| Annual Report of the Virginia Central RR |
| as of October 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
| |
| Superintendent's Report |
| Office General Superintendent of
Transportation of the Virginia Central Railroad |
| Richmond, October 1st, 1861 |
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|
E. Fontaine, Esq., President
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| Sir, |
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The following report of the operations of this
department, for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 1861, is
respectfully submitted.
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The earnings from all sources are as follows:
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Earnings |
| From Passengers |
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$366,084.08 |
| "
Freight |
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245,582.28 |
| "
Express Freight |
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17,467.51 |
| " Mail
service |
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23,775.12 |
|
" use of road, in hauling materials
for the construction of their road by the Orange &
Alexandria Railroad Company |
2,446.92 |
| From Miscellaneous receipts |
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|
150.00 |
| "
Dividends on Telegraph stock |
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|
362.25 |
| " Rent
of real estate |
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538.77 |
| Total Receipts |
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656,406.93 |
| Expenses |
| For conducting transportation,
including miscellaneous, legal expenses, &c. |
114,404.94 |
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| For repairs of locomotives and cars |
|
45,376.98 |
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|
"
" "
workshops and tools |
|
1,117.00 |
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"
" "
maintenance of way, including repairs of depots and water
stations |
87,855.41 |
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| For salaries of President, Treasurer
and Clerks, General Superintendent, and per diem of Directors
and Committees |
12,862.37 |
|
| For taxes, including mill tax on
passengers and freight transported, paid the State |
7,595.12 |
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| For insurance on buildings, bridges,
&c., against fire |
2,879.72 |
|
| " repairs of real estate,
Richmond |
|
33.78 |
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| Sundries Charged to Transportation Expenses: |
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| For finishing six new box freight cars |
1,671.63 |
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| " two new rack cars |
1,069.69 |
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| " preparing cars for
conveying troops |
701.43 |
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| " repairs of engines and
cars for other roads, and for Confederate States, not yet
collected |
1,005.56 |
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| For construction East, work done at shops |
1,473.96 |
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"
"
West
"
" " " |
449.65 |
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| " sundries |
39.85 |
|
|
|
|
6,411.77 |
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|
278,537.09 |
| Nett receipts |
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$377,869.84 |
| There has been an
increase in the receipts as follows, viz: |
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| From transportation of passengers |
|
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$84,398.94 |
| " express
freight |
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|
9,289.92 |
| " mail service |
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|
964.54 |
|
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|
94,653.40 |
| And a decrease in the receipts from
transportation of freight |
72,169.09 |
|
| " other sources |
|
160.69 |
|
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|
72,329.78 |
| Nett increase in receipts over previous year |
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$22,323.62 |
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The expenses have been $3,592.99 more than for the
previous year, and deducting those items which are not strictly
transportation expenses from the accounts of both years, the amount
allows a still greater increase, of $13,980.59.
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This increase in the expenses is due to the heavy
transportation incident to the war.
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The decrease in the receipts from freight is not
surprising, when it is remembered that the crop of 1860 was by no
means a large one, that there was a depression in business, without a
parallel since the road has been in operation, and that much of the
tobacco crop is still in the hands of the planter. In addition to
these, the outward freight on which the heaviest charges are made, has
been only such as the absolute wants of the people require.
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The business of the road in carrying freight for the
Government has been large, as to quantity and weight, but small as to
the receipts. Most of the supplies for the army are such as are
carried at very low rates for individuals, but for which the
Government pays only half price. Such articles as flour, corn, lumber,
hay, &c., carried at half rates, will hardly pay the expense of
transportation.
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The receipts for passengers are largely increased, due to
the transportation of troops and other persons connected with the
army. Nor does a comparison of receipts, with those of the preceding
year, show the real increase in the number of passengers, as the
Government rates are less than one-half of that paid by individuals.
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The gross expenses of the year are 42 43-199 per cent. of
the gross receipts, and the nett receipts are 57 57-100 per cent. of
the gross receipts.
