| Annual Report of the Virginia &
Tennessee RR |
| as of July 1, 1862, |
| Superintendent's Report |
| |
| General Superintendent's Report |
| General Superintendent's Office, Virginia
& Tennessee Railroad |
| Lynchburg, July 1st, 1862 |
| |
| Robert L. Owens, Esq. |
| Pres. Va. & Tenn. Railroad Co. |
|
|
|
Dear Sir,
|
| I respectfully submit the
following report of the operations of the road during the fiscal year
ending June 30th, 1862: |
|
Earnings
|
| From transportation of passengers |
|
$577,237.17 |
| From transportation of freight |
|
403,599.83 |
| From transportation of express freight |
|
33,797.29 |
| From transportation of mails |
|
36,515.63 |
| From rents of trains and fruit stand |
|
211.39 |
| From rent of houses |
|
681.58 |
| |
|
1,052,042.89 |
| Less over-charge on freight refunded |
$214.69 |
|
| Less passenger fare refunded |
30.50 |
|
| Less deducted for mail pay |
581.08 |
826.27 |
| Total earnings |
|
$1,051,216.62 |
| Operating Expenses |
|
|
| Repairs of road bed |
$71,537.04 |
|
| Repairs of the superstructure of road |
31,602.04 |
|
| Repairs of iron superstructure of road |
42,515.75 |
|
| Repairs of bridge superstructure |
14,448.91 |
|
| Repairs of masonry |
8,824.75 |
|
| Ballasting |
6,370.14 |
|
| Repairs of section-houses, depots, wood and
water stations, engines and car-houses, machine shops, tools
and machinery |
5,318.88 |
|
| Repairs of locomotives and tenders |
46,346.90 |
|
| Repairs of freight and cattle cars |
24,470.15 |
|
| Repairs of open and service cars |
5,356.35 |
|
| Repairs of passenger, mail and baggage cars |
21,001.12 |
|
| Passenger train expenses |
37,974.14 |
|
| Freight train expenses |
33,193.66 |
|
| Oil, grease and tallow |
12,802.62 |
|
| Cotton waste |
1,150.06 |
|
| Wood for fuel |
35,101.38 |
|
| Depot expenses |
41,016.00 |
|
| Office expenses |
2,837.10 |
|
| Miscellaneous expenses |
748.86 |
|
| Telegraph expenses |
110.55 |
|
| Law expenses |
100.00 |
|
| Salaries |
11,502.77 |
|
| Stationery |
484.95 |
|
| Taxes |
11,303.84 |
|
| Insurance |
2,774.60 |
|
| Lost and damaged baggage |
53.50 |
|
| Lost and damaged goods |
1,179.41 |
|
| Injuries to persons |
99.50 |
|
| Injuries to property |
30.25 |
|
| New passenger cars |
2,453.77 |
|
| New baggage and mail cars |
303.00 |
|
|
473,011.99 |
|
| Less the following sums to the credit of account
as stated for materials sold: |
|
|
| Repairs of road
bed
$3,184.14 |
|
|
| Repairs of
locomotives
3,987.04 |
|
|
| Repairs freight and cattle
cars
1,290.96 |
|
|
| Repairs of service
cars
10.00 |
|
|
| Less this sum to the credit of lost and damaged
goods 2,110.04 |
10,582.18 |
|
| Total expenses |
|
462,429.81 |
| Leaving a net balance of earnings of |
|
$588,786.81 |
|
|
Being 56 per cent. of the gross earnings of the road for the year. The
operating expenses amount to 44 per cent. of the gross earnings.
|
|
The average earnings per mile run by passenger, troop and
freight trains combined, amount to $2.78, and the earnings per mile of
road are $4,923.73, being an increase over the preceding year of 74
cents per mile run by trains, and of $1,233.57 cents per mile of road.
|
| The increase from passengers is |
|
$130,326.72 |
| The increase from freight is |
|
118,892.66 |
| The increase from express is |
|
17,765.26 |
| The increase from rents is |
|
4.30 |
| Gross increase |
|
$266,988.94 |
| From which deduct decrease in mail pay |
$4,851.94 |
|
| And amount of sales of old iron, &c.,
credited to earnings last year |
9,648.98 |
|
|
|
14,500.92 |
| Leaves the actual net increase of |
|
$252,488.02 |
|
|
Being 31 6/10 per cent. There is an increase of expenses as compared
with the preceding year of $33,853.64, or 7 9/10 per cent.
|
|
I have not thought it necessary to make any distinction,
as is frequently done, under the head of ordinary and extraordinary
expenses, but the sum total includes all expenditures for working and
repairing the road, repairs and maintenance of machinery, including
new passenger cars built, &c., &c., for full details of which,
I refer to table marked No. 7.
