| Annual Report of the Milledgeville RR |
| as of October 1, 1862 |
| Chief Engineer's Report |
| |
| October 1st, 1862 |
| |
| To the President and Board of
Directors: |
|
|
| Gentlemen: |
|
The operations in the Engineering Department are herewith
respectfully submitted. |
|
The work of graduation since the last Report has been vigorously
continued, not only with the forces then on the road, but, with large
additions. Notwithstanding the hesitation and distrust felt by all at
the commencement of the work, the policy of the Board in ordering the
extension has been shown to be judicious, and has been attended with the
happiest results. The caution of other companies inducing them to
suspend and curtail operations, rendered work difficult to be obtained,
and enabled us to let our contracts to advantage. The line between
Sparta, and Macon was contracted to Messrs. Orr, Lockett, Thompson,
Jossey, Collins, Phillips and Gilbert, Lane and Brown, Culver, Bowen,
and some smaller contractors. The forces now engaged on the road number
one thousand hands, working two hundred and ten carts. The prices paid
are the same as those under the first contracts, with a variation only
in the mode of payments, the price being sixteen cents per cubic yard
each way, without reference to haul, three eights to be taken in the
stock of the company, thereby increasing subscription to the capital
stock to that extent. The time, designated for the completion of the
work is 1st January, 1864. |
|
With the large force mentioned above we have made great progress, and I
am pleased to report the completion of the graduation, masonry and
bridging of the line between Warrenton and Sparta, twenty-one miles. Two
small, points of rock remain in cuts near Culverton, which could not be
removed for want of powder. |
|
The grading and masonry between Sparta and Milledgeville is also well
advanced, being fully two-thirds finished. Some of the contractors have
already "completed their work between these points, and moved their
forces west of Milledgeville. Others will soon follow, and should
nothing unforeseen occur, we may look forward with certainty to the
completion of the graduation by the time prescribed by the contract. The
grading of these seventy-five miles is as heavy as that of any other
running road in the State, and the execution of such a work during the
gloomiest days of our revolution may well excite admiration. |
|
The line between Warrenton and Sparta crosses many large creeks and
streams running into the Ogeeche, as also the river itself. A Howe truss
bridge on granite piers spans the river, but in crossing the other
streams, Golden, Whetstone, Rocky Comfort, Ivey Branch, Long, Howell,
Fulsom, Dry, Little Ogeeche, and Two Mile Creeks, I was compelled to
resort to trestle work, not in consequence of difficulty in procuring
material for the heavy embankments, but also, from the inability of
building the arched culverts necessary for passing these streams. With
the completion of the track this work can be economically done, however,
by using cars for filling the embankments and procuring the rock for the
culverts from the more convenient quarries. The culverts will be ten in
number, ranging from fifteen to thirty feet span; the amount of two
hundred and fifty thousand yards of earth will be required for making
the embankments. The masonry between Sparta and Milledgeville can be
made thorough, and there will be but five hundred feet of this temporary
and objectionable trestle, this over Town and Rocky Creeks. In
consequence of the line following a ridge to the Oconee; small square
culverts will suffice for the drainage. |
|
The Oconee river will be crossed by a Howe bridge of five hundred
feet; it being useless to attempt the erection of the bridge at this
time, we shall put up the piers and abutments for the same. A
similar course will be adopted in reference to the bridging between
Milledgeville and Macon. |
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The progress of the track laying has not kept pace with that of the
grading; we have but seven miles laid and running. Our iron, with the
exception of ten miles, was seized by the Government in April last, and
we have had no inducement to put down the small balance on hand.--We
therefore brought our track-laying to a close, and have devoted the dry
months of the summer to clearing with the train some wet cuts near
Warrenton. So soon as the approach of winter shall stop this work, we
will resume the track laying, and can finish to the Ogeechee in two
weeks time. Unless some arrangement can be made with the Government to
release five or ten miles of iron, so that we may reach either Culverton
or Sparta, I doubt the policy of running regular trains over this short
distance to the Ogeechee. |
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The seizure of the iron has been a serious drawback to the road, as,
without the track, the work expended on the grading would be dead
capital. Could we have made a connection with the Central Railroad at
Milledgeville, as anticipated when the iron was purchased, we should
have done a good business. |
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The right of way has been, secured from Warrenton to Milledgeville,
except in three or four instances. The city of Milledgeville has donated
to the Company the free passage through the city lots and streets and
many parties between Milledgeville and Macon have also granted us the
right of way. I am happy to state that the liberality shown in the
matter, by all on the line, attest their interest in the success of the
road. |
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The Central Railroad has generously acceded to a proposition for a
junction of tracks and an exchange of freight and passengers in
Milledgeville; a measure of great convenience to the public, and of much
advantage to each road. The statement attached shows the amount of
payments at the date of the last estimate on the 10th August; to this
must be added the amount due on the 10th of this month, approximately
fifty thousand dollars: |
|
Graduation and masonry . . . . . |
$360,416 45 |
|
Bridge and trestling . . . . . |
21,000 00 |
|
Superstructure of bridges . . . . . |
1,025 27 |
|
Spikes . . . . . |
2,293 41 |
|
Laying Track . . . . . |
2,890 00 |
|
Cross-ties . . . . . |
3,037 73 |
|
Division Houses . . . . . |
537 36 |
|
Right of way . . . . . |
6,686 73 |
|
Real estate . . . . . |
12,884 00 |
|
Iron rails, say for ten miles . . . . . |
42,500 00 |
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Engineering . . . . . |
20,000 00 |
|
|
474,269 95 |
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Add as above . . . . . |
50,000 00 |
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Total . . . . . |
514,269 95 |
|
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A portion of the line near Macon not being definitely located, I cannot
present any more accurate statements of the cost of the whole road than
has been hitherto submitted, but the progress of the work thus far shows
that it will vary but little from the first estimate. |
| Very respectfully, gentlemen, |
| Your obedient servant, |
| Geo. H. Hazlehurst |
| Chief Engineer |
|