The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-22

JIGOUA l., al lO11I 90, 1OOs
time allowed for examination will enable
me to offer.
Upon entering upon the duties of the
Office of Chief Engineer, found that the
matter Immediately demanding attention,
was the preparation of an estimate of the
cost of completing the road. There ap-
peared in the printed copies OF the re-
ports of the Chief Engineer estimates in
gross of the tolal cost of the road, and
also an estimate of the cost of completing
the work, dated September lst, 1860; but
these estimates, showed the total money
value of the work, subdivided only into
irregular sections terminating at the State
boundaries or at the principal towns along
the line. The quantities and prices of the
different items of work were not stated.
An examination of the line from Wal.
halIa to Rabun Gap confirmed me in the
opinion that no satisfactory estimate
could be made, without remeasurement
of the work as far as the North Carolina
line. This opinion was communicated to
you in my report of January 30th. On
the same date submitted an estimate of
the cost of organizing and maintaing the
Engineering Department until June lst,
1869, upon footing sufficient to enable
mo to present the estimates by the 18th
of May.
The engineer party was put in the field
on the 18th of February: under charge OF
Thos. B. Lee, Jr., as principal assistant
engineer.
Mr.. Lee was formerly in the service of
the company, and his acquaintance with
the work, familiarity with the records Of
the company which remain, and profes-
sional skill. are guarantees that the data
for the estimate will be procured at the
earliest possible moment. By letter, da.
ted April lst, he informs me that the par
ty has crossed the Georgia line, and he
fixes the 2Sth Of April as the time at
which he will reach Clayton.
In my report of January Both, fixed
April 18th and May 18th, as the dates at
which the estimates for the completion of
the work to Clayton, and to the North
Carolina line respectively, could be fur
nishcd. apprehcnd now that about fif-
teen davs more of time will be required
Until the completion of the field work,
calculations, plans and profies, you will
not, sir, expect from the Chief Engineer,
any detailed report upon the works, the
construction of which it is his special du-
ty to superintcnd.
At the risk, however, of repeating some
statements contained in my former re-
port. | will refer briefly to the condition
| nf 4 I,r work already done
have visited all the tunnels and points
where the earth-work is specially heavy,
and am glad to be able to say, that du-
ring the long period of abandonment the
road has suffered but little, aside from the
ordinary wasting of earth-work long cX.
posed to the weather. From undcrmin-
ing OF masonry, brenking of embank-
ments by frcshcts, falling of the roofs Of
the tunnels, or other similar accidents.
there has been sustained but trif1ing dam.
age.
Tie cmbankmcnts show now about nine.
feet in width on the top on that part OF
the work which seems most advanced, but
as we have no means OF j, dying whether
they were ever of fill width or height,
the percentage of loss can be but impcr
fectly stated. In making the approxi-
mate estimate Of the cost OF completing
the work to Franklin, which will be found
in another portion of this report, the loss
from waste of tho earth.work already
done has been assumed at twenty per
cent.
The work presents the most ragged ap-
pearnnce in the cuts, in many OF which
are heavy slips, but the greater part Of
such material is now needed to restore
the embankmcnts. At the approach to
Saddle Tunnel, in South Carolina, is
very serious slip of earth from off an in.
clned surface of rock. This was antici-
patcd by the former engineer, who left
recorded in his notes his fear that it
would occur, and il is not likely that any
precaution or care would have availed to
prevent it. That the masonry, complete
and unfinished, is also little injured, is due
to the very thorough manner in which it
was built. There is none of better char
actcr in any railroad in the country.
Had the tunnels been through material
not sclfsupporting, eight years of neglect
would have occasioncd an almost entire
loss of the work done, as the weak points
were not lined with masonry, but supper
ted by timber which has yielded from de-
cay. They are, however, driven through
hard mica scllists, which rarely require
support, and, except for accumuatons of
water, are in as good condition as when
the work on them was suspended. have
observed in the tunnels but one instance
of the falling in of the roof. A section
of twenty feet of Worr Woman tunnel
in Georgia has given way and crater
opened to the surface of the ground above
1t is however, less than hundred feet
from the eastern portal, and is not mat.
ter of great moment
ex pressed in my former report The