Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-11-20
sT0CKROaDEgS' EEEETINGs

Report CT Col. Fremont, Chief Engineer
ana superintendent TO the President and
Directors CT the Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad Company.
After giving an exhibit of the operations
of the Road fer the past year, Col. Ere
mont says
ROADWAY AND WAREHOUSES.
The Roadway has been very much i'm
proved the past year by drainage and bal
lasting.
We have also put in 1900 tons Of new
rails and 81 1874 new cross ties.
With these improvements We shall be in
condition for large Transportation busi-
ness for the current year.
There will be required for the track for
the next season two thousand tons more of
re-rolled rails, and two thousand the year
following, after which the expenditures
for this object may be brought down to
the ordinary annual depreciation.
The expenses this year, for the Road
Department., have increased about $12 600,
in consequence Of the employment Of two
gravel trains for ballasting the track and
cutting new bitches.
The old Road was not ditched with a
view of drainage, and though much has
y
this omission by partial drainage, yet it
has been found necessary to thoroughly
drain and ballast every part of the track
| requiring it, as the cheapest and perhaps
only method Of lnsurlng good road bed.
These trains will be required for two or
| three years to come, to finish this work
and fill up such trestles as may be replaced
by masonry,
| An expenditure of $40. 900 per annum
should be made to complete the ''Perma-
nent Way" on account OF masonry, ballast
ing and filing trestles.
[ consider the road-bed and track in
much better condition this year than it
WAS last year.
The warehouses have been put in good
order at Black Greek, Wilson, Joyner' s
and Tarboro'.
These buildings are now as secure as
wooden buildings can be.
At all other stations the warehouses are
in good condition.
In addition to the new bridges now near
ly completed, over the Neuse - and
''North East b.,4nch of the Cape Fear, we
are making large repairs to the bridge over
| Quankey Creek, near Halifax
The masonry has all to be replaced, and
i
The temporary bridge over the Tar Riv
er, at Rocky Mount, must be replaced By
a permanent one during the ensuing year
and one over Fishing Greek, near Enfield
and one over Smiths Creek, near Will
mington, the year following.
This finishes the bridges destroyed dur
ing the late war, and when all are rebuilt
and the masonry supplied where small
trestles are now used as culverts, the "Per
manent Way" may be said to be compile
ted.
The bridges are all ia good order.
TREsTLE WORK.
The only trestles that now remain are
short ones for culverts, excepting at Neust
River, Tar River and Fishing Creek, owe
the adjoining low grounds.
These trestles should be filed up during
the next summer and autumn.
The trestle work has been thorough,
oyerhauled and repaired many piles have
been driven, and we regard the work nov
as in excellent order.
MACHINERY.
The machinery is in very good orde
generally. For portion of the year
large force was mployed-during the sum
mer it was reduced. 1t is now, however
about being increased, and will be neces
sarily large for the whole fiscal year, II
order to increase our freight equipment
| One new frst-class freight Engine ha
( been purchased, and seyenty-fve new first
t GLASS freight cars have been built for tn
company under contract with the Tredega
) Company at Richmond, and with Maio