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[From the Savannah Republican. Report of the Chief Encineer. We have received the report of the Engineer, and that of the Superintendent of the State Road. These reports are brief, and we give below such portions of them as are important to an understanding of the actual condition and progress of the work. ‘The business of the Road exhibits very satisfactory results. The receipts for the year ending 30th Sept., 1849, were: from freights, $85,609 89; from passen gers, $37,848 47; and from mails, $8,571— showing an increase over the previous year of $16,620.— Chief Engineer's Office, W. A. R. R. ¢ Atlanta, Octosober 13, 1849. To His Excellency, George W. Towns:— Sir: I have been delayed a few days in wri ting out the Arnaual Report for the year en ding the 30th alt., that I might present a re port from Mr. Benjamin C. Morse, Principal Assistant Engineer, giving a succinct account of the progress of the new extension of the Road, from Dalton to Chattanooga, of which he has had the immediate charge, and which is hereto appended, showing the manner in which the work has been executed, and the time when it will, probably, be completed. Mr. Morse’s Report furnished all the necessary information as to the new extension, yet I can not permit the occasion to pass without re marking, that it was early perceived, that if the Road was not fully completed by the first day of the present month, the time specified in the contract, the delay would arise from un forseen difficulties in the Tunnel, and the Bridging. And it will be seen from the length of the Tunnel 1,477 feet, and the length of ex cavation at the East end, 830 feet, that the whole work of the Tunnel would have been completed in the time, if the west end had been as favorable as the east end. Col. Allen Cochran, Mr. Jno, D. Gray, Mr. Wm. Gray, Col. Walter L. Riddle and Mr. Allen Kenady and Col. Asa Bates, the contractors, have spared no pains or labor in pressing the work as rapidly as possible. At the Tunnel, they have worked all day and night without inter mission; for which purpose they have kept up a double force, at great expense. They have accomplished all that men could accomplish under the same circumstances. The bridging, a very marked feature in this Road, after it was once fairly commenced, has progressed in a most satisfactory manner, under that very accomplished and efficient bridge-builder, Col. Asa Bates. Indeed, I have felt that our State was peculiarly fortunate in procuring the ser vices of such contractors, to finish much the most difficult part of her great work, from which ordinary men, would shrink abashed, and which they would abandon in despair. We may now regard the work as so far advanced as to be speedily completed. A few more weeks and we shall have a hole through Little Blue Ridge, which separates us from the val ley of the Mississippi, and by the end of next month a train of cars will be running to Chat tanooga. I adopted the policy of finishing the Road beund the Tunnel, with a view of using it, at once, and before the completion of the ‘tunnel, for the double purpose of turning the trade in this direction as early as possible, and of completing the Road within the time pre scribed to us by the State of Tennessee,which fixed the time for reaching Chattanooga on the first day of January 1850. The iron rails were received in good time, and this is believed to be the first instance, in which our Rail-Roads at the South have not been delayed by the want of punctuality in the iron-mongers. Our rails are purchased of the Coalbrook Dale Company, of Great Britain, and shipped direct to the port of Savannah, where every facility was cheerfully afforded for pussing them forward. General good health has prevailed along our entire line, from Atlanta to Chattanooga. In the spring, the smallpox broke out at the Iron Works, and at Cartersville, in Cass county.— There were also a few cases at Atlanta, but not a single case occurred among our Rail Road people. Such was the panic, however, in the public mind, that travel and business nearly ceased for a time. Upon the first alarm, I had all the Rail Road people vaccinated, and the matter proving worthless, the vaccination was repeated, and proved effectual. None of our officers or men deserted his post—all stood firm, and performed their duty with their usual promptitude and zeal. By a joint resolution of the last General As sembly, it was made my duty to ascertain from the manuscript record of the Act of the State of Tennessee, granting to this State the right of way, whether or not the said manuscript Act doth not grant to the State of Georgia five acres of land, for depot at the terminus of the Road, I gave this resolution my attention soon after the adjournment. I understand, the State of Tennesse granted to Georgia all the rights and privileges conferred upon the Hiwassee Rail-Road Company in her first act, procured through the efficient agency of Gen. Daniel Newnan, and in her last act she grant ed to Georgia all the rights and privileges con ferred upon the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail-Road Company. There has been no specific grant of five acres for a depot at the terminus. The charter to the Hiwassee Com pany, restricted that Company to five acres at any one point, and hence I apprehend, has arisen the idea of a grant of five acres—it was a restriction rather than a privilege. This restriction does not exist in the charter of the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail Road Com pany, and hence I have been enabled to pro cure a piece of land of about eleven acres ad joining the town, which together with rail road avenue generously given us by the cor poration of Chattanooga with an exclusive right to the same, and the six acres purchased by the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail Road Company, making in all twenty acres of land, will be sufficient for all the purposes of both Roads. The privileges necessary for us on the River have not yet been fully settled. It is a matter of importance that every facility of transferring produce from the boats to the cars, and merchandize from the cars to the boats should be insisted upon, and that this transfer should be made without expense to the ship per. ‘The disposition manifested in more quar ters than one, to levy blackmail upon the business and commerce of the country, should be resisted by all wise and proper means not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the land. . My account current for new extension, here to annered, as exhibit A, shews the receipts and disbursements for the completion of the Road to Chattanooga. The contract for embanking Noondy and Proctor was abandoned, and the contractor left the country, which rendered necessary to re set the work. This produced considerable delay, but the fills at these places are now progressing rapidly and will be completed at an early day. In view of the policy indicated in my last Annual Report,I have put under contract the rebuilding of the