|
|
The increase of expense of expenses is caused partly by
the large increase of business, but more particularly by the extensive
repairs to the road, bridges and masonry, rendered necessary by the
heavy damages from freshets during the preceding as well as during the
year just ended, and the extraordinary high prices of all description
of supplies, as well as increased rates of labor.
|
|
Tonnage
|
| The number of tons of freight transported
westward amount to |
22,531 |
| The number of tons of freight transported
eastward amount to |
44,808 |
| Total tonnage |
67,339 |
|
|
Being an increase over the preceding year of 6,749 tons.
|
|
The total movement of freight, or number of tons
transported one mile, is 8,263,421, which is 1,712, 844 more than last
year.
|
|
Passengers
|
| The total number of passengers transported was |
197,106 |
| For the preceding year |
129,789 |
| Increase for the year |
67,317 |
| The number of passengers transported one mile
was |
25,253,789 |
| For the preceding year |
15,377,836 |
| Increase for the year |
9,875,953 |
| The number of troops transported on Government
account was |
103,737 |
| For the preceding year |
34,000 |
| Increase for the year |
69,737 |
| The number of other passengers transported
during the year was |
93,369 |
| For the preceding year |
95,719 |
| Decrease |
2,350 |
| The amount of earnings from passengers, other
than those transported on Government account, was |
$263,995.04 |
| For the previous year |
326,477.27 |
| Decrease |
$62,482.23 |
| The earnings from troops transported on
Government account was |
$313,242.13 |
| For the preceding year |
120,502.68 |
| Increase |
$192,739.45 |
| The number of troops carried one mile on
Government account was |
15,662102 |
| For the preceding year |
6,625,134 |
| Increase |
9,636,968 |
| The number of passengers carried eastward,
including troops, was |
107,015 |
| The number of passengers carried westward,
including troops, was |
90,091 |
| The total number of passengers and troops
carried both ways |
197,106 |
|
|
Salt Works Branch
|
|
The business of the Salt Works Branch is included in the
foregoing statements, and is as follows:
|
| 8,690 tons of salt transported |
$8,690.00 |
| 315 tons of plaster transported |
126.00 |
| 1,585 tons other freight transported |
1,903.16 |
| Upon the above-mentioned freight there was
collected on the main stem |
17,955.02 |
| Making the sum total collected on freight of all
descriptions to and from the Salt Works |
$28,674.18 |
|
|
Being an increase over the amount collected for the preceding year of
$5,078.45.
|
|
The increase in the number of tons of salt transported
was 4,285 tons. Decrease in the number of tons of plaster transported
2,147.
|
|
Decrease in other freight 4,088 tons.
|
|
Net decrease 2,079 tons.
|
|
The Road
|
|
As you are aware, the road was greatly damaged by the
heavy rains and deep snows of the preceding year, a large number of
bridges having been swept away and others seriously damaged, and large
portions of heavy embankment washed out and a number of heavy slides
had occurred.
|
|
The repairs, in most of these cases, were of a temporary
character so as to admit of the passage of the trains, but from the
extent of the damage the available force of the company was not
sufficient to complete the repairs in a permanent manner during that
year. This has been done to as great an extent as possible during the
past year, but the heavy rains in the month of February last caused
nearly as great an amount of damage as had occurred during the
preceding year, consequently the amount of repairs during the past
year has been excessively heavy, and the expenses of this department
correspondingly increased.
|
|
Five hundred tons of new iron has been paid for during
the year, amounting to $23,825.30, and is included in the expenses for
the year.
|
|
My predecessor, E. H. Gill, Esq'r., estimated in his
report for the preceding year that the road would require, during the
past year, 90,000 new cross ties. This estimate, from the condition of
the road, I have no doubt, was correct, but in consequence of the
withdrawal of a large portion of the population from the line of our
road for the army, the contracts made with the company for cross ties
have, in very few instances, been complied with, and it has been
impossible to procure the desired number. 65,754 is the number
reported by the Resident Engineer as having been used in the ordinary
repairs of the track, leaving a deficiency for the year of 25,000. We
shall require, therefore, not less than 130,000, during the year just
commenced. In the present state of the country, there can only be
procured by the purchase of the timber in the woods and putting a
sufficient force of slaves to work, to get them, and purchasing teams
to haul them to the road. 18,640 are reported as being used in
cribbing washed places.
|
|
The cost of repairs of road, including repairs of
bridges, masonry, and track damaged by freshets, and amounts paid for
new iron, is $172,114.49 or $805.68 per mile, or 42 cents per mile run
by all engines.
|
|
The greatly increased prices paid for provisions, shoes
and clothes for the negroes employed upon the road, has added very
much to the expense of this department.
|
|
For full details and particulars relative to the road, I
refer you to the full and comprehensive report of J. H. Buford, Esq'r.,
Resident Engineer.
|
|
Buildings
|
|
For number and condition see Resident Engineer's report.
