| Annual Report of the Montgomery & West
Point RR |
| as of March 1, 1866, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| Office of Engineer and Superintendent |
| Montgomery & West Point Railroad, March
1, 1866 |
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| To Charles T. Pollard, President: |
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| Sir, |
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Though unpleasant to recall the closing scenes of the
late war, or to revive in our recollection the confusion of social and
financial systems always attending such events, yet it becomes
necessary to allude to this period, that a clear idea may be had of
our more recent operations and present condition.
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The commencement of the last fiscal year found the road
in complete and successful operation throughout the entire line. The
extraordinary demands made upon it were met by employes with the most
active exertions day and night, until the approach of the corps of
General Wilson rendered it expedient to withdraw with our whole outfit
from Montgomery and confine our operations to the upper portion of the
road. This being successfully done on the 12th of April, our trains
continued to run from that date, gradually contracting their line on
the approach of the federal forces, until the capture of West Point
and Columbus, and the destruction of our entire rolling stock, which
had been equally divided between these points under the vain hope of
saving one-half of it, finally closed our operations on the 16th of
April, and left us without cars, locomotives, bridges, or depots.
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As soon as the withdrawal of the federal forces rendered
it possible, I proceeded to West Point with a view of making such
dispositions as would secure the preservation of the property left,
and most speedily enable us to resume active operations.
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It was no easy task, surrounded by the blackened walls of
buildings, and amid the smoking debris of a hundred loaded cars, to
select or even distinguish what belonged to the company; but out of
this confused mass, fragments of cars and locomotives, parts of
rolling mills and printing presses, arsenals and arms, the most
valuable portions of our property were cared for, and my attention was
next directed to rebuilding bridges and repairing such engines as
could most quickly be put in running order. Fortunately the engine
John Caldwell, with five flat cars attached, which had formed the
train last in service on the morning of the 16th of April, and was
more remote from the depot than any other train, had sustained but
comparatively slight injury, and was soon put in condition to work
down to Osenappa creek, seven miles fro West Point.
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From this stream to the Ufoupee, a distance of 39 miles,
there was a continuous and unbroken line of road, with sufficient
timber scattered here and there to rebuild the Osenappa; the question
was how to transport it.
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It was with great doubt, and only as a last resort, that
I could entertain the belief that the engine Abner McGehee, which was
on this portion of the road, could help us in our distress. Purchased
27 years ago, it was an engine which had already served nearly three
times the period allotted to such machines; no longer reckoned among
our living engines, it had long since been laid in the grave of our
reports, and, abandoned by my orders at Steam Mill, it had been passed
by the federals as of too little value to merit even destruction.
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In this emergency, however, after a week's repairs, it
was brought into service and seemed to recover some of the power of
former years. Like it honored namesake, though going forward with
great facility, it went backward with as much reluctance; still, like
him, it was equal to all the requirements demanded, and -- attached to
a couple of cars, hastily repaired, which had run off the track at
Loachapoka, and had escaped destruction -- it was our sole reliance
for furnishing material and supplies for the work at Osenappa, and it
continued in service until the day of the completion of the bridge at
that point, when, as if its work were done, by the bursting of a tire
it became utterly useless, and was laid up, never again probably to be
called into action.
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*****
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Roadway. The impossibility of procuring, during
the last four years, the quantity of timber necessary to compensate
for the annual decay, rendered an unusual expenditure for this purpose
indispensable. *****
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The turn-table at West Point has been placed in a more
convenient position, and those formerly at Loachapoka and Chehaw
removed to Girard and Shorter's.
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Iron. With the exception of about one-half mile of
T rail track near Auburn, we now have on the line 25 miles of flange
bar, beginning near Harrison's water station, 3 1/2 miles south of
Auburn, and extending to West Point, together with four mile of the
same rail near Franklin. This rail has been regularly reported as worn
out, and at present not much more can be said in regard to it. in
consequence of more labor and material being expended on this track,
and the passage of a light tonnage over it the past year, it now
presents a better condition than its extreme age would seem to
warrant.
