| Annual Report of the South Western RR |
| as of August 1, 1862, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report
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| South-Western Railroad Co. |
| Macon, Ga., August 1, 1862 |
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To R. R. Cuyler, Esq.
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President
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Sir,
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The Eleventh Annual Report from this office, showing the operations of the Road for the fiscal year
ending August 1st, 1862, is herewith submitted:
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| Earnings of the Road
for the Year |
| Up freight (eastward) |
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$96,606.47 |
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| Down freight (westward) |
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63,232.96 |
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| Total freight |
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$159,839.43 |
| Through passengers |
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$105,944.68 |
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| Way passengers |
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82,828.68 |
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| Total passengers |
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188,773.36 |
| Mails |
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19,723.95 |
| Total earnings |
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$368,336.74 |
| The current expenses of the year have been |
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240,104.05 |
| Showing net earnings for the year
of |
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$128,232.69 |
| Current Expenditures |
| The expenses for
operating the Road have been as follows: |
| Repairs of Road |
| Proportion of salary of President, Treasurer,
Superintendent and Supervisors, wages of Overseers and hire of Negroes for the year |
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$52,465.18 |
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| Materials, stringers, ties, bridge timber, etc. |
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21,289.15 |
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| Tools, subsistence, clothing, physicians' bills
for Negroes, stationery, printing, etc. |
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30,549.01 |
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| Total repairs of Road and Bridges |
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$104,303.34 |
| Fuel and Water |
| Wood for Locomotives and Stationary Engine |
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$5,386.76 |
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| Pumping Water, putting up new Pumps and
Cisterns, Wells, and Cistern-houses |
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2,007.44 |
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| Total Fuel and Water |
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7,394.20 |
| Repairs of Buildings |
| Including repairs of Station Houses and other
buildings |
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1,565.48 |
| Maintenance of
Motive Power |
| Repairs of Locomotives, including proportion of
salary of President, Treasurer, Superintendent and Master
Machinist, wages of Mechanics and Laborers at Shops, and all
Materials used for the year |
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$10,775.49 |
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| Wages of Runners and Firemen |
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18,885.20 |
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| Oil, Tallow, Cotton Waste for Locomotives and
Stationary Engine |
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15,769.84 |
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| Total Maintenance of Motive Power |
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45,430.53 |
| Maintenance of Cars |
| Including proportion of salary of President,
Treasurer, Superintendent and Master Carpenter, wages of
Mechanics and Laborers at Shops, Wheels, Axles, Lumber,
Paints, and all other materials used in repairing and keeping
in order Passenger, Baggage, Mail and Freight Cars, (new Cars
not included,) for the year |
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$13,586.52 |
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| Oil, Tallow, Cotton Waste, etc. |
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7,593.54 |
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| Total Cars |
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21,180.06 |
| Transportation
Expenses |
| Including proportion of salaries of President,
Treasurer, Superintendent and Clerks, Wages of Conductors and
Train Hands, salaries of Agents at Americus, Butler, Albany,
Cuthbert, Fort Gaines and Chattahoochee, Laborers and Watchmen
at Macon, Americus, Smithville, Albany, Cuthbert, Fort Gaines
and Chattahoochee, Freight Houses and Cotton Yards |
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$46,835.75 |
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| Printing, Books, Stationery, etc., for the year |
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163.28 |
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| Freight damage, paid for goods lost and damaged |
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104.37 |
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| Stock damage, paid for Horses, Mules, Cattle,
Hogs, etc., killed and injured |
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4,495.10 |
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| Agents at Stations -- Paid Commissions |
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4,137.46 |
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| Total Transportation |
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55,735.96 |
| Incidental Expenses |
| Including Printing, Advertising, Books,
Stationery, Postage, Attorney's Fees, Court Costs, Donations,
Gratuities, Salary of Transfer Agent, and all contingent
expenses not included under either of the above heads |
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4,494.48 |
| Total current expenditures |
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$240,104.05 |
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The total earnings have been $368,336.74; total last
year, $599,916.53 -- decrease, $231,579.79.
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The current expenditures for the year have been
$240,104.05; last year, $312,853.01. These expenses appear large in
proportion to receipts; but it should be borne in mind that most
materials used for railroad purposes were very much higher than in
former years, and that we are operating a Road 206 1/2 miles long, the
repairs and running expenses of which cannot be reduced below a
certain amount. The repairs of Road cost very nearly as much under a
small as larger business, and it costs but little more to run loaded
than empty trains. We cannot, therefore, expect the expenditures to
retain the same pro rata to receipts doing a light as when doing a
heavy business.
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| Earnings per mile, passenger and mail |
$1,009.67 |
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| Earnings per mile, freight and miscellaneous |
774.03 |
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| Total per mile |
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$1,783.70 |
| Current expenses per mile |
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1,162.73 |
| Net earnings per mile of track in use |
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$620.87 |
| Gross earnings per mile run by engines |
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16.61 |
| Current expenses per mile run by engines |
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10.83 |
| Net earnings per mile run by engines |
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$5,78 |
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Total bales of cotton transported during the year,
39,834, against 178,008 last year.
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Tables D and E show that there were, from the
South-Western Railroad proper 32,980 bales; last year, 101,733 bales
-- decrease, 68,753.
