Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-12-11

Report of Col. awinn, Engineer.


Gcntlcmcn:In accordance with the iud
cious policy of the Company, adopted soon
after the abandonment of Bangs & Co g CON
tract the operations of tic past year have been
confined chiefly to the important works in
South Carolina and Georgia. The result of
the years labor is highly satisfactory, and en-
aoles me to make tho gratifying announcement
that such progress has been made that the ne
Rod is now Mt hand for the commencement of
The intermediate sections of light grading and
the extension of the track
Before entering upon a recital of the works
which have been operated upon during the past
year, the progress of which indicates the adj
vance towards the completion of the road, and
in the opinion of some, exercises n paramount
influence on the success of the enterprise |
would state what has been ACCOMPLISHED he
tween Anderson and Pcndlcton
Between these places, which are thirteen
miles apart, the track was completed in April
| last. l5y an agreement with the Grecnville &
| Columbia Rail Road Company, the Grains
which run on their branch road from Bolton to
Anderson have been employed in the transpor-
tauon between Anderson and Pendlcton They
commenced running on the 26th of MAY and
without any interruption or failure have made
three trips week, running in connection with
the trains on the Grccnvllc g. Columbia Rail
Road to and from Columbia
| The Company have on hand two first clnss
| irelght lomotvcs, Zone was placed on the line
on the Goth of August fourteen platform
| cars, ten gravel cars, one crank car and ono
| pole car-nl of which are employed in widen
ing and cleaning out the cuts and in the trans
| ponation of stone from Haynes Quarry for the
masonry at Twcnty-Six Mile Creek. One
| coach, four box, and four platform cars have
| been ordered. AS soon they come to hand
| the trains of the Grccnville s. Columbia Roll
| Road Company will be withdrawn at ilier re-
quest, and the Blue Ridge Rail Road Corppa-
| ny will run their own trains for the carriage of
freight and passengers between anderson and
| Pcndleton.
| Although the track has been laid and the
cars arc running, the Road cannot be pronoua-
ocd fn1shcd in permanent manner between
| Anderson and Pendleton. The trains pnss on
the trcstlc bridge over Twcnty-Six Mile Greek,
winch stated in my report of 1866 would be
built as well to hasten the arrival of the cars
at Pendleton as to afford the means of trans
| porting stone for the masonry and aiding, by
serving as false works, in raising tho wood
and iron work of the supersructuc of the per-
manent bridge.
| The trestle bridge also answers the further
! purpose OF afording tile means of carrying
1 The stone direct directly over the piers and by
| dcrricks attached to the bcnts of lowering
them at once to their places, thus saving a very
considerable expense in laying. The masonry
| Is now III rapid progress, and will be completed
early next summer, when the supcrstucture
| will be put on. Prior to this period the en-
| bankment will be brought up to the masonry
ut Twenty-Six Mile Creek, and few feet of
trestle work adjoining the masonry of tho per-
mancnt bridge over Twenty Three Mile Creek
| (bmlt for the passage of common road under
.ncath) will be filed in. The Road between An
derson and Pendleton will then be finished,
presenting in oil its parts the permancncc, du-
fobility and characteristics of u first class
road "--stch as the Blue Ridge Rail Rond is
designed tobe from one end to the other
| At Pendleton warehouse has been built of
wood, ~ by GO feet, sufficiently large for the
accommodation of the trade, and also to afford
acommodious room for passengers. This sta
tion is supplied with capacious water tank,
| rooted and painted. 1t is also proposed TO
| bulld n temporary locomotive shed, the frame
for which has been raised.
The station at Anderson is provided with n
| water tank similar to that at Pendleton, and
with shed for the protection of coaches.
There has also been erected an engine house
| witl stalls for two locomotives. This building
is designed to answer the double purpose Of
protecting spare engines from the weather, and
to serve as cover for locomotives undergoing
| repairs. 1t is therefore of more permanent
character. and Is more substantial than the
| buildings GcnominuicG sheds.
have now to enumeratc the sections bridge
masonry and tunnels west of Pendleton here
tofore referred to az the important works which
Those i'll South Carolina commence with the
embnnkment in Seneca Bottom, four miles
from Pendleton, and the masonry for the bridge
over Seneca River. Both of these works will
be completed i'll the course of twelve mon ms.
The masonry for the bridge over Cane Creek
will be completed in six months A heavy
section OF grading commencing at Frick
Meeting House, 238 miles from Pcndeton, will
be completed i'll eighteen months, and earlier
if desired -
The Saddle Tunnel 27] miles from Pendlc
ton (6l6 feet in lengthy will be completed in
sixteen months. At the west end 124 feet of
heading have been driven, and so feet excava-
ted to the full section, and the east end will be
commenced in few days.
The Middle Tunnel, 2Ss miles from Pcndle-
ton, is 3S5 feet in length Tho headidg has
been driven entirely through, and it win be
completed i'll about four months.
section of heavy grading about three
quarters of mile in length, just west of this
tunnel, will be completed in sixteen months.
The stump House Tunnel is 29a miles from
Pondlcton, and 5,863 feet in length. The
Messrs. Humbird & Hitchcock, contractors for
this important work, have fully sustained their
reputation for skill, energy and good manage
ment., Every contrivance that ingenuity could
devise has been put in requisition to lessen
manual labor and further the progress of the
work. Seven. steam engines are employed
three in raising material, three in yentilSting
through the shaft, and one at the Western poro
tai, which drives in, fresh air and frees the tun
mel from the wafer that follows the excavation
made down the grade from the western end.
The only impedilnept in the regular and uni
form prcgrcss Of the work has been caused by
the Inability OF the o0ntyactors 80 keen at ali
times full force. The present contractors
nave nay, done all in their power to overcome tlsis