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The state of the flange rail on the Opelika branch
presents no peculiar points deserving of mention.
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The T rail track, however, from Harrison's down to the
20th mile-post above Montgomery begins to show signs of wear, and
requires the immediate renewal of 1033 bars, of an aggregate length of
23,507 feet.
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The rail from the 20th mile post to Montgomery is much
worn, and that portion between Six Mile station and Montgomery is so
badly worn that immediate renewal to a great extent is necessary. An
accurate account of bars that are worn out between the 20th mile post
and Montgomery shows the number to be 955, of an aggregate length of
20,685 feet, and the same examination shows that 85 bars, or 2,040
feet in length, must also be had to replace worn-out rails between
Osenappa creek and West Point.
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To recapitulate, it appears that 2,073 bars, of an
aggregate length of 46,232 feet, equal to about 4 38/100 miles of
track, are required for renewing worn-out bars. This iron should be
laid down at once, as the existence of scaled bars causes flat wheels,
which again in their turn cause more bars to scale up, and a fearfully
increasing expense is incurred which all dictates of policy forbid.
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It would be in accordance with our traditional policy to
provide new rails for renewal in addition to those just shown to be
necessary, and I recommend the purchase of 1,500 tons, which would
enable us, in addition to renewal of T rail bars, to relay about 14
1/4 miles of our flange track, and by gradually rerolling the bars
taken up, we could, in a reasonable time, complete the T rail through
to West Point.
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*****
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The following tabular statement exhibits the number and
condition of our cars:
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Box cars |
Flat cars |
Stock cars |
Cab cars |
Passenger |
Baggage |
Mail |
Express |
Ditching |
2nd class Passenger |
Coal |
| On hand March 1, 1865 |
73 |
48 |
4 |
12 |
15 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
13 |
1 |
10 |
| Destroyed |
68 |
41 |
3 |
11 |
15 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
13 |
1 |
10 |
| On hand April 16, 1865 |
5 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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| ***** |
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*****
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Depots, shops, &c. The machine shop, blacksmith shop, the
round-house, the car factory, the freight depots and sheds, with
adjacent platforms, the oil house and storeroom, and the passenger
depot at Montgomery, were all destroyed, and nothing remained on our
extensive grounds but the paint shop and foundry, standing alone amid
the ruins of all these buildings.
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*****
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The water-tanks at Six Mile station, Hickory Bend,
Notasulga and Opelika, destroyed by federal forces, have been rebuilt,
and are now in use. Those at Rough and Ready and Cusseta, also
destroyed, have not been rebuilt, but a new one established at Wild
Cat, five miles fro Opelika, will be sufficient for our present
business.
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The depot at Mount Meigs, a cheap and unimportant
structure, was destroyed, and has not been rebuilt.
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At Cliett's, the entire depot arrangements were
destroyed. *****
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At Notasulga the depot escaped destruction.
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At Opelika the depot was destroyed, but has been rebuilt,
and in use since September.
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The depot at Rough and Ready was destroyed by an
accidental fire in 1863, and has never been rebuilt, nor do I believe
that the business at that point will warrant an expenditure for its
renewal.
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*****
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The passenger depot at West Point, owned by this and the
Atlanta & West Point Railroad Company, escaped injury, but the
freight depot was entirely destroyed, and is now being rebuilt in a
substantial manner.
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The depots between Opelika and Columbus were unharmed,
but all the depot property at the latter place was entirely destroyed.
A temporary depot has been erected at Girard, which will be sufficient
for the business until the completion of the bridge across the
Chattahoochee.
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***** The narrow gauge, which had during four years of
fearful war prevented its outfit from being scattered throughout the
southern States, proved in the end to be the certain means of its
destruction.
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*****
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Respectfully submitted:
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Dan'l H. Cram
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Engineer and Superintendent
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