The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-11-01

EyANsyIILE ND THURSDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER l,
OLE 9ailg gournal,
ANNUAL REPORT

Y - - : - : --------
ANNUAL REPORT 5 sd
Of the Board Of Directors of the Evansville and
Charlottesville Railroad Company, to the Stock
holders, October 1st, 1855. -
When the present Board came into Office in
October last the Road was in running opera
ton from Evansville to Vincennes, 81 miles;
and of the second Division extending from
Vincennes to Terre- Haute, So miles, about 80
miles of track remained to be laid, and two
truss bridges, in progress, to be completed.
This work was accomplished on the 23d day
| of November following and on the following
day a train passed over the whole Road. From
that day trains have been run with daily
Regularity and without any notable accident,
except the loss of two of the employers on the
Road caused by their own careless exposure
rejecting no blame on the Company or their
officers 5 H e
During the year the Road has been operated
with careful regard to all the conditions and
circumstances which have attended it and
distinguished the present period.
| Aiming to accommodate, TO every reasonable
extent, the public wants in respect to travel
and the transportation of commodities, the
Board mindful of the. embarrassment of their
treasury have avoided every measure ofexpense
possible in their Judgment, to be avoided.
! While the business offered did not Justify
an Independent train for freight, they run a
mixed train, each way daily, carrying both
passengers and freight And so soon as it
was evident that a special train for Freight
could be justified, they placed one on the Road
for that service. running it each way alternate
ldays-at the same time running a light passen-
ger train daily up and down. ~
/ To avoid unnecessary wear of machinery and
consumption of material no greater number of
cars have been run in the trains than were re-
lquired by the demands of business, doing moth
ing for display. The service of men has been
, dispensed with beyond the most imperative
demands, and those employed have been en-
; gagged at rates of pay as low as usual on the
most judiciously managed Railroads IN the
lcountry. r
Our men have usually performed their duties
pride and pleasure,-so that in scarcely an
instance has the absence of an interested atten-
ton to duty called for dismissal. ii
j 90 At the organization ofthis Board the Com
pany were the owners of seven engines, two
of which were, Poney--used in construction
land repair. Neither of these were in perfect
order, and some of them. were in a state ot
great disorder and not reliable for service. The
lCompany had no Master Mechanic or foreman
lqualified to understand the condition of their
Iengines nor to direct their proper repair A
q man of requisite qualifications was Immediate
!. ly procured for this position, and under whose
: directions the business of the shops was sys-
q tematized, and our limited power rendered eff
E lfcient. The Company then had no shops at
Iall adequate to the daily necessities of their
limited service, and no shelter for much of their
property which was constantly suffering by ex-
& of
d buildings at Evansville, and changes in the
old ones and the purchase of tools and imple-
nients of daily and indispensable requirement
land also by the purchase and erection Of sta
Itionary engine and appliances and all at a cost
Tightly felt, the Company had the promise oi
ienioying a more comfortable condition as re-
tg5lrds machinery and accommodations for re-
lpairs But during the hast sixty days their
service has suffered greatly from sickness
: among their employees, Our master mechan-
lie has been PROSTATE during all that time, and
! nearly every subordinate mechanic and engi-
Ineer in the service has at the same time been
lunable to do constant duty for like reason. By
D these means we are forced to admit the incom-
Iplete state of arrangements and accommoda-
ltions at the shops, and the bad condition oi
much of our machinery and rolling stock at the
present g 1s'-
. In addition to the engines owned by the Com
pany at the time this Board came in charge
; they have purchased four new engines of ap-
: proved quality and weight, two of which have
lbeen paid for. 1t is believed that this supply
< of motive power can be made to answer the
waats of the Company during the ensuing
: year. es1o.o ;. aoqa jaE,9us
Baggage Cars, 81 Box Cars, "a Platform
3 Cars. 23 Cattle Cars, and 70 Gravel and 2e
Hand and Dirt Cars. An additional Passengel
e and Baggage Car, contracted for will be deliy
n cred in few days. This complement of roll
. ! ing stock we believe will meet the b1sines
d demands of the Road for considerable length
: of time without further purchase. We ar
n Isupplied with an ample stock Of wheels anC
$; laxles and other proper material for repairs s.
r that we have no reason to anticipate any IN
crease of liabilities for equipments of this char
8 The track between Evansville and Whit
"a River distance of about 40 miles, was laid
with a longitudinal sill, and the iron rail lait
ID thereon. forming continuous bearing. Th
present Board found this longitudinal sill great
IL Ily decayed and in many places beceme danger
liiss ous to the trains, and during the year the.
have taken up parts Of it and replaced the sam
ns with cross-ties of the most substantial and en-
he he during quality. The length of track thus re
lpaired is in the whole about six miles. 1hi
process of reconstruction will need to be con
z timed from year to year until the whole sub
structure Of Longitudinal tiInbers are replaces
'e- with cross-ties. The rapid decay of these tim
ds bers and dangerous condition in which this de
ss cay leaves the Road is a practical argument i