Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-08-24
sG62,oOo


Total SG62,OOO
Average per mile, Sls,3Ss.
The road thus and furnished and connected
with good passenger boats the bay, will make fair
beginning at low prices to divert all the trade from
James River except tina; of coal in light class OF vessels
BY the termination Of the road in Richmond at the head of
the docks passengers and freight will be delivered at
central point convenient the whole city and the
connecting locks between upper and lower James river
TO be immediately constr uced the road will also
change freight with canal boats with the greatest possible
facility. have examined other routes and modes OF en-
fering and terminating the road in Richmond; but any
other will be orpcs,re 10 constr Uct and operate
than the already described. therefore have he
tstion in presenting the Water street entrance the only
proper and sensible Assuming IS feet TO be the
imum gradient the maximum load of the freight engines
estimated for (of 81 tons each driving wheelsl will be
for each engine 500 tons of 2UoO lbs 100 tons OF this will
be tie weight OF and tender, aud 200 tons OF mcr
chsndize One engine will he competent to make trips
in two days and after making liberal allowance for bro
ken trips the fluctuations Of trade and accidents will haul
in the aggregate from Richmond Ethan per annum,
o., 600 and much in the opposite direction
n il be offered 1t is probable that there will lie twice as
many tons from to Richmond, making the aggregate o
up loads per annum for engine 10000 tons, and
the total amount of work of one engine per annum
90 OUU tons.
One Of the passenger engines viii he competent pas
four times the road per day equivalent to two trains
each way daily and carrying any number OF passengers
not exceeding 800 TO a load. have not examined the
business statistics Of Richmond aud vicinity 9th view
at determining the amount of property annually
and ceived from the Chesapeake. the expenses Of trans
posting The same by the James river, presuminE that
you already have received this information, or will oil
tain from other sources, hut assuming that you have
psr annum
From Richmond 600 tons at 81 % $4,000
To 4" $4,000 $500
And 600 passengers both ways at 20 EACH 81
The gross receipts would he las,5oo
The expenses Of performing this amount Of bust.
ness On such road have estimated for,
including all salaries wages of men, running
expenses, repairs OF roadway, engines
and buildings, will be 10000
Leaving net income of $4,000
Equal 20 II per cent s662 900, the estimated cost
The engines and provided for in the estimate will
DC fully competent TO perform all the business here
sumed and six times more passengers besides without any
additional expense For large increase Of business
this estimate the expense will increase proportion
For instance Suppose by adding freight ca.
gnes and fifty freight the outfit making the
total cost Of the road $500 600 then the of work
per annum might stand as follows
10000 tons from Richmond at say 81 per ton 10000
$4,000 10 $4,000
10000 passengers at 60 cents, 10000
Total receipts, 100000
Deduct total expenses, $4,000
Total net income, Sl55,OUO
0r2l l-2 per cent on S72OOOO.
The line of your road being entirely free Of rock
vaton there need not be any cuIvaOn shorter than
feet radius while the gradients are generally lower than
four hs Of the rail roads in the United States The
maximum gradient being less than half that Of the Ba
and Ohio, Baltimore and Susquehanna Boston aud
Albany and Boston and Burlington roads, and less than
one half that Of the New York and Erie road All of which
roads will be prosperOusy engaged in
the transportation Of freight.
The maximum load OF u 81 ton engine on the maximum
gradient Of your road. wi be before stated tons
exclusive Of engine On that Of either Of the other roads
mentioned, only about ITO tons exclusive ofengue The
amount Of grading, masonry and bridging from Richmond
q Ethan IS also very light compared with other roads
There being no rock aud but 7l2 yards Of earth only
wooden bridge OF about span and about 2lUU
Perehes Of masonry in abutmCn aud needll drains and
walls.
Respectfully submitted, by your ob't serrt.
(SgnedJ JOHN ClllLDE, Engineer
RIcHvosD, NayIa, 1853
Jams Lyous, Esg., Richmond:
DEAR SIR: have requested in your Of the t
carefully examined the report made to Mr. seldom i'm No
vember, lSi7 by Capt. Chlde, the subject railway
frOm Richmond 10 Ethan.
Capt Chde's character practical engineer aud one
particularly skilul In reconnosance for rilways well
established by his connection with the Western railroad
OF Massachusetts and more recently with the Mobile aud
ONO abroad as TO require no endorsement at tc hand
ofany one
Tue ground between Richmond and Ethan I. not Who'll
~ unknown 10 me- The entrance into RichmOnd by the
valley o Giles creek, and the termination Of the road
at the Richmond dock, were recommended in my report
on the Richmond aud Yorktown railroad m adc TO thc
Board Of Public Work, in 1887.
The road TO Ethan h. ia many respects better pro
Il
shorter passes easier ground and she accomplish
ing every thing proposed be done by the former road
a. substitute for the navigation OF the James river hi-
ue important advantage Of crossing ChickahOmuy river
where u b. iuconsderublc stream. On the yorktown
route Il h 20OO feet iu width
The character of the ground T. correctly dr,rl and
abe quantity Of carthWork u nearly estimated a. cs m
done ON reconnaissance u mus, certainly be ca7 chan
on the fOrkt0Nn route. On that line che quauf,y OF
earth N be- removed by exact estimate ON 90 Iu
miles was ,7OSt7 cube yards being rather more tii
1880 yards per mile. lt would be safe perhaps tu blDn
2b,V1U yards per milo inr the whole distance ~ fIu 4
A the ioad will be mainly freight road the heavy rail-
recommended by Capt q. would be- most suitable re-.
ducou Of the weight Of the rail 10 o. s per yrI fa
Ngtest aiovaicl would only effect On entire -,yiug ,
so per Ton, ~ ais .3U5.
There appear 10 be some mbtake In the estimate fr
suporrtucure in the number Of cf0ss G. pI2u tri4r
probably meant instead Of 2i2 espfr.s.l in che .i
mate The 5rmer number you'll place tho tir. siiput
~ feet apart from centre 10 centre presuu, 90 .
mistake made be- the hurry ~ copying The ef.nit.
for spikes chains track laying, Sc Bsofi,l1 aI.,v
wist Ne work could Dc esecuted Tor noa The ou rs
would oost dclve cd aud distributed more h5u 30
tc ton The earhwor would Dc more safely cstiuat,d
~ ls ~ cents per yard ia, the whole distance
The estinsie corrected 10 that way would be ol
oss-
Fora miir u ssD0srefarl
iO1 tons iron rliis G2 lbs per ward at $40 Isi6
1lvp cross ties feet long by " 20 70 cts 1g5
$50 oa book head spikes, AZ Z - cts gIt
tttp hs, cat iron chairs nt I 2 cta ..6
haieials and sork on ffogs niovcable rails &c 90
Distribution q materials aud track hying &C ZOO
1ravcing trscs a. per Capt C.s estimate. $50
Cos q one mile Of suporstnetare 97os2
Cost q 80 mhcs At s7,os2 s2ss Isg
Graduation, RasOsrv and By,d,e.
~ macs graduation $1,000 cutie yard. per
mie, 200 ,OO0 cube yards earth rsnoved
atiGl ccpta Itg 500
Assoog and brdGing. 10000