| Annual Report of the Virginia Central RR |
| as of October 1, 1865, |
| Superintendent's Report |
| |
| Superintendent's Report |
| Office of the Virginia Central Railroad
Company |
| Richmond, October 1, 1865 |
| |
|
E. Fontaine, Esq., President
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| Sir, |
|
The following report of the operations of this Road for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1865, is
respectfully submitted. For obvious reasons, a separate statement of
receipts and expenditures is presented for the six months previous to
the 1st of April:
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From October 1st, 1864, to April 1st, 1865
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Earnings |
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| From passengers |
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1,216,920.77 |
| " freight |
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640,100.31 |
| " express |
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257,110.86 |
| " mail
service |
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|
3,201.48 |
| " other
sources |
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|
1,870.23 |
| Total earnings |
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2,119,203.65 |
| Deduct amounts not collected |
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1,280,078.13 |
| Total receipts |
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$839,125.52 |
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Expenditures |
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| For conducting transportation |
703,623.25 |
|
| " repairs of locomotives and cars |
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488,583.08 |
|
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"
" " workshops and tools |
|
16,462.14 |
|
| " maintenance of
road and buildings |
561,433.31 |
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| " salaries |
22,212.89 |
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| " insurance |
2,627.00 |
|
|
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1,794,941.67 |
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| Deduct premiums, &c. |
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456,367.50 |
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|
|
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1,338,574.17 |
| Deficit |
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$499,448.65 |
| The deficit was supplied
from the surplus earnings of former years. |
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*****
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The revenue of the Company was much curtailed by the
operations of the armies during the first six months of the year, and
the failure to collect from the C. S. Q. M. Department the large
proportion of earnings reported above, prevented the payment of many
debts due by the Company previous to April in Confederate currency.
These debts are now being paid in an equivalent of the present
currency, and are a severe tax on our limited resources.
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*****
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After the defeat of the forces under Gen. Early at
Waynesboro', the U. S. army destroyed the bridges from Staunton to
Keswick -- a distance of 46 miles -- burned the station houses except
those in Charlottesville, and damaged the track to some extent on that
part of the road. A few cars were also burned. Again, on the march to
join the army operating against this city, the army destroyed all the
station houses east of Trevilian's, which had hitherto escaped, except
the depot at Frederick's Hall and the passenger house at Louisa C. H.,
which was considerably injured. The bridge over Little river was
burned, and that over Southanna destroyed for the fifth time.
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As soon as this army left the line of the road, the
repairs were commenced; and on the 1st of April about three miles of
track had been repaired, and the trains had passed over the Southanna
bridge. The work was then suspended.
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*****
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Machinery
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The locomotives are generally in good order. Two
belonging to the Company are on the Piedmont railroad, where they were
sent in obedience to military authority in June, 1864, but it is
expected that they will soon be returned. One locomotive (the E.
Fontaine) exploded at Wickham's crossing in November, 1864, and is
totally ruined. *****
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Cars
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A number of the box and platform cars
were destroyed during the military operations of the past year, and
twenty box cars are on the Piedmont road. *****
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Casualties
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By the explosion of locomotive "E. Fontaine,"
at Wickham's crossing, November 30, 1864, James Ramsey, engineer, was
instantly killed. No other person was injured.
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Mr. Patrick Hunt, while walking on the track in the city
of Richmond, was overtaken by the accommodation train, descending to
the station without the locomotive (which had just been detached),
knocked down, and had his foot so seriously injured that amputation
was thought necessary.
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These are the only accidents to persons which I remember
during the year.
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*****
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Very respectfully,
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Your obedient servant,
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H. D. Whitcomb
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Chief Eng'r and Gen. Sup't of Transportation
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