The repairs of buildings of all kinds, including shops and
engine-houses, amount to $5,318.88 or 1 3/10 cents per mile run by
trains.
|
|
Locomotive Engines
|
|
Twenty-six of the engines are in good running order.
Eight are under repair, and five that require extensive repairs, the
material for which cannot, at present be procured, are laid up.
|
|
The number of miles run by the engines are as follows:
|
| With passenger trains |
156,681 |
| With freight and troop trains |
220,987 |
| With wood, material and gravel trains |
32,075 |
| Total number of miles |
409,743 |
|
|
The cost of repairs of the engines per mile run for the
year is 10 24/100 cents.
|
|
The machine shops are under the direction of Mr. R. H.
Anderson, assisted at the Central shops by Mr. W. B. Ransom. John T.
Whitlock is Master Blacksmith at Lynchburg. For further information
relative to engines, I refer you to tables marked No. 6, 7 and 8.
|
|
Cars
|
|
The company now have 19 first class, 9 second class, and
14 mail and baggage cars, in running order; and 294 freight and cattle
cars, and 74 platform and gondola cars, 13 caboose cars, and the usual
supply of dirt, pole and hand cars on the road.
|
|
The mileage of passenger cars amounted to 812,583 miles,
and of mail and baggage cars 279, 432 miles -- making total mileage of
passage and baggage cars 1,092,015.
|
|
The repairs of passenger, mail and baggage cars amounted
to $21,001.12 or 1 89/100 cents per mile.
|
|
The mileage of freight, open and service cars amounted to
1,476,089; the cost of repairs to $28,525.54 or 1 93/100 cents per
mile run of cars.
|
|
The repairs of cars and buildings are under the direction
of Mr. T. V. Strange, Master Carpenter.
|
|
Wood
|
|
The obtaining a sufficient supply of wood for fuel, for
the locomotives, is, becoming a matter of very serious consideration.
|
| The consumption of wood upon the road for the
past year was |
|
24,402 |
| For the preceding year was |
|
21,693 |
| Total for the two years |
|
46,095 |
| Received past year |
15,091 |
|
| Received the preceding year |
17,821 |
|
| Total received in two years |
|
32,912 |
| Deficiency in amount received during the two
years |
|
13,183 |
|
|
Leaving on hand, on the 30th of June, 1862, 9,276 cords,
or only a little more than four months supply. There is now due on
outstanding contracts 27,465 cords, and 11,925 cords to be delivered
during the present year, on contracts made last year, and 3,000 cords
due next year -- making the total quantity under contract 42,390
cords. In consequence of the withdrawal from the line of the road, by
State draft and the Conscription act, of nearly all those formerly
occupied in getting wood for the company, it is not probable that more
than 10,000 cords, at the highest estimate, will be delivered during
the present year on existing or new contracts, which, assuming the
consumption to be the same as last year, will leave a deficiency of
some 14,000 cords. Every effort has been made to secure a sufficient
supply by contract, by offering increased prices not only to those
disposed to make new contracts, but by offering to increase the prices
agreed upon under old contracts, but without the desired result. The
only recourse left, as in the case of cross-ties, is to purchase the
wood standing in the woods and employ a sufficient force of slave
labor to cut and haul it on the company's account. Some wood has
already been purchased and as large a force as can be spared from the
repairs of the road will be detailed to cut the wood. Endeavors have
been made to hire additional force for this purpose exclusively, but
in consequence of most of the railroad companies in the State being
desirous of obtaining hands for the same purpose, we have not been
able to get the additional labor, and it is not now likely that it can
be procured before the usual time for hiring slave labor, viz: the 1st
of January next.
|
|
Accidents to Persons
|
|
July 17th, 1861 -- A freight car in down freight
train ran over a break-block near the trestle work, west of Big
Spring, and, with two others, was thrown from the track and a
brakeman, named Abraham Pleasants, (a free negro) had one of his legs
broken. He died shortly afterwards.
|
|
On the 1st of September, 1861, a down troop train
(Sowers, conductor; Price, engineer) left Bristol at 7:30 P. M.,
followed by another troop train, (W. A. Horton, conductor; J. O.
