Confederate States of America
| Engineer Bureau, War Department |
| Richmond, April 22, 1862 |
| |
| Hon. G. W. Randolph |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| The Keysville and Clarksville {the
extension of the Roanoke Valley Railroad} connection between
the Richmond & Danville and the North Carolina railroads having
been brought officially
to my notice, I at once selected A. M. Dupuy, a civil engineer of
experience, to make a thorough examination and report the result of
his labors. His estimate (herewith inclosed) to complete the road in
the manner originally contemplated and at present prices is about
$540,000. By adopting temporary expedients this amount may probably
be reduced to $500,000. It is proper to mention, however, that
Colonel Jones, the engineer of the company, stated in a recent
conversation that in his judgment the road could be built for
$400,000. The time of construction, if vigorously prosecuted, might
probably be reduced to four months. An examination of the map will
at once convey a clear idea of the importance to be attached to this
work. There are two points in Mr. Dupuy's report which should be
especially noted: First (a matter of moment), the bad condition of
the Roanoke Valley Railroad, which consequently needs repairs; and,
second (of much less consequence), the rather high figure in his
estimates of $32 per foot for bridging, owing to his utter
condemnation of lattice bridges when constructed of green timber, a
professional opinion in which I do not fully concur.
|
| With great respect, your obedient servant |
| A. L. Rives |
| Acting Chief of Engineer Bureau |
| |
| [Inclosure] |
| Richmond, April 19, 1862 |
| |
| Capt. A. L. Rives |
| Acting Chief Engineer, etc. |
| |
Sir: I submit the following report of an
examination which you instructed me to make of the line of railroad
from Clarksville to Keysville. The line as at present located is
thirty-one miles and forty-four one-hundredths in length. It has all
been cleared to a minimum width of eighty feet, and the felled
timber which would answer the purpose has been made into cross-ties
for the road. I have estimated the number prepared in this way at
about 30,000. At the end of the line next to Clarksville an amount
of work about equivalent to the grading of the first two miles has
been done. The piers and abutments of the bridges crossing the Dan
and Staunton Rivers are finished, but the superstructure remains to
be built. There are eleven spans in all, of 112 feet each, making a
total length of 1,232 feet. The time necessary for the erection of
this bridge will regulate the time required for the completion of
the whole line. There is no seasoned timber to be had convenient to
the work, and green timber will probably have to be cut and sawed
for the purpose. The framing can progress as it is being delivered,
and in the course of between three and four months after the work is
commenced I think it can be completed. The plan of bridge originally
proposed is that of Howe's truss. While I think it in ordinary
circumstances the best wooden bridge now used, the quantity of iron
required in this plan and the difficulty of procuring it will render
the structure very expensive. The lattice bridge, although free from
this objection, is subject to another and perhaps a more serious
one. When built of the best seasoned timber it is liable to warp and
settle, but if made of green timber we must expect nothing else. The
plan which I propose under the circumstances is that known as the
Burr bridge with arches. It is in a great measure free from the
objections attaching to the other two plans, and while it cannot be
screwed up and adjusted in event of settling, as can the Howe
bridge, the difficulty may be obviated to a great degree by building
it with a slight camber. At the Keysville terminus there are ten
miles of the line graded and ready to receive the track, of which
three miles and one-quarter have already been laid with 50-pound
rail. The masonry and work on the line generally seem to have been
well executed, although one box culvert laid dry about a mile from
Keysville has given way and a breach has been made in the
embankment.
| Estimate of the
work remaining to be done |
| Soft rock excavation, 53,500 cubic yards, at
$1.50 |
$80,250.00 |
| Earth excavation, 515,300 cubic yards, at 20
cents |
103,060.00 |
| Barrowing, 150,360 cubic yards, at 20 cents |
30,072.00 |
| Extra haul, 719,160 cubic yards, 300 feet (over
500-feet), at 1 1/2 cents |
32,362.20 |
| Box culverts, 3,200 cubic yards, at $4 |
12,800.00 |
| Cement masonry, 140 cubic yards, at $6 |
840.00 |
| Bridge superstructure, 1,232 linear feet, at $32 |
39,424.00 |
| Trestling, 150 linear feet, at $10 |
1,500.00 |
| Cross-ties, 50,000, at 30 cents |
15,000.00 |
| Rails for 30 miles (including turn-outs, etc),
at $6,000 |
180,000.00 |
| Chairs, 15,000, at 75 cents |
11,250.00 |
| Spikes, 105,000, at 10 cents |
10,500.00 |
| Laying track 30 miles, at $400 per mile |
12,000.00 |
| Depot buildings, water stations, etc |
1,500.00 |
| Engineering expenses |
3,500.00 |
| Land damages, 378 acres, at $15 |
5,670.00 |
|
539,728.20 |
|
| In annexing prices to the foregoing quantities
I have endeavored not to underestimate the cost of the work. The
great uncertainty existing in our midst about the cost of provisions
and all the implements necessary for executing work on railroads
tend greatly to increase the prices of various items of railroad
construction, and that, too, when ordinary slave laborers may be had
for little more than half the prices which they formerly commanded.
|
| The estimate as made above is on the line as
now located. I am quite satisfied that changes can be made in the
alignment of the road which will greatly reduce its cost. I am
satisfied of this not only from my own observations but from the
fact that where the work has already been constructed the line has
been adjusted more carefully to the ground than elsewhere, as if the
engineer in charge on more careful examination had been able to
effect important economical changes. It may not transcend the limits
of my instructions and my duty to report that the railroad in
connection with which this is to run, viz, the Roanoke Valley
Railroad, is in very bad condition, and that repairs on it should
commence quite as soon as the construction of this work. I would
also offer for your consideration the fact that the rails have been
laid on the two roads with different gauges
{the extension using the Virginia standard of 4'8" and the
original road using the southern standard of 5'}.
|
| Very respectfully |
| A. M. Dupuy |
|