Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-18
10 the Editors of the DaiM Times =:

| 10 me L1uH0fS o. the DG1Cy Times:
SIRs-A letter addressed by E. Fontane, President
OF the Louisa Railroad Company, TO WINS. G. Wick
NAM Esq, published in your paper OF the 9Th, requires
notice on my part which must beg the favor of you
10 insert IN your paper as an act OF justice to myself
| :, Col. L ontalne IN noticing statement made by Mr.
Segar in the House Of Delegates nsnuates and charges
- LIST With having stated to Mr. Segar that the Louisa
company were constructing cuverts the line Of their
| road with pine poles
2ndly With hostility to himself
3rdy. With attempt to iniure the financial credit
| OF the Louisa Company.
4hly. With having unfathfully executed piece of
work under contract with that company.
lhave not seen MIR. Segar for many years nor have
authorized any one to make in my name any commu-
nlcaton to HIM IN relation to the Louisa Railroad or it's
management; nor have ever said that cuyerts were
being built OF pine poles along the line of the Louisa
Railroad. presume Mr.. Segar did not intend to be
understood as having his information personally from
myself. have stated, and repeat that there are
cuvers along the line OF that road made Of pine trees
heWn on three sides, placed upon each other with
their bark sides out three each side OF the stream
forming the walls and timbers laid across to support
banks from ten to dfteen feet high. One of these cul-
verts gave way shortly after its construction, and the
bank fell in. rude pen, constructed of the partially
decayed castoi railing OF the railroad was placed upon
this wooden culveri January or February lS49 which
supported the railroad track trains daily passing over it.
and it was in this condition twelve months afterwards
VIZ: to the present tme l1h OF February, 1880 Col
| fontane will not deny that such and is now the
condition OF the culver near Hucksteps and that The
eulverts above 1ucksteps house and next above Kes
wick, are of similar construcor-and these cnyerts
are in the county of Abemarle where stone is album
| have it inferred.
Col Fonaines character is not such as to inspire me
either with hostility or admiration; he has mistaken dis
appreciation Of his official conduct for Hostility to him
sell and the Louisa Company. As large stockhoder
in that Company, claim the right to crtcse the Off
cia acts of its officers and have expressed the op-
nion and deliberately entertain it, that he is not connie
tent to the discharge Of the duties of his station and
that, if capacity for the construction Of such works is
necessary disaster must continue to the Com
| pany from his administration
have not hesitated to express the opinion that with
out aid from the State in some torm the Louisa Com
pany could not continue to meet their engagements for
the current year 1850 and have urged this reason
tor guarantee of their bonds by the State. This he
has chosen to consider attack the financial credit
| OF the Company. Truly an unwise policy in one like
myself, stakeholder and creditor Of the Company
and who felt deeply interested for other contractors
who must have been seriously injured by failure of the
Company to meet its engagements.
The Colonel closes his attack with most Jesuitica
mixture OF indirect charge and nsinuaton viz "None
but those practically acquainted with the subject are
Of the difficulties Of keeping some contractors to
the strict and faithful performance of their contracts
They often improve on the engineer and execute piece
OF work contrary to the terms OF their contract in spite
OF his utmost vigilance. Sometimes he is persuaded to
yield his Judgment in doubtful case to that of an ex-
perenced contractors sometimes he is oyerruled bv
pledges and promises OF guaranteeing the performance
OF the work Experience is frequently the only thing
that will determine the manner in which the work is
| of stone work done by Col Randolph himself"
must refer tor the correction of these nsinuations to
the passengers who have passed the road the con-
ductors and engineers working the cornpapv's trains
the better time made over it, the expense of repairs in
tnely less than upon any other part OF their road the
universal public Judgment upon the excellence of itsex
ecuon. gave my own personal attention. spared no
pains in endeavonng to execute it faithfully and subsan
TALLY, and according to the designs OF the engineers and
every suggestion made by me was to give durability to
the work, This is the first ntimaton from any quar-
a of
tract.
With regard to the work alluded TO above. it |
was built under the eye and strictly according to the or
ders OF the engineer with the single difference
that the wall was made from six to ten inches thicker
than ordered 1t constructed of large stones wei
tied, and faithfully executed. expressed nv doubts
without reserve the time OF its erection OF its capa
city to stand the pressure and vibration of the bank in
cdent to the passage of trains The bank itself was of
the most compact and solid structure And after seye-
raj months use when the Chief Engineer expressed his
confidence in its durability, then repeated nv firm
conviction thatlt must ultimately yield. 1t gave the |
first indication of failure by being forced out at the hot
tom above the foundation showing that its weight was
not sufficient 1t is but justice to the Chief Engineer TO
state that the position, height and batter of this wall
was altered from the original design by causes over |
which neither OF us had CONTROL and weakened by the
change.
There is retaining wall on my contract well execu.
ted according to the directions OF the Assistant Engineer
over which the cars have passed but twice, standing
without bemsh and preserving its original batter OF one
inch to the foot, but ordered too weak t. answer the
purpose, MS wall the President himself has EMPLOYED
man TO prop. depressed my opinion when it was
ordered, that it was Insufficient cuver with stone
walls and brick arch erected in the exact position ndi
Gated by the stakes OF the Engineer and the track Of the
road subsequently varied by him, throwing the road
partially to one side OF its centre, left an inadequatey
supported bank on that side. The cuvert has since
BEEN by order extended but the bank has not been re-
stored trains have been daily passing it since Nav 9TH
lS49 Does Col Fontane hold me responsible here for
any accident which may occur? There also an arch
on my contract similar those which have fallen above
Charlottesville, OF ten feet span with twenty-five feet of
ealth upon it, resting upon flat wall without other
down by carts: it has stood fifteen months and
may be permanent. If it fall, Colonel Fontaine will
attribute 1t TO detective execution, any one ese to
the novel experiment OF arch sustaining e. |
heavy weight without buttress. | cannot be re- |
sponshle Tor walls too Short restricted by the ena-
neer, eked out with poles to retain the road bank
1t Is modification to me that such things exist upon
my contract and regret that was not permitted to
Improve upon the engineer 1t also to be regretted
that directions tor the construction of work have
been withheld from the contractor, although earnestly
avoidy into the winter to lay his foundations, some
times under water when the work could be we'll
executed, and mortyfyng him by seeing his work dist
cured by the freezing OF the mortar, and imparng
its solidy. The facts here stated are all capable OF
proof
The rest of the Col IS nsinuations are VIGOROUSLY not
warranted by the facts.
1t is an act of justice to the Chief engineer of the
Company to state that from the of the
work he was employed elsewhere and too rarely here
TIL. J. RANDOLPH.
Va Fahr