| Houston April 2, 1861 |
| |
| To the Hon. the Board of School Commissioners for the
State of Texas |
| |
| Gent., |
| In obedience to your letter of appointment
& instructions of Feb. 26th 1861 requesting me to make the
necessary examination of a section of five miles of completed road
commencing at a point seventy five miles from the City of Houston on
the Houston & Texas Central Railroad and continuing from there to
the eighty mile point and for the grading beyond ready for the iron
&c &c. I beg leave to report that I have made the necessary
inspection and examined the proper offices of the said Houston &
Texas Central railway company and find |
| 1. That said Company has completed an
additional section of Five miles of their road extending from said
seventy five mile point to and including said eighty mile point at the
town of Millican the same having been down in all respects, including
grading, bridging, superstructure and tracklaying equal to the other
completed section of said road as received by the State and that all
of said section of five miles herein reported on is situated within
the County of Brazos. |
| 2. That I have examined and find completed
and in use two miles & 618 feet of necessary side track or turnout
on which said Company has not hitherto drawn any loan side track lying
on the line of said road from Houston to the Seventy, 70 1/2/100, mile
point. |
| 3. I also find completed a first class How
Truss wooden bridge across the Navisota river supported by substantial
rock abutments & piers. The bridge has three spans of one hundred
& fifty feet each. Over the bridge and adjacent thereto there are
474 1/2 feet of track laid since the date of the last report of E.
Fluay Esq an Engineer to the State. |
| 4. I also find completed and ready for the
superstructure ten consecutive miles of continuous grading from
the said eighty mile point to the ninety mile point above Houston. |
| In reply to interrogatories addressed to
the Chief Engineer of said Company and answered under oath I report
the following answers which confirm the essential portion of my
examinations viz: |
| 1. There are 80 miles & upward of main
track laid and two miles 618 feet of necessary turn out or side track |
| 2. There are nine bridges and culverts in
the section of five miles of completed road herein reported on of the
character & di?? set forth in the following tables: |
| No |
Name of Structure |
Height |
Length of Span |
Total length |
Material & Dimensions |
| 56 |
Culvert |
8 ft |
8 ft |
28 ft |
Wood of same dimensions as before
reported on similar work |
| 57 |
Truss Bridge |
17 1/2 " |
1 of 45 & 2 of 20 ft |
105 " |
" |
| 58 |
Culvert |
6 " |
8 ft |
28 " |
" |
| 59 |
" |
4 " |
8 " |
28 " |
" |
| 60 |
Truss Bridge |
24 " |
1 span 45; 2 of 15 ft |
95 " |
" |
| 61 |
Culvert |
8 " |
10 ft |
30 " |
" |
| 62 |
" |
4 " |
8 " |
28 " |
" |
| 63 |
" |
5 " |
8 " |
28 " |
" |
| 64 |
" |
6 " |
8 " |
28 " |
" |
|
| 3. The top of the embankment on this
section is 12 feet across & varies in height from 0 to 20 feet
with slopes of 1 1/2 to 1. The excavations are from 0 to 13 feet deep
16 to 18 feet wide on the bottom with slopes of 1 1/2 to 1. |
| 4. The grades on this section vary from 0
to 58 feet per mile. The difference of elevation from said 75 mile
point to said 80 mile point being 75 44/100 feet & the average
grade 25.09 per mile. |
| 5. The iron used on this section of
the4road is the best English T weighing 54 lbs to the lineal yard. |
| 6. The gauge is 5 feet 6 inches. |
| 7. The courses & distances on this
section are as follows |
| N. |
78 1/2 deg |
W. |
1 |
mile |
2583 |
feet |
| " |
87 1/4 deg |
" |
|
|
5115 |
" |
| " |
60 3/8 deg |
" |
1 |
" |
2701 |
" |
| " |
80 1/2 def |
" |
|
|
2525 |
" |
|
| In the above table the curves of curves are omitted. |
| 8. The number of curves on this section
with the length, degrees of circulation, radius & ??? of outer
rail on each are as follows: |
| No. |
Length of C. |
Degree |
Length of Radius |
Elevation of outer rail |
| 16 |
874 |
1 deg |
00 |
0.1 |
| 17 |
1192 |
2 deg |
2864.93 |
0.2 |
| 18 |
850 |
2 deg |
2864.93 |
0.2 |
|
| 9. There are ten miles & upward of
continuous and consecutive grading or road bed ready for the ties
& other superstructure north of the 80 mile point aforesaid and
from said point to the ninety mile point from the City of Houston, the
embankment thereof are twelve feet wide at the top, slopes 1 1/2 to 1
& from 0 to 10 feet in height. The cuts have a base of 16 to 18
feet slopes 1 1/2 to 1 & depth from 0 to 8 feet. Six culverts are erected
and a large amount of material & cross ties for the superstructure
on the ground. Beyond the ninety mile point about 11 miles of detached
grading is also done with a large amount of excavations on the ground. |
| 10. The cost of the five miles of
completed road herein reported is estimated at $24000 per mile. |
| 11. Seventy miles of road are in daily use
