AR, CG 12-1-62 S

AR, CG 12/1/1862 S

Annual Report of the Central (of Georgia) RR

as of December 1, 1862

Superintendent's Report

Superintendent's Office C. R. R.

Savannah, Ga., 1st December, 1862

R. R. Cuyler, Esq.

President

Sir,

I herewith submit my report of the operations of the Road for the fiscal year, ending November 30th, 1862.

Earnings of the Road for the Year
Up Freight (Westward)		$250,303.55
Down Freight (Eastward)		256,226.92
Total from Freight		$506,530.47
Through Passengers	$278,073.85
Way Passengers	330,683.94
Total from Passengers C R R		$608,757.79
Up and Down Passengers Gordon & E. R. R.	20,001.72
Up and Down Passengers A. & Savannah R. R.	70,488.13
Total from Passengers		$699,247.64
Mails, C. R. R.	30,302.00
Mails, Gordon & E. R. R.	2,424.96
Mails, A. & Savannah R. R.	4,830.75
Total from Mails		$37,557.71
Passenger Train and Express Freight		65,951.22
Incidental, Storage, &c.		734.38
Total Earnings		$1,310,021.42
Ordinary Expenses for the year have been	$456,848.31
Rent paid Aug. & Sav. R. R.	42,583.33
Extraordinary Expenses have been	20,532.48
Total Expenditures		$519,964.12
Leaving actual net Earnings		$790,057.30
Current Expenditures
The expenditures for operating the Road have been as follows:
Transportation Expenses
Salaries and Labor	$98,034.02
Materials (including Gas bills Savannah, Macon and Augusta,) and all incidental expenses in this department	6,234.64
Printing, Stationery, Postage & Advertising	4,681.97
Agents at Stations	6,582.63
Forwarding Department	1,376.99
Subsistence (in this is included Board of Conductors, Train Hands, &c., on the Road, and Food and Clothing for Negro Train Hands)	27,979.21
Total Transportation		$144,889.46
Maintenance of Motive Power
Salaries and Labor	$7,479.17
Materials	3,309.50
Engineers and Firemens Wages	41,274.10
Printing, Books, Postage, &c.	60.00
Oil, Tallow and Waste	9,426.96
Subsistence of Firemen, &c.	18,496.43
Total Maintenance Motive Power		$80,046.16
Fuel and Water
Fuel	$26,036.05
Water, Pumps and Cisterns	4,229.68
Total Fuel and Water		$30,265.73
Maintenance of Cars
Salaries and Labor	$15,310.32
Materials	5,511.50
Printing, Postage, Books, &c.	59.50
Oil, Tallow and Waste	8,086.25
Total Maintenance Cars		$28,967.57
Damage
Paid for Stock Killed	$9,792.74
" " Goods Lost and Damaged	1,155.77
Total Damage		$10,948.51
Repairs of Road
Salaries and Labor	$52,024.32
Materials -- Lumber for Bridges, Stringers, Ties, Brick, Cement and Lime	38,243.01
Tools and Subsistence	45,383.60
Rails, Chairs and Spikes	10,278.61
Repairs of Buildings	1,764.75
Printing, Postage, Advertising, Books &c.	221.31
Total Repairs -- Road, Bridges, Culverts, and Buildings		$147,915.60
Incidental Expenses
Including Printing, Advertising, Books, Stationery, Postage, Attorneys Fees, Court Costs, Donations, Gratuities, Annuity City of Macon, Taxes, and all contingent expenses not included under either of above heads	$10,955.99
Repairs of Depot and Station Houses	2,859.29
Total Current Expenses		$456,848.31
Rent Account
For rent of Aug. & Sav. R. R.		$42,583.33
Extraordinary Expenses
Passenger House and Sewer at Savannah	$10,081.76
New Freight House at Savannah	1,054.33
Addition to shops at Macon	3,806.62
Station House at Station No. 3	206.29
" " " " " 9	220.00
" " " S " 9 1/2	3,756.06
" " " Eatonton	547.17
Operating Telegraph Stations at Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Marlow and Gordon	745.25
Purchase of Land at Marlow	115.00
Total Extraordinary		$20,532.48
Total Amount Expended		$519.964.12

The filling in of the Trestle west of Ogeechee Canal is so far completed as to render it entirely safe, the balance can be filled in at our leisure, within the next two years.

