| Annual Report of the Atlantic & Gulf RR |
| as of January 1, 1866, |
| Engineer's Report |
| |
| Engineer's Office, Atlantic & Gulf R. R. |
| Savannah, January 1, 1866 |
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| John Screven |
| President |
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| Sir, |
| I regret that the short time
allowed me, as well as the want of my notes, which I have not access
to at this time, will not admit of my making as full a report of the
reconstruction of the Road as I desired to hand to you. The work yet
to be done before the connection is made between Station No. 3, to
which point the Road is now completed from Thomasville, and to the
east bank of the Great Ogeechee River, to which point it is completed
from Savannah, is as follows: |
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The bridge over the Great Ogeechee River, fifteen hundred
(1,500) feet (lineal) of trestle work, thirteen miles of track to lay,
five miles of iron to straighten, five thousand cross-ties to cut and
ten thousand to haul to the Road bed. The Great Ogeechee bridge and
eight hundred lineal feet of trestle work adjoining it, will probably
be completed by the 1st of February unless we have another freshet in
that river, under which circumstances it will be impossible to say
when it will be done. Between the Great Ogeechee and Station 1 1/2
there are one and a half miles of track to lay: therefore we may
safely calculate on being at that Station with the track from Savannah
by the 6th of February. The great difficulty which we have to overcome
in rebuilding the western end of the Road is in getting crossties
hauled to the Railroad after being cut.
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There has been so much water to contend with, that it is
almost impossible to get the hauling done, but contracts have been let
to parties who live in that section of the country to haul these ties,
by which means it is expected to overcome this difficulty, and at
present there is no reason to fear a delay from this cause.
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The straightening of the remaining five miles of iron is
progressing rapidly, and no delay can occur from this source, as there
is now on the line of the Road between Station No. 5 and Thomasville
more than a mile of iron which could be used for this purpose should
it become necessary. In connection with this subject, I am glad to be
able to report that the iron which has been straightened and put in
the track improves from being used, and that the portion of the Road
which has been rebuilt and turned over to the Company for use presets
a much better appearance now than when the track was first put down.
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The bridging on the western end of the Road is simple and
can be built very rapidly. I apprehend no delay on this account. The
track-laying ought to progress at the rate of at least one-half of a
mile per day, and as there is but eleven and a half miles to lay
between the present western terminus of the Road and Station 1 1/2,
there is no reason why we should not reach the latter place by the 6th
of February with the track. I think that it can confidently be
expected, that the connection between Thomasville and Savannah
will be made between the 1st and 15th of February.
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The Contractors are now making every exertion that can
reasonably be expected of them to hasten the completion of the Road.
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The causes of delay heretofore have been given by Mr.
Stone, the former Chief Engineer. These have been to a great extent
removed; therefore it can be expected that more rapid progress will
now be made.
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Yours respectfully, your obedient servant
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James M. Couper
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Chief Engineer
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