by the company and 10 miles beyond are daily used by the contractor's
construction trains. |
| 12. Road signs are erected at the regular
crossings on all that part of the road used by the Company & the
Engineer rings the bells when approaching a public crossing. |
| 13. The Bell on each Engine weighs at
least 60 lbs & each engine has a steam whistle. |
| 14. The company has 7 locomotives viz two
of eighteen tons each with capacity to draw 24 loaded cars, four of 22
tons with capacity to draw 32 loaded cars each & one of 24 tons
with capacity to draw 38 loaded cars. The Company has 4 first class
& two 2nd class Passenger cars, two Baggage, 40 Box & 40
Platform cars, 4 Construction rubble cars & 7 hand cars, two
turntables, an Engine House for six engines, a large Blacksmith Shop
& tools, Machine Shop with Stionary Engine & tools to do all
required work & repairs. The Company has also six Depot buildings
and seven water stations. |
| 15. Twenty two hundred & fifty ties
are used per mile 8 feet long each 6 to 10 inches wide & 6 inches
in thickness. |
| 16. Grading is made for one turnout on the
five miles herein reported on. |
| 17. 502 bars of iron 21 ft long are laid
per mile, 502 wrought iron chairs and 15,060 spikes per mile |
| 18. The section now reported on is
entirely in Brazos County & runs 1 3/4 miles through Hoy Wallon Prairie
& thence through rolling Ha?? & Post oak land with sandy
gravel & sandy loam soil to the 80 mile point. |
| 19. In running the trains the first class
Passenger cars are placed in the rear and the 2nd class Passenger cars
next before |
| 20. Public announcements are made of the
running of the trains |
| 21. The Conductors, B??man & Engineers
wear badges as required by law |
| 22. An accident occurred on the 1st of Feb
last of which the Locomotive & tender loaded freight cars were
precipitated into Clear Creek. The Fireman who jumped from the train
was ??? No other person was hurt. The accident was caused by the
giving way of a bolt of the bridge occasioned by an unexampled freshet
in the creek those waters rising higher than has been known since the
erection of the Bridge. The Company attach no blame to the officers as
the condition of the bridges could not be known prior to a??, it
having been examined by the watchman before the train came up. |
| 23. The maps & profiles required are
reported as filed according to law. |
| 24. The road is now located 130 miles from
Houston to a point in Roberts County. |
| Regarding the condition of the Company's
affairs I have to report the following as substantially ??? the facts
stated to me in writing & under oath by the Secretary of the
Company in reply to my questions. |
| 1. Capital Stock $7779,423.26. Fully paid
stock $495,000. Amount paid on a/c of stock to be paid $225,449.29.
Conditional stock not paid $58,873.97. |
| 2. Amount paid for purchase of land
$4,474.15; for construction of road buildings &c to date
$1,775,588.34; equipments $155,113.46. No engines purchased since last
report. |
| 3. |
Amount Bonds due State of Texas |
$450,000 |
|
"
" 2nd Mortgage to Wells |
125,000 |
|
"
"
" Rice & Paige |
400,000 |
|
"
Floating debt |
472,000 |
|
" due
to the Company |
$89,905.69 |
|
| 4. Amount received for transportation of
passengers to date $226,789.19; from freight $565,593.74; from other
sources $16,453.54. |
| 6. {There is no #5} Amount
paid for repairs of rolling stock from commencement of road
$68,675.50; for salaries of President, Secretary, Treasurer &
Clerk per annum $13,800. |
| 10. The Company had about 240 men in its
employ in February including Engineers, Conductors, Train men, Station
Agents, Clerks & Laborers, &c. |
| 13. No sales of land have been made of yet
of those donated by the State. |
| Questions 5, 8, 9, 11 & 12 answered in
the foregoing or by Engineer. A Groesbeck is President & ? R.
Baker Secretary of the Company |
| The gradation of this road above ??? the
50 mile point has been heavy & necessarily expensive. The bridges
& culverts are much better than on the lower portion of the road
several of the latter being of rock while the piers & abutments of
some of the lower bridges are of brick or stone. The road is more
expensive in its construction than any other having connection with
the City of Houston & will compare favorably with first class
roads throughout the South. |
| All of which is respectfully submitted |
| Your obt sevt |
| Harvey H. Allen |
| Examining Engr for the State |
| |
| The State of Texas |
| Harris County |
| Before me William Andres Notary Public in
and for Harris County this day came personally H. H. Allen who having
been duly sworn says: This his statement and facts set forth in the
foregoing report, singed by him are true & correct to the best of
his knowledge & belief. |
| In certify which then herewith set my hand and Notary
Seal the 2nd April AD 1861 |
| William Anders |
| Nort. Public H. C. |