Thurman, engineer) which left Bristol at 8 P. M. When about half a
mile from Abingdon five cars, in the leading train, broke loose and
ran rapidly down the grade and were run into by the engine of the
following train, and badly broken. One of the soldiers was killed and
twelve were wounded -- one of which died from his wounds on the
following day.
|
|
From all the information that could be obtained it
appears that the trains were at least two miles apart when the cars
broke loose from the leading train, and as they stopped in the bridge
at the foot of the grade, the engineer of the train following did not
see them in time to stop his train.
|
|
January 18th, 1862 -- The Eastern bound mail train
ran into a slide about one mile west of Marion, by which the engine
was thrown off the track and badly broken. The train was detained at
the place where the accident occurred until the next day, (the 19th)
when a freight engine having been procured it started forward at abut
5 o'clock, P. M. At 6:30, P. M., when about two miles east of Mount
Airy, it came into collision with an extra engine going westward, sent
from Central Depot for the purpose of taking the place of the disabled
engine of the mail train, in pursuance3 of a telegraphic dispatch
directed to be sent on Saturday night the 18th, and so dated by the
Resident Engineer, James H. Buford, which message, owing to the
telegraph office being closed before the arrival of the messenger by
whom it was sent to Glade Spring, the nearest telegraph station, was
not sent until the next day (Sunday the 19th), and consequently was
misunderstood by the Foreman of the shops at Central Depot. The
Conductor of the mail train and the Engineer of the engine attached to
it were not appraised that the extra engine was coming. It was one of
those cases of misunderstanding that will sometimes occur under such
circumstances, when all concerned are actuated by the best intentions.
|
|
A soldier, by the name of Freeman, who was on the
platform of the baggage car next to the engine, had both legs broken.
He was taken to Wytheville and the bones set, and became convalescent
and in a fair way of recovery, but by some imprudence not proper for a
person in his debilitated condition, afterwards died.
|
|
Feb'ry 9th, 1862 -- A soldier, by the name of
Beckwith, from Arkansas, in attempting to get on the train after it
had started in the Lynchburg Depot, fell between the cars and the
platform and was so badly injured that he died almost immediately,
|
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Materials, Supplies, &c., &c.
|
|
The difficulty of obtaining the requisite materials for
the repairs of engines, cars, &c., is becoming greater every day,
and the prices greatly increased. Fortunately, the company secured, at
an early period of the difficulties between the North and South, a
large supply of many important articles, but in some instances these
are nearly consumed, and in others entirely so. What limited supplies
that can now be procured for the above purposes, are from double to
eight and ten times the price at which they could be purchased for
before the war.
|
|
The increased price of labor, provisions, cross-ties,
lumber, iron, spikes and all articles necessary for the repairs of the
road, wood for fuel, oil, &c., must necessarily greatly increase
the future cost of operating and repairing the road. In view of this I
would respectfully and earnestly recommend an increase of the freight
tariff as well as the rates of passenger fare. This has been done on
all the connecting roads in this and the Adjoining States, and I
believe generally throughout the Confederate States, while the freight
and passenger rates on this road, up to the present time, have
remained the same as previous to the war.
|
|
Inventory and Estimated Value of the Rolling
Stock, Machinery, Shop and Road Tools, July 1st, 1862 |
| 39 locomotive engines |
$274,000.00 |
| 19 first class passenger cars |
36,000.00 |
| 9 second class passenger cars |
13,500.00 |
| 14 mail and baggage cars |
14,000.00 |
| 291 box and cattle cars |
170,000.00 |
| 75 platform cars |
28,000.00 |
| Hand, pole and dirt cars |
7,500.00 |
| Machinery and tools, Lynchburg shops |
14,000.00 |
| Machinery and tools, Central shops |
8,000.00 |
| Tools on the road |
2,000.00 |
|
$567,000.00 |
| Materials on hand |
|
| Lumber at Lynchburg |
$1,638.00 |
| Wrought iron and steel |
12,000.00 |
| Iron castings for engines and cars |
6,000.00 |
| Brass castings, copper, &c. |
4,500.00 |
| Engine and car wheels |
2,000.00 |
| Engine wheel tyres |
4,500.00 |
| Stock in store-house |
26,000.00 |
| Oil, tallow and waste |
5,000.00 |
| 9,276 cords of wood |
20,000.00 |
| New iron rails |
5,000.00 |
| Old iron rails |
20,000.00 |
| Spikes and chairs |
2,500.00 |
| Cross-ties |
3,500.00 |
| Lumber on the Road |
1,200.00 |
| Provisions |
3,000.00 |
|
$116,838.00 |
|
|
For a list of the officers and employees, I refer you to
table marked No. 58.
|
|
I take pleasure in acknowledging the cooperation of the
officers and employees in conducting the business of the Company --
their duties have been arduous, but have been performed with
cheerfulness and alacrity.
|
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Respectfully submitted,
|
|
T. Dodamead, Gen'l Supt.
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