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In comparing the expenses of this with the previous year,
the increased weight and number of the trains must be kept in mind;
also, the largely increased price of every article that is used in
repairs, or on the trains. It is a fair estimate to put the increase
in the prices of labor, materials and supplies at 25 per cent. more
during the last quarter of the year than for the preceding three
quarters. This increase will be more severely felt during the next
year, if the war continues, and the expenses of transportation will be
much heavier. The locomotives are constantly used with loads to the
extent of their capacity, and cannot be spared for repairs; they are
run until they can run no longer. Many of them are old, and constantly
out of order. The freight cars, also, have been in constant use. The
supply of cars being very limited, makes it necessary to run them
without repairs as long as it is safe to do so. They have been
seriously damaged in the transportation of troops, and considerable
expense is necessary to put them in good order. Full details of
expenses, passengers, tonnage, mileage, &c., will be found in
tables attached.
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Roadway
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The track has been kept in good order, considering the
great fall of rain during the year. It is very difficult to keep it in
good condition in wet weather, where it is not ballasted; a
considerable portion of the track is now laid on earth, and it is
quite important that it should be ballasted, especially in excavation.
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The road has suffered severely from floods, and several
serious breaches have occurred, interrupting the business, and on one
occasion causing a loss of life.
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The work of renewing the timber abutments with stone, and
the trestles with permanent bridges has been commenced, and will be
continued as rapidly as circumstances will admit. Several of these
structures should have been replaced before this time, and in one case
it was found necessary to renew with wood, as the condition of it was
such as not to admit of the delay necessary to the rebuilding of it
with permanent materials.
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Where timber is replaced with stone, the construction
account will be credited with the original cost of the wooden
structure, which will be charged to repairs.
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There is a considerable amount of this work, and as much
of it will be done during the next year as a due regard to economy and
the safety of the trains will warrant.
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Some portions of the rail will need replacing during the
next year. This will be a new item in repairs, as no iron has been
bought for that purpose since the plate rail was removed.
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Station Buildings and Fixtures
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The additional offices in Richmond have been completed,
and are well arranged, and very convenient. The new freight depot in
Staunton was finished about the first of January. This work, together
with the removal of the buildings formerly occupying the ground, and
the rearranging them, the construction of the engine house, &c.,
was under the charge of Mr. S. A. Richardson, of the engineer
Department, and is creditable to him. Several new water station have
been built in a very substantial manner. The sidings at Ivy depot have
been lengthened, and the whole arrangement there improved.
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Machinery
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One new passenger engine, the General Beauregard,
purchased from the Confederate Government, has been placed on the
road, and one of the mountain track engines, the J. R. Anderson, sold
to the Government in part payment. The Beauregard has cylinders 15x22
inches, and drivers 5 feet in diameter, and is equal in power to any
passenger engine belonging to the Company.
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It is very important that some addition should be made to
the number of freight engines, the severe work to which they are now
put will soon wear them out.
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There are several locomotives belonging to the Company
that are too light to be of real service, and should be sold or
exchanged as soon as an opportunity offers.
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Cars
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The stock of cars is as follows
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19 |
eight-wheel |
passenger cars |
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4 |
" |
mail and smoker's cars |
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8 |
" |
baggage cars |
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8 |
" |
conductor's cars |
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150 |
" |
box freight and stock cars |
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8 |
" |
hay cars |
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30 |
" |
platform and Gondola cars |
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22 |
four-wheel |
gravel and sand cars |
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The four-wheel box and stock cars, mentioned in last
year's report, have not been run during the year. They are unfit for
further service; some have been sold, others are used for various
purposes. Several of the eight-wheel box cars are out of use, and must
be re-built to make them fit for service. The stock of cars is very
deficient, and the number must be increased immediately, or the
patrons of the road will suffer for want of the means of
transportation for their produce to market. I suppose there is no road
of equal length which is so deficient in this particular as yours.
This has been more apparent under the heavy transportation of the past
three months, as it has been impossible to give the army
transportation that prompt attention which is so necessary, to say
nothing of the business that naturally belongs to the road.
