Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-02-06

These roads having an aggregate lenRtn OF sOZ miles,
give an aggregate tonnage for year Except the Nor
folk and Petersburg road which in operation only
about eight months in the year, of 1881 tons, which
is exceeded by the tonnage of the canal by 33364 tons
The freight business therefore, of all the railroads in
Virginia above named ten in nulber, amounted for one
wear TO $40 500 tons for which they received 81 493,
500 Ca while the freight business OF the Canal amount
ed TO 206 29j tons for which received sl72 $40 g.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal the unfortunate suf
ferer frcm so many casualties, transported during the
wear eighteen hundred and fftyeght, 25i6S4 tons of
coal from Cumberland to the shipping at Alexandria
distance of 1875 miles, in competition with the ad-
mrable arrang ements and very low rates Of the Bat
more and Ohio railroad which was only able to take
&C. 1855 tons from the same point
The business of the James River and Kanawha Canal
might be increased ten fold without adding dollar TO
the present expenditures of the Company whereas
nv ton of additional freight the railroads would ill.,
vove increased cost to them.
These statements furnish but illustration of what
your petitioners suppose to be undcniable, namely, that
for the transportation of freight and particularly the pro-
ducts of the forest of agriculture and the mines well
constructed canal possesses advantages which scarcely
be eauaed by any railroad intended for both passengers
and freight however iavorably situated. They fud
confirmation of this opinion in the last annual report of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company That truly
gigantic and magnificent work. one OF the greatest OF
the material rumphs of country received during its
last fiscal year from its aggregate revenues the Of
g. 30l O09 ~ its working expenses amounted TO 81
O5G q47 81 (which u reduction of 1929, g58 O6,
compared with the expenses of the previous fiscal
year. when the gross revenue was s4,67S,9l2 10
vet the grand total Of tonnage for the entire
! iinc-including the three roads, to wit: the
Main Stem the Northwestern Virginia, and the Washing
to. branch was S97 49G tons, employing one hundred
and orty.fve engines Exclusive Of those employed in
the passenger service and for other purposes and three
thousand two hundred and seveDty-six burden cars!-
The business of the main stem, that is the road from
Baltimore to Wheeling a distance of S79 miles, is
summed up follows, viz Through freigho and from
Baltimore and Wheeling, Benwood and Petersburg
POI 597; coal S4S 729 and miscellaneous and local ton
mage 264 523 making 500 5S9 tons of which the East
ward tonnage 63S,S74, and the Westward tonnage
l76457 The number of tons Of freight carried the
great New York Central Railroad whose length including
the main, side and and branch lines owned by the COM
pany 500 miles, and the of which to the present
| time including cost of road and equipments he's been
$50 s4O7l3 H. was during the last fiscal year. sS4 81 .
TONS to wit: SIs O79 tons Of through freight 4s6 $40
tons Of way freight Tie Average annual transportation
| of tonnage tie Erie Canal aud its branches for
trelrs gears from S47 TO 1853, both years inelsre,
during weh time the acreage annual suspension Of nav
igatio from Ice hundred and irtyeigh days,
553 $50 TONS yielding average annual revenue
in tolls Of So 1888 93l exclusive of the tolls boats
and passengers. Let be remembered too that during
the whole of that time the work of enlagng the canals
was in progress and consequently the commercial ad-
vantsges resulting from the present enlarged capacity
wss pot fully felt In aasiop TO this enlargement "as