One Iron Cistern, with Worthington Engine and Pump has been put up at Millen the past year, making our supply of water at that important point ample and sure. We have two more Iron Cisterns on hand which will be put up at important Stations this year. In this connection I would recommend that, as soon as they can be procured, stationary engines for pumping water and sawing wood to be put at suitable points on Main Line and Branches, and that the wooden cisterns be replaced with others of iron or brick.

Since my last report, the Station House at Eatonton has been finished. We have also erected a brick Station House at No. 9 1/2, Wooden Dwelling and Kitchen at Marlow, for Supervisor lower division; New Wooden Buildings for Overseers and hands on Sections 2 and 5, for Agent at Station No. 10, and addition to Wooden Station House at No. 3, to shelter the large number of soldiers going to and coming from the general hospitals at that point by our Trains.

The New Passenger House at Savannah is still unfinished for want of glass and other materials. It is thoroughly closed in and protected from deterioration, and can stand so without injury until materials can be procured for its completion at reasonable prices.

Our trains have run with accustomed regularity during the past year, and though we have been called on frequently, by the government officers, to send extra Trains over other roads at very short notice, for carriage of troops and supplies, we have responded promptly, and, I believe, satisfactorily in all cases to the demands, though at times very much to the inconvenience of our regular business. In response to his Excellency Gov. Brown, we now have in his service, an Engine and Train of Cars hauling salt from Saltville, in Virginia, to supply the wants of soldiers' families in Georgia.

For months past constant demands have been made on us for Engines and Cars for use on other Roads, with many of which we have been unable to comply without sacrificing our own business. Many of our Freight Cars are now scattered over the roads of same gauge, from Alabama to Virginia, in use of those roads, without compensation to us, and I fear we shall loose a number of them entirely.

I report the following casualties: Negro boy run over and killed at Millen, February 26th, in attempting to get on when train was backing; March 22d, an old negro man was knocked off the track and died from the injuries, he was walking on the Track; April 25th, Way Freight ran over a small negro boy near 70 mile post, asleep on Track and killed him; June 4th, a soldier, sitting in car door, fell our or was dragged out by a fence and killed; July 19th another soldier was killed in same manner; August 4th a negro woman was found dead on Track at 77 mile post, it is supposed she was a runaway, and fell from a Passenger Car Truck; September 12th an officer fell or jumped from Platform of Passenger Car, and died from effects of the fall, he was not run over; another was killed in same way about same date; November 2d a negro boy was run over and killed, he was running away and riding on the Truck of Passenger Car, from which he fell. In July, a white man, drunk, in attempting to get on Train at Macon Depot, fell on Track, was run over, and killed. Here are ten lives sacrificed by the fault of the parties themselves, and without any fault attaching to this Company or its employees.

The Atlanta Rolling Mill being altogether employed by Government, I have not been enabled during the past year to have any of our old Rails re-rolled.

We have purchased and laid down, within the year, 300 tons of new Rails, equal to 4 1/3 miles, at a cost of $13,800; during the same time we sold 273 tons old Rails, receiving therefor $9,076.99. Some time since we made an arrangement to exchange old Rails for new, paying a difference of $32 per ton, under said arrangement we have delivered about 500 tons old Rails, and have received nearly the same quantity of the new Rails, but have paid no money as yet.

I have had the punching machine put up at Macon shops, and shall commence punching the new Rails in a short time, and if spikes can be obtained, I shall soon begin to lay them in the Track.

Being unable to procure spikes during the past year in sufficient quantities to answer our purposes, I was forced to resort to the expedient of making them in our shops by hand, and although we succeeded in making good spikes, I found it very costly, as both material and labor of the right kind is very dear and hard to be obtained.

There has been received for use of Road during the year:

Cross ties (cypress) Central Road	2,137
" " (pine) " "	24,908
" " " Gordon & E.	3,460
" " " Augusta & Savannah Road	2,033
Total	32,538
Feet board measure stringers	1,492,595
" " " switch stringers	8,128
" " " bridges and culverts	360,083
" " " buildings and other purposes	495,618
Feet board measure, ribbon for Gordon & E R R	60,000
Total lumber for all purposes, feet	2,416,424

We have on hand of above amount, 867,901 feet, and Cross Ties 2,619.

We have on hand at our Brick Yard, near Oconee, 117,000 Hard, and 110,000 Salmon Brick ready for use, also 250,000 in Kiln ready for burning.

We have on hand Rails taken up to be used in repairs, about 275 tons.

