
1,870.07 |
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" " coal cars |
2,065.20 |
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" " shop tools
and machinery |
210.56 |
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| " oil and tallow |
2,004.88 |
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| " cotton waste |
250.61 |
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| " wood |
7,146.96 |
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| " train expenses,
including the pay of conductors, baggage masters, engineers,
firemen, brakesmen, &c. |
9,866.01 |
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| Depot expenses, including the pay of depot
agents, hands and watchmen |
10,846.02 |
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| Postage, stationery and printing |
1,097.33 |
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| Officer's salaries |
5,750.04 |
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| Insurance and miscellaneous expenses |
1,891.87 |
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| Taxes |
666.64 |
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| Cattle killed by trains |
112.00 |
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| Lost and damaged goods |
59.88 |
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| Through travel expenses |
1,592.75 |
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| Omnibus expenses |
3,245.36 |
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| Clover Hill transportation expenses |
6,868.88 |
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| New freight cars |
119.42 |
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| " coal cars |
531.09 |
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| Total ordinary expenses |
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78,978.24 |
| Balance or nett income |
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71,454.09 |
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The cost of working the road being about 52 1/2 per cent.
of the whole receipts, and the cost per mile amounting to 87 cents.
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The extraordinary expenses, during the whole year,
amounting to $2,318.28, divided as follows:
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| Repairs of bridges |
1,428.28 |
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| Purchase of new omnibus |
890.00 |
$2,318.28 |
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The tonnage of freight, exclusive of coal, express
freight and extra baggage, amounts to 13,106 tons; and the receipts
for this amounts to $20,742.89, being $1.58 per ton, or $1.76 per mile
run. The coal transported amounts to 45,191 tons, delivered as
follows:
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| At Richmond |
19,176 tons |
| " Port Walthall |
17,633 tons |
| " Petersburg |
8,390 tons |
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45,199 |
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The receipts from transportation of coal 32,666.71; being
at the rate of 72 27-100 cents per ton, or a fraction over $1.09 per
mile run. The freight of all kinds transported during the eleven
months amounts to 59,374 tons, and the number of tons transported one
mile 751,153.
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Passengers
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The number of passengers transported was 71,257, of which
25,979 were through, and 45,278 were local and way passengers; 657 on
the Clover Hill train. The receipts from passenger fare amounts to
$74,985.34, or $1.05 per passenger; and the total movement of
passengers, or number transported one mile 1,497,022. The receipts per
mile run from passengers by the mail train and express trains are
$2.15 1/2, and by the accommodation train 77 1/2 cents.
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Express Freight and Baggage
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The receipts for express freight and extra baggage
amounts to $4,633.81. Full statement in detail, shewing the operations
for each month separately in all departments, I refer you to the
carefully prepared tables from No. 1 to No. 12, inclusive.
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The Road
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The road is in much better condition than it was
reasonable to expect after the continued rails of the winter, which
have seriously injured the bed of every road in the State. During the
year 6,994 new cross ties have been laid, and the decay of the old
ties is so general, that the number must be increased during the
present year. The repairs of the road have cost $7,536.35, or $301.45
per mile, and including repairs of bridges, $392.57 per mile.
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Bridges
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The bridges are in very good order. The
indefatigable attention bestowed upon them, and the frequent
inspection to which they are subjected, and the prompt replacement of
a decaying or defective piece of timber will preclude the necessity of
replacing them for many years; but it is my intention to erect at a
small outlay for two or three years additional stone pillars under
those across the two creeks, with a view to replace them with iron
structures of short spans at such times as the finances of the Company
will justify the expenditure.
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Buildings
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All the buildings are in good order, with the exception
of a house to shelter the engines at Pocahontas. No new buildings have
been erected. The cost of repairs to depots and water stations amounts
to $2,633.60.
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Locomotives, Engines and Tenders
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There are ten engines and tenders all now in good order.
The cost of repairs during the year amounts to $6,332.28, or 7 cents
per mile run. The amount charged to each for repairs, with their
consumption of wood, oil, &c., will be found in tables 11 and 12.
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Rolling Stock, Cars, &c.
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All of these are in good condition, but this is only
maintained by keeping up a constant repairing of a large portion of
the freight cars. There are seven first class and five second class
passenger cars, three baggage and mail cars, twenty-two box cars,
twenty-two flats, two cattle cars, seven seventy-five bushel, seven
eighty bushel, three one hundred and fifty bushel, fifty-six one
hundred bushel, and seventy-three one hundred {twenty-five}
bushel; making in all 146 coal cars. The cost of repairs to
cars is $7,937.58.
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Omnibus
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During the year the large omnibus became so much
shattered by constant use, that another was purchased in its place,
and the heavy omnibus which had been built in the shops of the
Company, which was too clumsy for use, was sold. We now have in
co-partnership with Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad
Company three omnibuses, seven baggage and mail wagons, four street
wagons, two carts, and twelve horses.
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The proportion of the expenses of maintaining these
during the past year, paid by this Company, amounts to $1,622.68.
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Material on Hand
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The value of materials on hand, as per inventory, seen in
table No. 14, amounts to $5,285.00.
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Accidents
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It is a matter of congratulation that nothing has
occurred under this head which is worth of notice, or causing any
serious injury to any of the property of the Company. Not a single
individual, in any way connected with the Company's business, has
received the least injury; and save the running off the track by the
misplacement of a switch when the engine was moving slowly, and
consequently no damage was done, there would be nothing to record
under this heading.
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The Business of the Company
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An examination of the receipts will show that there has
been a serious falling off in our receipts when compared with the
previous year. It is hardly necessary to remind you that this was
owing entirely to the disturbances in commercial affairs, growing out
of the threatening attitude assumed by the Federal Government towards
the Southern States. Since the commencement of the war the business
both in freight and passengers has increased greatly, but as nearly
all these are carried at half the usual rates, and the service
required the running of many additional trains and other extraordinary
expenses, together with the fear of destruction to the property of the
Company by evil disposed persons, who always avail themselves of such
times as these to commit depredations, it has been deemed advisable to
increase the number of our watchmen at all the bridges and stations,
by which the expenses of the operations will be increased in a much
greater proportion than the receipts. I presume, however, that you and
the stockholders agree with me, that the struggle now going on between
the administration of a sectional government and the defence and
protection of the rights of the Southern States cannot be successfully
conducted without sacrifices of a personal nature, and we must submit.
I take great pleasure in saying, that in addition to the faithful
performance of all the ordinary duties devolving upon the officers and
operatives in the service of the Company, every one, without an
exception, has most cheerfully performed all the extra service,
involving frequently the loss of meals and rest for many hours beyond
those usually required, while engaged in transporting troops or
munitions of war, or other services required by the authorities for
the defence of our State. I consider it proper, and I am much
gratified to be able to pay this tribute to the patriotic feelings
exhibited by those who, though in a humble and almost obscure sphere,
are yet no poor adjuncts in assisting to carry on a successful
campaign. For the names and pay of the employees see table No. 13.
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Respectfully,
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Thos. H. Wynne
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Superintendent
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