| Annual Report of the Richmond & Petersburg RR |
| as of April 1, 1862 |
| Committee of Evaluation Report |
| |
| The following report of the committee of
examination was laid before the meeting, and, on motion, was
received and approved: |
| The committee have to report that they
have made their usual examination of the road from Richmond to
Petersburg, and to Port Walthall, and that while the track is not in
such perfect order as it was at the last meeting of the
stockholders, it is certainly in better condition than they expected
to have found it, after the constant rains of the past winter and
spring, and the immense amount of extraordinarily heavy
transportation which has recently passed over it. Everything has
evidently been done by the officers and agents of the company to
keep the road in the best possible condition, during this severe
test to which it has been subjected. The bridges are in excellent
condition, and some improvements have been made adding to their
strength and durability; improvements have also been made at other
points in the road, but as they will of course be mentioned in
detail, in the Superintendent's report, the committee deem it
unnecessary to do more than refer to them. |
| The James River bridge, the most
important structure on this road, and of such vital necessity to all
of the roads connected with it, suffered some damage from a severe
storm which occurred during the month of February, tearing up a
considerable extent of its flooring, but was speedily repaired, and
is to all appearances, in as good condition as it was at your last
annual meeting. |
| Your committee would call the attention
of the stockholders to the importance of taking some measures, if
practicable, to have the vast amount of combustible material with
which the northern end of this bridge is almost surrounded, removed;
these nuisances extend on one side of it from a manufactory of
cartridges to within a short distance of the bridge, and an
explosion occurred in this establishment a few weeks since, which
had it resulted in the burning of those buildings would in all
probability, have extended to it and might have resulted in its
destruction. The importance of this matter would seem to demand
immediate attention, and nothing should be omitted which can
possibly tend to effect this object. |
| A portion of the committee have examined
the books in a general way, and report them accurately and neatly
kept. |
| Respectfully submitted, |
| Wirt Robinson |
| Chm'n Com. |
|