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From Columbus and Muscogee Railroad we received 6,852
bales, against 72,275 bales the year previous, making decrease of
65,423 bales; and a total decrease for the year of 134,176 bales.
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From the South-Western Railroad to Macon, there were
25,992 bales; the previous year, 24,973 -- increase, 1,019 bales.
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From the Muscogee Railroad to Macon there were 1,258
bales;
last year 111 bales -- increase, 1,147 bales.
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Number of through passengers for the year, 39,496; way
passengers, 73,503 -- total, 112,999; (of this number, at least
two-thirds were soldiers, who were carried at two cents per mile,
one-half of the regular fare) -- being an average per day of 310,
against 322 last year. Total number of passengers carried over the
Road since it was opened, July 1st, 1851, 936,021.
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The Road has suffered severely the past year from
freshets. There have been two extraordinary and several ordinary
freshets. On the 19th February, the water in Flint River was higher
than ever before, since the completion of the Road across the stream,
and within two or three feet of the highest water known to the oldest
settlers. Two hundred feet of trestle bridging, and six hundred feet
of the embankment at Beaver creek, in the swamp on the Columbus
branch, were carried away, which, owing to continuous high water and
bad weather, required twenty days to repair. Freight was, therefore,
detained that length of time. Passengers and mails were sent through
by passing them in boats over the wash, after the second day.
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On the afternoon and night of 8th of April, one of the
heaviest rains ever known, fell on the line of Road to Butler, and
down to Oglethorpe, doing serious damage to the Road.
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Several small culverts, between Macon and the 20th mile
post, were washed out. The entire Road, for three-fourths of a mile,
near Station No. 2, was submerged, and the track washed off the
embankments, and moved in the cuts. One hundred and sixty feet of the
embankment at Mule creek were carried away. Four culverts, under
embankments from thirty-five to forty-five feet in height, were washed
out, with the embankments, at each place -- varying from eighty to one
hundred and eighty feet in length; besides, there were several smaller
washes, varying from twenty to sixty feet in length. Damages were so
far repaired that the trains commenced running through to Eufaula on
regular schedule time on Monday, 21st April, and to Columbus on
Thursday, 1st May.
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It will require, exclusive of what has been expended,
about $20,000, to repair damages, and put the Road in thorough repair;
about $15,000 has been expended, and included in current expenses.
Except detention from freshets, the trains have been run with great
regularity the year just closed; no accident of a serious character to
passenger or freight trains has occurred.
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Number of miles run within the year by passenger and mail
trains, 168,282; freight and other trains, (exclusive of filling or
gravel trains,) 53,386 -- total, 221,668. Wood used by
locomotives, 2,686 cords, being an average of 82 1/2 miles run to each
cord of wood, at a cost of 2 9-10 cents per mile for fuel.
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During the year there have been delivered on the Road,
for repairs, 27,213 cross-ties, equal to a renewal of seventeen miles; stringers,
9,970, making lineal feet 204,965, and 922,340 feet board measure,
equal to 19 4-10 miles of track. For other than track lumber 209,461
feet, board measure; trestle-bridges, foundations, etc., 418,968 feet
board measure. Total feet, board measure, of lumber
paid for during the year, for repairs of track, bridges, buildings,
etc., 1,550,769 feet, at a cost of $13,660.85. For cross ties,
$6,891.24. There have been put in, during the year, to repair damage
done by freshets, good, substantial brick culverts, near the 19th,
28th and 31st mile posts, on Eufaula; one near the 32d mile post, on
the Columbus line, to replace one washed out by freshet, will have to
be put in soon. Our bridges will require heavy repairs the ensuing
year.
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Motive Power
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Our motive power and cars are the same in number, and in
about the same condition, as at date of my last report.
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We have on hand materials as follows:
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| For repairs of Road and bridges, good rails,
chairs, spikes, ties, stringers, and other lumber, in value |
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$23,252.00 |
| Supplies and Stores for repairs of Road |
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8,564.00 |
| Materials for cars |
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14,150.00 |
| Materials for motive power |
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3,064.00 |
| Oil, tallow and waste |
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11,462.00 |
| Stationery, etc. |
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700.00 |
| Fuel and water |
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280.00 |
| Value of Materials on hand paid for, August 1,
1862 |
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$61,472.00 |
| Value of materials on hand paid for, August 1,
1861 |
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53,818.32 |
| More materials on hand this than last year |
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$7,653.68 |
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I have recently passed over the entire line of Road, and,
notwithstanding the damage done the Road from freshets, and the
unusual wet season, the Road is in very fine order; the credit for
which is due to our energetic Supervisor, Mr. John M. Walden, and his
Assistants, Messrs, J. J. Dasher, W. J. Edwards, and A. J. Heard.
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The bridge across the Chattahoochee River has progressed
very slowly the past year. Owing to continuous high water, the
contractor has not been able to get one of the foundations in the
river. He has the materials all on hand, however; and, as soon as he
can get in this foundation, will be able to progress rapidly with the
work to completion.
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It will require, to complete the Road entire, about
$63,000.00.
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Respectfully submitted,
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Virgil Powers
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Engineer and Superintendent
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