| Houston |
| February 2nd 1861 |
| |
| To the Hon. Board of School Commissioners of the State
of Texas |
| |
| Gentlemen, |
| Your letter of the 15th ultimo directing
me to examine & report upon the condition of the Texas & New
Orleans Rail Road, so as to enable you to act advisably upon the
application of the said Company for the loan from the State, under the
several act of the Legislature relating to the investment of the
Special School Fund, was duly received; and I have the honor to submit
the following report as the result of my investigations. |
| There are over Eight-one miles of track
laid, and three & 99/100 miles of permanent side track. |
| 2nd. There are 26 Bridges as follows: |
| No. |
Name of Structure |
Height in feet |
Width in feet |
Length in feet |
No. of spans |
Diameter of Piles |
Size of Caps |
Size of Stringers |
| 1 |
These Sections No.
from Houston East way to the Sabine & Trinity Rivers |
4 |
8 |
350 |
22 |
Fourteen inches Oak |
Oak 10x10 |
Pine 10x16 |
| 2 |
4 |
6 3/4 |
140 |
21 |
" 12x10 |
Cyprus 24x14 |
| 3 |
4 |
" |
168 |
" |
" |
" |
| 4 |
4 |
" |
210 |
" |
" |
" |
| 5 |
5 |
" |
224 |
" |
" |
" |
| 6 |
4 |
" |
88 |
" |
" |
" |
| 7 |
4 |
" |
14 |
|
" |
" |
| 8 |
4 |
" |
120 |
|
" |
" |
| 9 |
12 |
11 |
300 |
2 |
" 14x14 |
Pine 16x16 |
| 10 |
" |
" |
500 |
" |
" |
" |
| 11 |
11 |
11 |
150 |
" |
" |
" |
| 12 |
10 |
" |
160 |
3 |
" |
" |
| 13 |
10 |
" |
180 |
4 |
" |
" |
| 14 |
" |
" |
150 |
6 |
" |
" |
| 15 |
5 |
6 |
140 |
8 |
" |
" |
| 16 |
" |
" |
126 |
" |
" |
" |
| 17 |
7 |
11 |
128 |
10 |
" |
" |
| 18 |
5 |
6 |
56 |
11 |
" |
" |
| 19 |
10 |
11 |
96 |
" |
" |
" |
| 20 |
" |
" |
136 |
13 |
" |
" |
| 21 |
" |
" |
32 |
" |
" |
" |
| 22 |
" |
" |
240 |
15 |
" |
" |
| 23 |
8 |
" |
302 |
16 |
" |
" |
| 24 |
" |
" |
50 |
17 |
" |
" |
| 25 |
" |
" |
500 |
22 |
" |
" |
| 26 |
" |
" |
49 |
" |
" |
" |
| No. 20 |
Cow Bayou |
| No. 22 |
Cobs Creek |
| No. 23 |
Seiucius Slough |
|
| 3rd The embankments vary in height from 0 to 11 feet,
in width from 10 to 14 feet, side slopes 1 1/2 feet to 1 foot.
Excavations from 0 to 10 feet in depth, width 18 feet, slopes 1 1/2 to
1 |
| 4th The rate of grade per mile varies from 0 to 54
feet. The difference in level between the termini is 20 feet the
Eastern terminus being the lower. There are 80 changes of grade. |
| 5th The Iron Rails weigh from 54 to 58 lbs per yard,
and is of the first class of English iron, presenting when fractured a
dark grey color. |
| 6th The Gauge of the Road is 5 feet 6 inches |
| 7th The course & length of each tangent on the
completed portion of the Road is as follows: |
| No. |
Stations |
Course |
Dist. |
Remarks |
| 1 |
True 0 to 82 |
S 63 deg W |
8200 |
The first numbering
is from the Niclus to the Trinity. The 2nd from Niclus to the
Sabine & the 3rd from the Trinity west |
| 2 |
" 102 " 1380 |
S 72 deg, 40' W |
117800 |
| 3 |
" 1419 " 2175 |
N 89 deg W |
75000 |
| 4 |
" 2214 " 2220 |
S 76 deg 30' W |
600 |
| 5 |
" 2235 " 2552 |
S 77 deg, 13' W |
1700 |
| 6 |
" 2265 " 2310 |
S 85 deg, 45' W |
4500 |
| 7 |
" 76 " 200 |
N 72 deg E |
12400 |
| 8 |
" 223 " 909 |
N 83 deg, 35' E |
68600 |
| 9 |
" 921 " 1154 |
S 84 deg E |
23300 |
| 10 |
" 1176.54 " 1186 |
S 74 deg, 10'E |
2000 |
| 11 |
" 1195.30 " 1198 |
N 69 deg, 50' E |
250 |
| 12 |
" 2311 " 2484 |
S 85 deg, 45' W |
17300 |
| 13 |
" 2510 " 2517 |
S 34 deg W |
700 |
| 14 |
--- --- |
S14 deg, 30' W |
100 |
| 15 |
" 2524 " 2863 |
S 40 deg W |
30900 |
|
| 8th The number of curves on the completed portion of
the Road, with the length, degree of curvature, radius & elevation
of the outer rail on each, are as per following table: |
| No. |
Direction |
Length |
Curvature per 100 ft |
Radius |
Elevation of outer rail |
| 1 |
Right |
2000 ft |
0 deg, 30' |
11460 |
One inch |
| 2 |
" |
5700 " |
0 deg, 30' |
" |
" |
| 3 |
Left |
3900 " |
4 deg, 00' |
1432 |
Four " |
| 4 |
Right |
1500 " |
0 deg, 30' |
11460 |