From the 1st of May last, when we took control of the Augusta & Savannah Road under our lease, I have had an Engine, Train of Cars, and twenty hands constantly engaged in taking down the slopes in the deep marl cuts, which have heretofore, given trouble by caving and slipping in the wet weather of winter and spring, under the control of Mr. O'Conner, the Superintendent of that Division. So far as we have progressed, the work has been effectually done. Much remains yet to be done, which I propose to accomplish next summer and fall. I also propose to keep, if possible, one or two Trains and gangs of hands ditching and improving the cuts and embankments on the Main Line, during a large portion of this year.

I say, with pride, that notwithstanding the reduced force employed on repairs the past year, and the greater want of some kinds of materials, the Road, in all its appointments, is in good order, and will bear a favorable comparison with any Road in the Confederate States.

On the 11th day of December last, I sold to the State of Georgia, for use on the Brunswick Road, the Locomotive Augusta, for the sum of $5,000; also, on the 31st of January last, the W. W. Gordon, one of our large Freight Engines, to the East Tennessee & Georgia R. R. for $12,000. Thus reducing the number of our Engines two within the year, and five since the war began.

By the lease of the Augusta & Savannah R. R., we came into possession of all their Rolling Stock, consisting of five Locomotives, four First Class Passenger, three Second Class Passenger and Main, one Baggage, two Package, thirty-three Box, and twenty-three Platform Cars; but this addition of Rolling Stock added nothing to our facilities for doing the business on our Main Line, as we also acquired an addition Road of 53 miles in length, with a constantly increasing business requiring the use of more Rolling Stock than we got with the Road to do the business promptly and satisfactorily on the Branch. Our Rolling Stock, both Locomotives and Cars, have sadly deteriorated within the past year, and when peace returns, or when we can obtain the materials to put them in order, even at former prices for labor, it will cost a large sum, in my judgment, over $200,000 to put them in the same condition they were in when the war began.

Circumstances rendered an addition to our shops at Macon absolutely necessary to enable us to put up the proper machinery to do the large amount of repairs needed at that point to Engines and Cars Economically.

It is being erected in same style as the other buildings, the brick work is nearly completed, the roof is now being framed, and I hope to have it covered in, temporarily, with matched boards, (until we can get slate or tin) and occupied by our mechanics within the next two or three months.

At date of my last report, we had, in all, 708 Cars. During the past year none have been added, but our stock has diminished 45, as follows:

Two Box and six Platforms by accident; nine Platforms worn out; 5 Box Cars sold to State of Georgia for use on Brunswick R. R., for $3,250; three to Southern Express Company, for $2,500; and under a special agreement, (now on file in this office,) in September last, 26 Platforms were fitted up for coal, sold and delivered to C. S. Navy Department, at $500 each, the money, $16,000, has not been collected. Deducting those sold, destroyed and worn out, (45 {the numbers listed above come to 51}), leaves us of our original stock, 663. To which must be added 66 received from Augusta & Savannah R. R., making our entire stock, at this date, for the business of 282 miles of Road 729. The large number of our Cars in use on other Roads, will reduce the number in actual use on this Road to about one-half the total number belonging to this Company.

During the past year we have done a large amount of gratuitous transportation, such as hospital stores, and other things for our Georgia Troops in the field, sufficient if charged at regular rates, to have increased our revenue $25,000.

We have on hand, materials, provisions, brick, lumber, &c., for repairs of Road, worth, at present prices,	$20,000
In Car Shop, as returned by Mr. C. C. Millar, Master Carpenter, at present prices	44,200
In Machine Shops, as returned by Mr. Wm. Burns, Master Machinist, at present prices	11,300
Total estimated value of materials on hand	$75,500

For the first time in the history of this Road, as will appear by reference to Tables 1, 2, and 3, the receipts from passengers is greater than from all other sources. This was caused by the large number of soldiers transported for State and Confederate States, and the large number of other person visiting friends in the armies in Virginia and on our coast. This greatly increased source of revenue is, however, temporary, and will cease with the war.

Reference to the tables accompanying this report, will give full information as to our business, its direction, quantity, amount of revenue from various sources; number and condition of Engines and Cars, miles run by each, wood oil, tallow and waste used, &c.

The advanced prices we are compelled to pay for labor, and all supplies of materials, provision, clothing, (for our negroes) wood, &c., will largely increase our expenses for this year.

Our business for the past year has been done with promptness and regularity, and the officers and men in this service have been faithful and attentive.

Respectfully submitted

George W. Adams

General Superintendent