| Annual Report of the Richmond &
Petersburg RR |
| as of April 1, 1863, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| General Superintendent's Office |
| Richmond & Petersburg Railroad |
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Richmond, April 1st, 1863
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Charles Ellis, Esq.
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President
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Dear Sir,
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The following report of the
operations of the road, for the fiscal year which has just terminated,
is respectfully submitted:
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| Receipts or Earnings |
| From transportation of passengers |
333,264.86 |
|
| "
extra baggage and express freight |
24,493.30 |
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| " mails |
3,675.00 |
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| "
transportation freight |
174,556.19 |
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| "
miscellaneous sources |
9,669.86 |
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| Total receipts or earnings |
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$545,659.21 |
| Expenses of Working
the Road |
| For repairs of road |
25,998.57 |
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"
" " bridges and
watching |
5,136.79 |
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"
" " depot and
water stations |
1,945.61 |
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"
" " locomotive
engines and tenders |
16,842.62 |
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"
" " passenger,
mail and baggage cars |
5,307.90 |
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"
" " freight cars
and flats |
4,650.12 |
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"
" " coal cars |
4,584.05 |
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"
" " shop tools
and machinery |
1,093.80 |
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| " oil and tallow |
10,283.63 |
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| " cotton waste |
1,011.90 |
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| " wood |
25,550.84 |
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| " train expenses |
23,098.63 |
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| Depot expenses |
19,593.76 |
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| Postage, stationery and printing |
1,934.15 |
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| Officer's salaries |
6,729.16 |
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| Insurance on buildings |
2,088.50 |
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| Taxes |
757.07 |
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| Lost and damaged goods |
7,144.51 |
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| Miscellaneous expenses |
1,222.27 |
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| New buildings |
16.00 |
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| Through travel expenses |
562.50 |
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| New locomotive engines |
3,683.33 |
` |
| Clover Hill transportation expenses |
6,162.19 |
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| New passenger car |
2,501.74 |
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| New freight cars |
1,950.00 |
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| New coal cars |
1,113.00 |
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| Total expenses |
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180,962.64 |
| Leaving a net balance of receipts of |
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$364,696.57 |
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or upwards of sixty-six and two thirds per cent.
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The extraordinary expenses for the year are as follows:
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| Two new freight cars, and one new passenger car,
the cost of which are embraced in the foregoing statement of
expenses |
4,401.74 |
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| Locomotive engine Washington (unpaid for) |
6,000.00 |
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| Iron and ties taken from the Port Walthall
Branch |
10,000.00 |
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| Sum total of
extraordinary expenses |
$20,401.74 |
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It will be observed that the sum of $7,144.51 was paid
for "lost and damaged goods," $4,210.18 of which was for
cotton which took fire upon the cars between Petersburg and Richmond,
and $1,459.50 was for goods and baggage lost upon a connecting road;
the latter sum will probably be refunded by the company properly
chargeable with the loss.
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The receipts exceed those of the last fiscal year,
$244,678.33, and the expenses $74,204.24.
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Tonnage
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The tonnage is as
follows:
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| Coal transported to Richmond |
26,659 tons |
| "
"
" Petersburg |
10,129 tons |
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"
"
" Port Walthall |
375 tons |
| Other freight |
35,005 tons |
| Express Freight and extra baggage |
5,925 tons |
| Total |
78,092 tons |
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The receipts from transportation of coal amount to
$35,074.75, or 94 cents per ton, or $1.01 per mile run, and from all
other freight, including extra baggage, to $163,974.74, or $4 per ton,
and the number of tons transported one
mile amounts to 1,935,430.
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Passengers
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There were 397,599 passengers transported; of these 1,284 were Clover
Hill passengers, and 3,000 were free. The receipts from passenger fare amounts to
$333,261, or 84 cents per passenger, and the total movement, or number
of passengers transported one mile exclusive of free passengers is
7,184,192, and the average fare of each passenger is 4.64-100 cents
per mile.
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Express Freight and Extra Baggage
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The receipts for express freight and extra baggage amount to
$24,493.30, or $4.15 per ton, or fifteen cents per ton more than
regular freight. The receipts per mile run, of all the trains,
amount to $5.34, and the expenses per mile run to $1.80.
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Tables marked Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12, hereunto annexed, furnish full information in
detail relative to freight and travel.
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The Road and Bridges
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In consequence of the great difficulty experienced in
procuring iron, cross ties, and bridge timber, and the necessary
mechanical labor, the road and bridges are not in their usual good
condition, but it is believed to be as good as that of any other road
in the Confederacy. Port Walthall Branch having been rendered useless,
and the trains discontinued in consequence of the occupancy of James
River below City Point, by the vandal enemy, the iron and ties were
taken up, and are now being used to great advantage in the repairs of
the main stem. Nine thousand new cross ties have been laid during the
year.
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Locomotive Engines
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The engines are in as good condition as
could be expected; they are all in running order; they have all been
kept constantly in use during the year, and in consequence of the
great scarcity of materials for repairs, and of machinists, (the
Secretary of War having declined to grant the necessary detail of
mechanics) it has not been possible to put them in as good order as
the pressing exigencies of the country required.
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Three engines captured from the enemy have been purchased
from the Confederate Government, viz: the Washington, Jefferson Davis,
and the Holden Rhodes. The first has been performing good service
since December last, the others are now being put in order in our
shops. Two engines rented from the Manassas Gap Railroad Company, (one
in April last, and the other in August,) have been kept constantly
busy, and have performed good service. The number of miles run by the
engines amounts to 100,339 and the cost of repairs to ten cents per
mile run.
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For further information relative to the engines, I refer you to tables Nos.
10 and 11.
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Rolling Stock or Cars
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The cars of all kinds have been kept constantly running
during the year, and as little or no time could be allowed for the
necessary repairs, many of them are in a dilapidated condition. One
passenger car has been built in the company shops during the year, and
two new box cars have been purchased, and two gondolas received from
the Confederate Government, in exchange for six coal cars impressed by
its agents and taken to Gordonsville and not returned.
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There are now 7 first-class and 6 second-class passenger
cars, 3 baggage and mail cars, 27 box and 2 stock cars, 21
flats, 2 gondolas, 123 coal cars, 4 gravel cars, 3 hand cars, 5 pole
cars, and 2 dirt cars.
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Material on Hand
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The value of the materials on hand, consisting of iron,
steel, lumber, ties, wood and provisions, is estimated at about
$20,000, exclusive of the value of the old rails now on hand..
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For a list of the names of the officers, agents and
employees of the Company, and the pay of each, I refer you to
statement marked No. 13.
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In closing this report, it becomes my duty to speak in
terms of commendation of the agents and employees of the Company. They
have performed their several duties cheerfully, and in a satisfactory
manner.
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Respectfully submitted.
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E. H. Gill
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Superintendent
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