One " |
| 5 |
" |
1350 |
" |
" |
" |
| 6 |
" |
2300 |
1 deg, 00' |
5730 |
Two " |
| 7 |
" |
1200 |
" |
" |
" |
| 8 |
" |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| 9 |
Left |
950 |
4 deg, 00' |
1432 |
Four " |
| 10 |
" |
2600 |
2 deg, 00' |
2865 |
Two " |
| 11 |
" |
800 |
" |
" |
" |
| 12 |
" |
400 |
3 deg, 00' |
1910 |
Three " |
|
| 9th Almost the entire line of the Road in advance of
the Track is graded and ready for the cross ties. The embankments on
this portion vary in length from 0 to 20 feet, in width from 12 to 14
feet, slopes 1 1/2 to 1. The excavations from 0 to 15 feet in depth,
width 18 feet, slopes 1 to 1. There are 26 Bridges on this portion of
the Road, most of which are finished. |
| 10th The Road has been & is still being constructed
under contract with E. L. Weutz & Co, and Morris Campbell &
Co, at an average cost of about $15,000 per mile. |
| 11th No trains have been run except for purposes of
construction by the contractors, of which no account has been kept. |
| 12th No road signs have been erected, but the usual
signals are given at the crossings. |
| 13th Each Locomotive is furnished with a Bell &
Steam Whistle. |
| 14th The Company have now in use 4 Locomotives of about
20 Tons weight, of 200 Tons Capacity, 60 Horse Power, 5 Box, 40
Platform, 2 Passenger & Eight Hand Cars. 1 Blacksmith Shop, r
Water stations, & 1 Depot have been built, but no workshop or
Engine House. |
| 15th 2240 cross ties per mile, 9 ft long by 6 inches
wide & 6 inches deep, are used. Principally of oak & yellow
pine |
| 16th The Turnouts are as follows: |
| At |
Liberty |
4217 |
ft |
|
at |
Mr Adam Richards |
1350 |
ft |
| " |
Davis Woods |
1650 |
" |
|
" |
Lewis Leaks |
1419 |
" |
| " |
Pine Island |
1304 |
" |
|
" |
Beaumont |
4920 |
" |
| " |
Sandy Point |
1200 |
" |
|
" |
??dail |
1500 |
" |
| " |
Corn Bayou |
1500 |
" |
|
" |
Orange |
2400 |
" |
|
| 17th Alluvial surface, underlaid with clay, average
depth of soils 20 feet. |
| 18th In forming the trains, the Passenger Car is placed
in the rear. No public announcement has been made of the times of
running the train. There are no persons in the Company's service
employed on the trains. |
| 19th In November there were 3 men killed by the
embankment giving way & the cars running off, caused by the heavy
rains. The cars were at work repairing the embankment at the time. |
| 20th The Line of the road has been designated from
Orange in Orange County, through the Counties of Jefferson, Liberty
& Harris to the City of Houston. |
| 24th The cost of each section of the Road & the
average cost of the whole road has been about $10,000 per mile. |
| 25th The officers of the Company remain unchanged --
also the Directors |
| 26th The financial condition of the Company remains
about the same -- chiefly changed by indebtedness to contractors for
increased length of Road & by Bonds to the State for the loans
heretofore obtained. |
| General observations |
| The foregoing embraces all the essential
facts of the condition of the Company. The character of the Road is
with a few exceptions very good, and portions of it is the best run
road I have seen in this state. |
| The energy displayed by the Company in
pushing forward their enterprize to a completion is the subject of
universal commendation. |
| All of which is respectfully submitted for
your consideration. |
| Very Respectfully |
| Your obt Svt |
| E. F. Gray, C. E. |
| |
| The State of Texas |
| Harris County |
| Before me Geo Goldthwaite a Notary Public
in and for the county and state aforesaid duly commissioned and
qualified this day personally appeared E. F. Gray, Civil Engineer to
me known, who being duly sworn under oath says -- That the facts as
set forth in the foregoing report are true to the best of his
knowledge and belief. Given under my hand and notarized seal this 2nd
day of February 1861. |
| Geo Goldthwaite |
| NP HC |