Chattahoochee Bridge, which is 1,772 feet long, by making a new bridge on stone piers of the best masonry only 600 feet long and embracing the balance. To accomplish this in the best manner, and at least expense, it became necessary to change the line, which is itself also a decided improve ment in the affuwement of the road, as it avoids one of the worst curves our trains have to en counter. These improvements have been paid for out of the earnings of the road. During the past year most of the Nashville and Cattanooga railway has been put under contract, and it is understood to be progressing in a satisfactory manner. The Memphis Branch Rail Road has been completed, and it proves a most valuable fee der to the State Road. The East Tennessee and Georgia Rail Road Company decided to join us at Dalton. A number of contractors and hands are engaged in this important work, a portion of which is contemplated to finish at an early day. It is a very desirable policy for our Road as well as for the Coosa and Tennessee Rivers, to run in an immediate connection with us. What follows relates to right of way, the developement of the country, c. c. Office of Transportation, W. A. R. R. Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 29th, 1849. William L. Mitchect, Chief Engineer, Str. To-morrow ends the fiscal year of this Road, and as we transact no business on that day, st being Sabbath, it becomes my duty again to report to you its affairs for the year. The gross income is $132,105 70 as exhibi ted in table of Book-keeper marked (1) show ing an increase of $16,520 40 over the earn ings of last year. Table marked (2) exhibits the expenditures for the same period, with the balance this day on hand. From these tables, it will be seen, that the nett profits for the year, are $49,586 52. Tie profits though small, should not be the least disheartening to the people of Georgia as to its future income, particularly when they take into consideration the heavy frosts of last Spring, which nearly destroyed the wheat crops of Cherokee Georgia, North Alabama and East Tennessee. ~ Wheat and flour are among the principal articles of transportation, and t he crop being large and promising, the loss to this road can not be well estimated. The stock of Locomotives would be suffi cient for our present business, but in view of the early completion of the Road to Chat tanooga, Tenn., we will require at least two more for freights by the ensuing Spring. ‘The Road is in fine order. Not the first ac cident has occurred during the year, neither freight or passenger engine has been entirely off the track. There has been but one mail failure, which was caused from a wash in the track near Cartersville, during an excessive flood of rain on the night of the 16th day of May last. It is a source of pride as well as pleasure to me to say, that the credit of this unprecedented good luck is mainly to be at tributed to the strict attention of Conductors, Engine Runners, Supervisors and Overseerer, of the track, in the performances of their va rious duties. We have on hand 2,840 strings, 4,747 cross ties, and 1,200 cords of Engine wood, costing $3,445 65, spikes, Engine and Car wheels, pro vision and clothing for negroes, iron, steel shovels, axes, c., paid for, and not in use, amounting to $2,97500, which sums are pro perly to be deducted from the expense of the year. At the commencement of the year, it having been deemed proper to bring up a complete record of the business of the road from its commencement to 1848, two addi tional Clerks and a considerable number of books were required. This record is now nearly finished, and has cost $1,000. This department has also, by contract, in curred the expense without charge to the Contractors on new extension, of hauling 2, 600 tons of Railroad iron and cement, and al lowing two cents a mile per ton, which is a very low estimate, to cover repairs of Engines, hire of runners, firemen, c., amounts to $5, 000 which is also deducted from the year’s ex pense. I have also deducted $1,85000 paid for hire of hands for work done last year, but which is included in the present year’s expense. The State now owns 4 passenger, 4 boxes, 3 baggage and 6 platform cars, and all of them are in good condition except one, and it is un der repair, and will soon be ready for use.— We will require by the ensuing spring or summer, two more passenger and one baggage car as we May expect and will no doubt realize a heavy summer travel. The interest on the Bonds of this road, paya ble in Augusta and Charleston, has been punc tually paid. We have been compelled to pay several ex cessive fines for not letting our black hands work on the wagon roads. I would therefore suggest the propriety of the next Legislature taken this subject under consideration, and to exempt all persons regularly employed on this road, from common road as well as military duty. The public expects us to keep this road in good repair, and to do which, we must command the labor at all times. Before closing this report, I wish to be per mitted to say a few words touching the navi gation of the Coosa river. The Memphis Branch Railroad now being in successful ope ration from Kingston to Rome, the outlay by the State of a few thousand dollars would se cure in all seasons of the year, a free naviga tion from Rome to Greensport, a distance by water of 170 miles, and would insure to Georgia the greater portion of the surplus produce of North Alabama. Rome is now settled, with not only an in telligent business population, but many of her citizens command the necessary facilities to hold out the proper inducements to the pan zers of North Alabama, and to compete suc cessfully with all who would strive for their trade in another direction. All must admit, that every bale of cotton received in Rome must necessarily pass this Road. If this view of the subject be correct, and I think none can doubt it, why should the next Legisla ture hesitate to make the necessary appro priation for removing the obstructions in the Coosa river. This appropriation being made, it could not be considered that the amount would be a loss to the State, for there is little doubt in a few years reimbursements would be made by the increase of freights on this Road, resulting from an unobstructed river commu nication with North Alabama. Respectfully submitted, E. R. MILLS, Supt. of Transportation. Statement, of the moneys of the Western Atlan tic Railroad, received and paid out by E. R. Mills, Treasurer, for the year ending 30th September, 1849. Receipts. Balance on hand Sept. 30th, 1848,..... $20,078 35 From Freights.... wee seee $152,529 59 “ Passengers...ce+see. ++ +36,045 46 Mail services,. .+++ ..+++.7,830 08 Dscellaneous sources,.....575 48-196,980 60 ,217,058 95 DisBURSER on TL. Conducting Transportation. Stationary and pricing, loss and damage, stock
Newspaper Details
Augusta Daily Constitutionalist
Augusta, Georgia, US
Sat, Nov 17, 1849
Page 2
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Brad W.
USA 03 Jul 2026
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