Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-09-08
Baltimere and Potomac Railroad.

Annual Meeting Of the Stockkolder.-Repor.s Of the
President and Chef Engineer.
The annual meeting OF the stockholders of the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company took
place yesterday afternoon at the Office OF the
company in Baltimore; Samuel Cox, Of Prince
george county, in the chair, and ID. ID. Domer,
Of Baltimore, secretary. The election Of seven
directors for the ensuing year resulted in the
choice Of the following gentlemen by unsni-
nous vote OF IL 1852, the number or shares repre-
seDted ut the meeting Governor Oden Bowie,
Colonel Samuel Cox, Hon. Eli j. Henkle, Q. G.
Miller, Colonel VIM. ID. Bowie, William T. Wal
tiers and George b. Roberts.
The president submitted the annual report Of
the president and directors, accompanied by
the report of C. S. Emack, chief engineer; which
was adopted.
REPORT or THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS
The annual report Of Governor Bowie. the
president Of the company, to the stockholders,
been made upon The road. Nearly nifty miles
have been graded, the cross-ties secured, and
the road-b bed prepared for the reception OF the
rails That portion Of the line through Charles
county TO the Potomac river has been located,
and the grading will be let Immediately. After
much consider alton, the Pope's Creek line
through this county was adopted rs being the
shortest ard cheapest on this side of the river
as afiOrding the best crossing and harbor at the
Potomac. as being IN the most direct line from
Baltimore to Richmond. and as sffording our
road the opportunity to connect with the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac road at
Aqua Creek by steamboat up the Potomac
river, or 10 construct line through Virginia
TO Richmond, as may be most desirable.
charter for this purpose has been obtained from
the Virginia Legislature within the last few
months.
The comprehensive and detailed report of the
chief engine er, herewith submitted. will show
that all the gradiDg has been nearly completed,
except at the three tcrmini of the road. AS be-
fore stated, that in Charles county is now ready
for letting. and the work Is so light as to be
rapidly completed. That in the District of c..
lumbia is under contract and being prosecuted
aph nS 10 htGfa IN nv,Ix
be finished.
The lire from the Patapsco river to the city
OfBaltimOre, distance OF six miles, has recently
been condemned or procured by purchas.. AS
soon As the courts meet in the present month
and confirm the inqusitions, il will be pla rad
under CONT act and Immediately prepal ed for
the reception Of the rails.
Arrange ments have been made and are being
made for procuring the rails during the coming
winter. Our contracts require the completion
the entire TO during the year 1871. There
is no reason why they cannot all easily be CO n
Piled with, and we give the confident assurance
TO the friends of the Baltimore and Potomac
road that il will be in operation during the
coming year, If not before our next annual
netting
REPORT OF THE CHIHY ENGINEER.
The Ieroit Of c. 5. Emack, chief engineer
shows the OIL erations Of the engiueerin depart
ment for the past year, viz
IAN OF the graduation and masonry under
contract at the time Of my last annual report
has been finished, with the exception of sec.Iyn
sixteen, which will be completed in less than
one month. Much delay and expense has been
incurred by encountering exceedingly hard,
tenacious clay in nearly all of the deep cuts.
The difficulty OF crossing the Big Patuxent
swamp was successfully overcome by providing
a timber foundation for the break. With the
exception of the wooden superstructure for the
bridges over the Patuxent river and two other
streams, the road is ready for the track from
the Pa'apsco river to Upper Marlboro, dis
tance Of twenty nine and three-fourths miles on
the main stem, and from the function at Hun
tiDgton TO the District of Columbia line
distance OF ten and three fourths miles
on the W ashingtOn Dranch-in all all 40H miles
The right of way has been secured, and the CON
tracts awarded for graduation, masonry and
bridging in the District OF Columbia and city of
Washington. As the work is light outside of tn,
city, il can soon be finished so as to give ms a
temporary connection with the street cars at
the navy yard, until the tunnel in the city, now
in process of construction, is completed.
The right OF way in Baltimo.C county has Just
been secured from the PatapscO river to the
CalveIton turnpike, which s7ill enable soon
70 make come etloh with baltimore by street
cars, and open the road Tor local traffic. until
the tunnels in tie two cities are finished, afford
ing ample time for the settlement OF banks,
thQrough ballasting of the track. &c, &c, put
ing the road in first-class condition for the re-
ceItion Of the great amount VI ravel and freight
between the North and the South which will
necessarily pass over it when the through con-
lie ctions are made.
The northern end of the tunnel at Baltimore
under rGrtheIn Boundary avenue, between the
civ bridge u,cr jones falls NOV, in course of
,.,;,-fruc tiSn) and tho orheih central railway,
= in a rapid stale at pros' .ct"her au oV I'M
i.hed about the first Of next ~'o".ns
the public the IRE OF the avenue as soon - "'
ialls bridge is completed. This Is the most ex-
ICIsive tectiCn Of the tunnel to build. 1T is
Sun &c OF Qualification, however, 10 know that il
will lie finished before that part OF the avenue
- graded, thus saving the company an immense
amount of extra expense in excavating and tem-
&c rary bridging, and the public much annoy
ance.
TIE location OF the route below Upper MARI
boro' was OF &c ided upon until the 10th OF last
December. Every practicable route IN that VI
cinity had been carefully surveyed and estima-
ted consuming considerable tine. The eastern
rCuie was EHgiIy adopted by your board OF d.
Tectors for several reasons, among which were:
LIST. 1t was the least expensive to construct. "a.
Having easier gradients and lower SUBMITS, il
would cost less to operate when built. 3D. The
night of way was secured at a trif1ng cost with
out the probability OF litigation, which Was 80
much feared aud had every reason TO expect
on the other routes. The lire was then very
carefully revised and improved, taking every
possible advantage that the topography OF the
country would admit, thereby very materially
diminishing the cost when compared with the
preliminary estimates
This loc alton ended in the Charles county line.
The night of way is secured. All of the heavy
sections were awarded to responsible contrac-
tors last April. The grading Is finished to the
Western Branch, and tie balance Is progressing
a. rapidly as can be reasonably expected The
pile foundations for the bridges are nearly com
pleted.
In rider to decide which OF thetwo routes in
Charles county referred to in my last annual
report) should be adopted, thus fixing the south
ern te rminus of your road, careful and expen-
sive surveys of all the various routes were made
in King George and Caroline counties. Va, re-
sUltiDg in esta blshing the fact that direct line
can be secured between Popes creek and Rich
mond, within the average cost OF works of a
siml lar character, afOrdiDg the most direct and
comparatively the cheapest line between Balti-
mere and Richmond, or the South.
Acting upon the information developed by
these surveys, your board of directors adopted
the Popes Creek route on the 9Th of last July.
The location is row completed and the work
ready to he commenced.
In conclusion, permit me to congratulate you
upon the favorable aspect of the work now in
course of construction. AT this time Ii is not
retarded, except by a single injunction, and il
is TO be hoped no more legal impediments will
be metto delay its speedy completion"