| From Abingdon Virginian |
| |
| May 8, 1863 |
| |
| Va. & Tenn. Railroad Co. |
| Lynchburg, April 28, 1863 |
| |
| To the Editors of the Virginian, |
| Dear Sirs, |
| My attention has been called
to an editorial in your paper of the 24th inst., in which my name
occurs, and whilst I dislike notoriety of any kind, I deem it proper,
in justice to myself, that I should make some reply. |
| In the first place, you have
been misinformed as to the facts. I have never refused to permit any
trains sent to Bristol from the State of Georgia to proceed to
Saltville, but, on the contrary, have passed some twenty trains from
that State over our road, between Bristol and Saltville, although
attended with considerable embarrassment to our business. There are
many and valid reasons why it is inexpedient to permit trains from
other roads to pass over this road between Bristol and Saltville, yet
during the heavy press of business last fall, and in consequence of
the great demand for salt, I waved these objections, and permitted all
the trains sent from the State of Georgia to go to Saltville |
| In the first place, it is not
necessary for them to do so. As the distance between Saltville and
Bristol is short, this Company has at all times, since the great
demand for salt commenced, been able to transport the article to
Bristol with greater rapidity than it could be taken West from that
place, consequently any surplus power or cars that can be spared from
the State of Georgia or other States South, would be better employed
in removing the salt from Bristol westwardly, than they could be by
being run through to Saltville, and thereby multiplying the number of
trains on the branch road, which has only a single track and
inadequate turnout accommodations for the engines that this Company
keeps employed upon it. |
| The number of car-loads of
freight at Bristol awaiting transportation westwardly between the 1st
day of November last and the 20th of the present month, has varied
from 40 to 135 -- never less than the former number, and ranging as
high as the latter. During this period, freight has remained at
Bristol for months, in consequence of having been placed in the Depots
first, and thus becoming inaccessible, owing to the constant fresh
additions in front of it, which, from being more convenient, was taken
out first, and its place supplied with later arrivals. The consequence
was, we were compelled to discontinue the transportation of private
freight to Bristol for some time past, to enable the Depots to be
cleared. |
| On Wednesday, the 22d inst.,
we succeeded in getting off westwardly the last of the accumulated
freight from that point, some of which had remained there since the
month of September last. By Saturday night, the 25th, only three days,
we had delivered 53 car-loads of freight, 43 of which were salt for
the State of Georgia. |
| I will now state some of the
objections to the running of trains from one road on another, and
particularly over the road between Bristol and Saltville. |
| First -- It is of the utmost
importance, as regards safety, that the Enginemen and Conductors in
charge of trains should be familiar with the grades and peculiarities
of the road over which they may be running. So important is this
deemed by Railroad Managers, that in all cases where men are employed,
either as Conductors or Engineers, no matter what their experience may
have been on any other road, they are first required to pass over the
road a number of times with the trains in charge of men acquainted
with the road, before an engine or train is entrusted to them. As a
matter of course, trains coming from other roads are under the charge
of men unacquainted with this road, and the rules by which trains are
run, and consequently there arises a great liability to serious
accidents. |
| Second -- The grades on this
road are very heavy, particularly on the Saltville Branch, while the
grades on the roads in Georgia are very light, in consequence of which
the cars used in the Georgia roads are not supplied with the necessary
brakes to prevent accidents on such heavy grades. One or two accidents
have occurred to trains from that State in consequence of this want of
adaptation of their cars to be used on heavy grades. |
| Third -- The class of engines
used generally on the roads in the State of Georgia, while quite
effective on the light gradients of their roads, draw but very small
loads over the heavy grades upon our road. In every case where we have
permitted a train from Georgia to come to Saltville, the assistance of
one of our engines has been required to haul it from Saltville to
Glade Spring, and in some cases from Glade Spring to Bristol, although
they usually come with about one-half the number of cars the engine
can draw on the road to which it belongs. Our experience upon the
subject has convinced us that, so far from strange trains being any
aid to us, they have rather embarrassed our operations. |
| In consequence of this, I have
proposed to the State of Georgia, if they have any engines or cars to
spare, that they shall furnish this Company with such surplus, to be
run over our road between Saltville and Bristol, under the management
of our employees acquainted with the road, and to be fitted with
proper brakes, &c., so as to render them safe to be used upon the
heavy grades, we allowing a fair price for the use of the same. This
plan is approved of by Col. Wm. M. Wadley, A. A. General in charge of
Railroads in the Confederate States -- a gentleman of as much
experience as any man in the South in the management of railroads.
Indeed, he says it is the only plan by which aid can be given to us
with any degree of safety and practicability. |
| I have thus hastily endeavored
to give you an understanding of the matter, not with the desire or
expectation that you shall publish my letter, but that you will use
the information contained in your own way. |
| Yours, very respectfully, |
| Wm. Dodamead |
| {should have been
printed "Thomas Dodamead"} |
|