Smyrna times., 1861-01-10
Engineers RPDOrt.
To Gen. Tench TiIghman, President of the
Maryland and Delaware Railroad Conn


Maryland and Delaware Railroad Conn
| pamy.
SIR:-Agreeably to your request, | here
with submit brlef report of the progress aud
condit on Of the work upon the Maryland and
! Delaware Railroad since the renewal Of opera
tions, under the present contract, deemlng it
unnecessary to go back of that period, as
former reports furnish you with all the intor-
matlon relating thereunIo.
Notice was mailed to :hs contractors on the
lst day of March, 1865, requiring til I'm to COM
mence the work at the earliest possible mo-
ment, bat in consequence Of the time occupied
III transporting men and teams from their
homes in PSnnsy yvania to the line of the Road,
the grading was not begun until the l6,h day
of April. la the meantine small corps of en-
gineers had been organized for the purpose of
adjusting the old located line, and to cross
section and stake out the work as rapidly as
its progress required.
The work having thus been commenced at
the time above stated, il has continued 10 pro
gress without any serious interruption. The
time provided in the contract for the compile.
tion Of the Delaware division was the first of
October, 1860, but owing to the delay oCca-
stoned by the refusal of the manufacturers TO
adopt the rail pattern submitted by the COM
pany, 1t was not complied with, and believing
the contractors had made reasonable effort to
obtain the iron at the proper season, felt it
my duty to extend the tune for the completion
of this section to the 18th OF January, 1861.
With the exception of shrinkage IN embank-
ments, the filling and stamping of material
around the bridges and cuIverts, and
the excavation of small bitches to drain the
roud-bed, the whole amount OF the grading be-
tween Smyrna Station Oh the Delaware Rail-
road and Greensboroug ugh-embracing a dis
lance of twenty-Ihree and two-thlrd miles
} has been completed, and is now ready for the
reception of the crossties and iron.
Bridges have been erected over all the lar
!; ger streams on this portion Of the Road, and
timber for the smaller ones delivered along the
: lie wherever needed; and, with due allow
} ance for the season, you may safely rely upon
their being finished by the middle of the pre-
sent winter.
| 1t is impossible to estimate the amount oi
7 crossties that have been gotten out during the
+ summer and autumn, and now lying scattered
: through the woods, contiguous to and near the
line of the road. About twenty thousand have
! been delivered and large quantities are daily
q being added to that number. Il is already
a known to your Board that nothing but white
a oak and chestnut have been used for this pur
pose, and, as it is a subject of constant lnqurI
j, amongst the farmers owning timbsred lands
9 many of whom are stockholders-l feel com
t PEELED to offer few remarks in relation to th'
;, matter.
: Those we'll acquainted with the character o
a the trees common to our forest In this particu
d lar locality, are aware of the fact that where
s both durability and strength are requiret
Il there is nothing better than white oak. Chest
d nut is OF longer duration where there is n
friction; but for purposes Of this kind i. is les
valuable, although generally estimated at tn
e, same price.
n Red and black oak are in use to a limited ex
:" tent on some of the roads in our country wher
" timber is scarce. The result Of the expert
% ment. however, on the Delaware Railroad ha
ii convinced me that under no ordinary circum
to stances will it pay to use them; especially i
Ie a country where white oak predomlnates, an
It the difference in the cost so trlfiiDg.
"a Five miles of the understanding from tn
OF connection with the Delaware Railroad TO
g. short distance beyond Kenton-has been lai
| and balasted, and it is now ready for the car
ch aud constant force of about twenty-f five me
It are carrying it forward at an average rate &
mt one mile per week.
ed Assuming that it lie put down no faster theI
Il will yet be required eighteen and two-thirC
ee weeks, or about four and one-halt months
1t complete the road 10 GreensborOugh.
on Every dollar Tor the "rlght OF way III
>" been paid where the land was not given, al
no good and sufficient deeds obtained and recOr
ed.
Land at Smyrna Station-the terminus
the road, and where it is necessary TO hay
~, plenty of room-is now valued at from ftteG
10 hundred TO two thousand dollars an acre, b.
oh 10 consequence of negotiations having been e
-. tered into at an earlier date, and the deep il
10. terest felt by properly holders of the town f
- the success of the road, five and one-quart
-, acres have been obtained at trlfing compe
:, sation, viz: for seven hundred and twenty.f'
ha dollars-fve hundred and twenty-five Of whit
- was paid in the stock of the company, and tV
i, hundred in cash.
20 At Kenton, Slaughter, Stateline, Meredi
"a and Old-Town, where dspots have been loc
~ ted, the land has been universally given. Al
a;r there is every reason to suppose that simll
~ - course will be pursued throughout the enti
~ line of your road-all Of which Is respectful
"a sabmitted, By your obedient servant,
60 WILLIAM Fl. DlLWORTH,
uu Chief Engineer.
.ne ENGIxEER's OFFICE, Kenton, Delaware, DE-
9th, 1860