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Workshops
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The want of convenient and safe buildings for the
construction and repairs of cars has been felt for several years. The
present buildings are of wood, and liable to be destroyed by fire,
with their valuable contents; they are too small, and very
inconvenient. Nearly all the repairs to the cars are now made in the
open air, and the workmen of course lose much time. Besides this, it
is clearly the policy of the Company to build its own cars, and as I
have before intimated, a large addition is imperatively called for. A
large car shop, reasonably fire proof, is needed, and should be built
without delay. The condition of the smith shop makes it necessary to
build a new one. The foundation for a building, 110x40 feet, has been
prepared, and a brick building, with slate roof, will be ready, it is
hoped, before spring. The location selected is in the rear of the
machine shop, parallel, and near to the railroad tracks. The
carpenter's shop should be built south of this, and at right angles to
the track, forming with the machine shop and blacksmith's shop three
sides of a parallelogram. This arrangement is the best that I can make
on the ground owned by the Company.
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Casualties
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About the 15th of July, two trains conveying a regiment
of North Carolina volunteers left Richmond at night. The first train
left Hanover Junction 25 minutes in advance of the second. While the
first train was taking on wood and water at Beaver Dam station, the
second train ran into it, and wounded four soldiers, three of them
slightly, the fourth so severely, that he was unable to go on with his
regiment. The usual instructions to be careful in following a
preceding train was given in writing to the conductor of the second
train before it started from Richmond. At the time it was difficult to
get enginemen acquainted with the road. The engineman on this train,
although recently employed, had been over the road sufficiently often
it was thought to know where the stations were, and it is difficult to
account for this accident, except from his great carelessness. He was
dismissed.
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On the 11th day of August a violent rain fell at Hanover
Junction. The culverts and small bridges in the vicinity did not
afford sufficient passage for the water, and four serious breaches
were made in the road. A train containing nearly 600 troops, drawn by
two locomotives, left Richmond late in the evening. The train arrived
safely at Hanover Court House after night. There had been no violent
rains there, not enough to occasion any uneasiness in the minds of the
conductors or enginemen. The night was dark and rainy when the train
left that station, and although it was moving very slowly at the time,
it ran into the first of the breaches, which was at a point where it
would scarcely be expected. One of the soldiers was instantly killed,
and another died the next day from his injuries. Several others were
wounded, some of them severely. As soon as the breach nearest the
Junction was reported, orders were dispatched to the station
agent to send a man with a lamp to warn the troop train of the danger;
the existence of other breaches was not then known. The man returned,
saying it was impossible to cross the breach; he was sent back with
orders to remain there if he could not cross it. It was crossed
shortly afterwards by two persons who were on the train at the time of
the accident, and from whom I learned what had occurred. Physicians
were immediately sent for, and as soon as possible a train was
dispatched to bring the wounded to this city. With the exception above
mentioned, all have recovered, and are now in active service.
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The conduct of the soldiers on both these occasions is
worthy of commendation. Every assistance was rendered by them
cheerfully. In the latter case I offered to transport the men back to
Richmond, as the breach in the road prevented the passage of the
trains to carry them on, but they refused to take a backward step.
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On the 15th day of August, Mr. Arnall, a fireman on the
switching engine in Richmond, attempting to get on the engine while it
was in motion, was caught under the wheels, and so badly injured, that
he died in a short time.
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A soldier, whose name is unknown to me, was killed in
Staunton by being run over by a train. He had seated himself on the
small platform, which is attached to some of the freight cars, after
being warned by the conductor of the danger. A sudden movement of the
train threw him on the track, and he was instantly killed.
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In conclusion I commend the spirit of the officers and
employees under my charge during the past three months. Their labors
have been arduous and incessant, but have been performed with alacrity
and cheerfulness.
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All of which is cheerfully submitted.
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Your obedient servant,
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H. D. Whitcomb
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General Superintendent of Transportation
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