| Annual Report of the Richmond &
Petersburg RR |
| as of April 1, 1864, |
| 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, Va., April 1st, 1864
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Charles Ellis, Esq.
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President
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Dear Sir,
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I respectfully submit the following report of the
operations of the road, for the fiscal year which has just terminated:
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| Receipts or Earnings |
| From transportation of passengers |
378,986.54 |
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| "
extra baggage and express freight |
43,398.16 |
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| " mails |
3,675.00 |
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| "
transportation freight |
295,006.32 |
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| "
miscellaneous sources |
20,530.37 |
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| Total receipts or earnings |
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$741,596.39 |
| Expenses of Working
the Road |
| For repairs of road |
62,997.40 |
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"
" " bridges and
watching |
20,926.00 |
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" " depot and
water stations |
4,867.12 |
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" " locomotive
engines and tenders |
65,186.15 |
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" " passenger,
mail and baggage cars |
21,913.64 |
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" " freight cars
and flats |
18,699.96 |
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" " coal cars |
12,616.22 |
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" " shop tools
and machinery |
6,135.80 |
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| " oil and tallow |
34,763.63 |
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| " cotton waste |
3,429.00 |
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| " wood |
60,638.23 |
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| " train expenses |
49,229.78 |
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| Depot expenses |
45,606.62 |
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| Postage, stationery and printing |
6,813.74 |
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| Officer's salaries |
8,708.34 |
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| Taxes |
27,064.55 |
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| Insurance on buildings |
3,271.51 |
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| Lost and damaged goods |
1,480.00 |
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| Miscellaneous expenses |
2,463.30 |
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| New locomotive engines |
44,646.87 |
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| Clover Hill transportation expenses |
15,740.10 |
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| New passenger car |
1,655.35 |
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| New freight cars |
26,914.30 |
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| New coal cars |
118.00 |
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| Cattle killed by trains |
100.00 |
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| Total expenses |
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545,985.61 |
| Leaving a net balance of receipts of |
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$195,610.78 |
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The extraordinary expenses for the year are embraced in
the foregoing statement of working expenses, although they do not
properly belong to it. They are as follows:
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| For three locomotive engines |
44,646.87 |
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| For new freight cars |
26,914.30 |
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| For new passenger and coal cars |
1,755.35 |
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| For mules, wagons, carts, harnesses, &c.,
for hauling wood |
3,000.00 |
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| For one stationary engine |
1,500.00 |
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| Sum total of
extraordinary expenses |
$77,816.52 |
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The receipts exceed those of the last fiscal year,
$195,937.18, and the expenses $365,022.97.
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Tonnage
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The tonnage is as
follows:
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| Coal transported to Richmond |
26,002 tons |
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"
" Petersburg |
10,383 tons |
| Other freight |
51,522 tons |
| Express Freight and extra baggage |
6,697 tons |
| Total |
94,604 tons |
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The receipts from coal transportation amount to
$68,685.05, or $1.88 per ton, or $1.52 per mile run, and from all
other freight, including extra baggage, to $269,719.43, or $4.63 per ton,
and the number of tons transported one
mile amounts to 2,359,498.
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Passengers
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There were 403,910 passengers transported; of these 1,644 were Clover
Hill passengers, and 3,650 were free. The receipts from passenger fare amounts to
$378,986.54, or 94 cents per passenger, and the total movement, or number
of passengers transported one mile exclusive of free passengers is
8,500,748, and the average fare of each passenger is 4.45 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
$43,398.16, or $6.48 per ton. The receipts per mile run, of all the
trains,
amount to $5.90, and the expenses per mile run to $4.34.
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Tables hereunto annexed marked Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 furnish full information in
detail, relative to freight and travel.
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The Road and Bridges
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The condition of the road and bridges, is as good as
could be expected, and will compare favorably with that of any road in
the Confederacy. Nine thousand eight hundred and fifty new cross ties
have been laid during the year, and two hundred and fifty bars of
iron. The turn-outs at Manchester, Temple's, Rice's and Chester, have
been laid with heavy iron, and otherwise improved.
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Locomotive Engines
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Nine of the locomotive engines including
the No. 1, (a rented engine) are in good running order, four are laid
up undergoing repairs. They have all been kept in constant use
whenever their condition would admit of it. Two of those now laid up
may be regarded as worn out. The boiler of the engine Jefferson Davis
(purchased from the government) exploded near Falling Creek on the 6th
of July last, instantly killing the engineer, Hugh Burns, and three
others.
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The number of miles run by the engines amounts to
125,675, and the cost of repairs to forty cents per mile run. The
machine shop has been for some months under the direction of Mr.
William B. Ransom, a machinist of skill and experience.
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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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There are now seven first and six second class passenger
cars, three baggage and mail cars, forty-two box or freight cars, one
stock car, twenty flats, two gondolas, one hundred and ten coal cars,
four gravel cars, three hand cars, five pole cars and two dirt cars.
They are all in running order and kept in constant use.
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Material on Hand
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The present value of the materials on hand, consisting of
iron, steel, lumber, ties, wood, and provisions, and clothing, is
estimated at about $80,000, exclusive of the value of old rails no 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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The expenses of the year appear high compared with the
receipts, but it must be borne in mind that the rates for freight and
fare have not kept pace with the exorbitant cost of supplies. For
instance, the cost of wood has advanced from $1.25 to $8 per cord;
lumber from $15 to $130 per thousand; oil from 75 cents to $30 per
gallon; tallow and lard, from twelve cents to $5 per pound; packing
from eighteen cents to $16 per pound; iron from $80 to $1,400 per ton;
bacon from twelve cents to $5 per pound; corn from $1 to $40 per
bushel, and labor has advanced at least five fold, notwithstanding
all which Railroad rates have, but in few instances, been much more
than doubled.
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In 1861, we received for the transportation of coal, 72
1/4 cents per ton, and for freight other than coal $1.58 per ton, and
for each passenger $1.05. For the past fiscal year we received for the
transportation of coal $1.88 per ton; for freight other than coal,
$4.63 per ton, and for passengers 94 cents.
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Our expenses during the first quarter of the year were
$68,652.29; the second quarter they were $78,013.63; the third quarter
they were $150,389.87; and the fourth quarter they amounted to
$248,929.82.
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In conclusion, it affords me great pleasure to inform you
that the officers, agents and employees of this Company, have
performed their several duties zealously, cheerfully, and in a highly
satisfactory and creditable manner.
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Respectfully submitted,
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E. H. Gill
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