| Annual Report of the Southern (of
Mississippi) RR |
| as of September 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
| Superintendent's Office |
| Vicksburg, Oct. 26, 1861 |
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| W. C. Smedes, Esq. President, S. R. R. |
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| I herewith submit to you a
brief statement of the condition of the track of the S. R. R. from
Vicksburg to Meridian. |
| The Road is divided into
seventeen sections; each section contains eight miles and one thousand
two hundred and forty-two feet. |
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Section No. 1 -- Commencing at Vicksburg. This section,
so far as the iron is concerned, needs improvement; the cuts also
require ditching which will be done within the next month; there are
also bridges and culverts in this section that require repairs, for
which the lumber is now being sawed, and in a few weeks I expect the
work to be completed.
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Section No. 2. This section, with the exception of
ditching, is in tolerable good condition; the ditching, I expect to
have done within a few weeks.
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Section No. 3 is in good condition.
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Section No. 4 is also in good condition.
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Section No. 5 is in good condition with the exception of
a few cuts which require ditching, which will be done within the next
two months.
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Section No. 6 requires about 1,500 cross ties, also a
number of new rails, which I hope to have in within the next three
months; there are also a few bridges in this section which require
repairs; these repairs are now being done, commencing at Pearl River
bridge; after the repairs are made on that bridge, I shall consider it
safe for about twelve months.
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Section No. 7 is in tolerable good condition, requiring
about 300 new cross ties.
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Section No. 8 is now being ditched, and with an ordinary
winter, I shall consider it in good condition.
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Section No. 9. In this section, the cuts are being
widened, and the unfavorable soil of which it is composed removed, and
the track raised and ballasted with good soil; with an ordinary winter
I apprehend no difficulty in keeping it in good condition.
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Section No. 10. This section is now being ditched and
ballasted, after that is done I shall consider it in good condition.
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Section No. 11. This section is also being ditched and
ballasted; it will then be in good condition.
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Section No. 12. This section is now undergoing the same
work as the two last, and will also be in good condition.
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Section No. 13. The greater portion of this section is
ditched and ballasted, and in a few weeks I shall consider it in good
condition.
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Section No. 14 is now in good condition.
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Section No. 15 is in good condition with the exception of
a few bridges, which are now being repaired.
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Section No. 16. In this section there are quite a number
of bridges, the greater portion of which have been rebuilt within the
past three months. There are two still to be rebuilt; after that is
done, I shall consider this section in good condition.
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Section No. 17 is in good condition.
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There has been but little improvement at Meridian as to
buildings; all that has been done at this point is the laying of side
tracks for the convenience of transferring freight from the cars of
this road to those of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. With an ordinary
winter I apprehend no difficulty in operating the Road.
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For the ensuing year, we shall require 200,000 cross
ties, those that have been furnished up to this time having been
placed in the track, leaving but about 350 now on hand.
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Respectfully submitted
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B. L. Boulineau
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Superintendent
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