Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-05-22
"AIbcmarle" ON the Centr.i Railroad.


To the Editors Of tie Y1ig:-
Gentemen,-The writer would not have undertaken Il
answer the article of your correspondent "Albemare
f they had only been calculated to njure him. but In
exaggerated statements Of the condition the road ant
the accidents on It, calculated ipure the unoeud
ing stockholders and for that reason Is proper no shou
make brief statement
H"Abemarle" Is friendly the road, and entertans NJ
unkind feelings to the writer any other officer of tn
company, as he processes Is difficult to conceive why h
thinks necessary to report to the public every whcI
the wheel OF freight passenger gets or the rail-
IL the train is carrying freight, passengers iron io
reayng tho road, gravel timber, anything else
the switehbar Is setting wrong alta depos or, In tn,
crowdng OF freight trains those points, backing In
out OF sidings an engine freight gets Off the rail
or IL valorous bull pitches into tho locomotive the
printer called to give the public notice of the
he prociaims that there Is Their ruu off, and that pas
sengers travel over the road Eat the peril OF life and
limb This Is the course II avowing himself atfrend
Of the railroad.
will not assai his motives but only remark that whe-
Their designed or no. the general aud scope OF both
articles which no has published are obviously calculated
to affect the interests Of the company nurously
well as to throw dscred those the head OF its af
fairs TO nothing of the officers common Justice to
tho company should forbid such Does no not
expect by this to drive the travel from the road
Surely that must be the case n any respect is paid his
publications.
The object of this communication is to state and do
1t with full appreciation Of my responsibility, that the
opinion which this writer expresses that passengers
vel over this road "at the peril OF life and limb" is
warranted by facts Only about Ii Of the road Is vet
covered with the strap bar and large force now aud
has been for ssredi esks past engaged 10 laying down
heavy rail in its place. your correspondent know
There is very little broken iron these strap rail sections
the company have sold and now hauling Off grea,
deal of iron which, four years ago. would have been
regarded quite sufficient to make good railroad and
am authorised to say from personal inspection that the
strap rail sections Of the road complained Of in
good order they have been for years past when
there were no advertisements Of "run offs l believe
the whole OF GU. superstructure as sound
that OF any similar road in Virginia. of which there
| still remaining three or four portions of them.
Having made this statement it is perhaps proper that
should explain how it has happened that accidents have
occurred, though not many as your correspondent
would make the public believe OF the character they
might in'er
The road has recently been opened to Saunton requr-
ing large addition OF Engines 1t is ISIS miles long
loi laid with heavy rail, the balance with Hat bar in
process OF being removed within few months. Heavy
engines suited to the rail have been purchased The
Board would have been justly censurabc il they had
bought small machines suited only very short service
on the strap rail.
II faithful ovcrseers could have been obtained in all
cases, who would have given unremted attention. even
these harmless " offs would have been avoided
lf"Albeniarle" is farmer he has probably experienced
some difficulty in getting one he conides in,
with his presence on the farm is he then surprised that
tue superintendent OF tue ROAD has been unable TO
cure dozen perfectly trustworthy en?-These heavy
locomotives being used for freight under such
have necessarily deraged the Road especially after hav-
ing rain', aud then some wheels of the passenger train
have several times gotten of But the careful slow run.
ning which is pracsed this part the road has pre-
vented anything serious from occurring There has
been no injury to passenger and but little TO the
ehinery No passenger has ever been injured on this
Road.
This careful course will be continued, with increased
vgilence in watching the road, whilst the extent Of the
strap rail daily diminishing, locomotive or car may
be displaced from the track, in running at slow speed
but though the engineer would :he obstruction
time TO STOP yet he would be going slow a. to prevent
any serious damage. With large proportion OF heavy
rail in fine order and very small proportion of sound
strap rail- used with care feel justified in saying that
there is no more danger this road than any other in
Virginia.
am very far from advocating any restriction on the
rights OF individuals to crtcise through the press
merits oil men holding public Office but publications cal
cuated to impare the prosperity of corporations in which
the widow and orphan my have their whole property in
vested should receive more attention and consideration
before they take their place in the columns Of news
paper OF wide spread circulation injury and injustice
may as in this be unconsciouy and undesignedy inct-
ed. f. FONTAISE prcs;den,
Office Central r. r. Co., Richmond. May l9 1854.