The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-25

examined during the winter, and in some
cases further changes were found desirable
During this year some portions of The
dreenbrier division have been resuryeyed
The resnltswhaYe exceeded expectations,
and, In point Of cost and alignment, are al
favorable as had ever hoped for. The
final location win be completed in Novem.
Der, and any minor changes which the Office
work this winter may determine will be
made by the resident engineers while the
road is in construction. .a -, =,
in addition to this work surveys have
been made to determine the best method OF
with Underwater. Among other lines run
two have been selected for competition
one connecting the present depot grounds
with the wharyes by tunnel under Church
Hill; the other by a branch track leaving
! the line one mile from the city, and passing
over the hill to point below Rockets
Eitheris practicable at moderate expense
the latter. especially so. =
An accurate survey and map have beer
made OF the property of the company il
| the city OF Richmond. ,.y.1,..
CONSTRUCTION.
In March last the following work wa.
put under contract at generally favorable
rates !:
The heavy excavation and embankment
near Millboro', on the Staunton and Gov
ingtOn division, which has been suspended
! since 1857, and have since been avoided By
temporary track with grades of 3U7 fee
per mile; the Lewis tunnel and the EN-
| bankment over Jeiry's run, on the ALE
ghany division, east OF the White Sulphur
Springs, also avoided by a temporary track
| section 25, and the masonry on section g.
of the Allegheny division, west of the White
Sulphur; section 31-the masonry of first
GIeenbrier bridge; sections 40, AZ, and 49,
the masonry of third Greenbrier bridge.
and sections 80, 81, and 81 of the Green.
brier division; the masonry of the New
river bridge; the whole of the Kanawha
division and all of the Western division be;
tween the mouth of scary and Guandotte
river, including the masonry of Guandotte
bridge. The work on the Kanawha and
Western division is to be completed by May
LIST, 1871. -f =
The remainder Of work now under con-
tract is to be ready for the track by
June, 1872, and comprises all that it was
supposed would require over two years to
complete.
The progress made by the contractors
has been in the main satisfactory. There
was some difficulty at first in procuring and
maintaining sufficient force. At the date
Of this report this difficulty no longer ex-
lists and If the present force is maintained
there will be no serious difficulty in having
the contracts for work already let COM
pleted in time.
The contractors for the embankments
near Milboro' and at Jerry's run have made
rapid progress. IL is confidently expected
that the high trestle at the latter point will
he completely Ifilled up by the fst Of May
next. at the Lewis tunnel about 49, 900
cubic yards have been removed from the
approaches. Shaft No. l has been sunk
nearly to the grade of the tunnel, and the
western portal shaft cleaned out and the
work of tunneling resumed. Another shaft
will De sunk at the eastern portal, and work
on old shaft No. 3 resumed Immediately. 1t
is expected to have this tunnel driven from
six points in November. The contractors
water in shaft No. j. The material, as far
as developed, is very hard sandstone, which
willrequTe no support. aa
Section No. Is, near White Sulphur
Springs, is we'll advanced. The walls of the
large arch culvert over Harris run, on Sec
ton No. IS, are completed. The arch will
probably be completed this season, or early
next spring, ready for the enlbankment.
The progress of section NO. 81 is satisfac-
tory. The foundations of the three piers of
the first Greenbr1er bridge, on section No.
80, have been secured, and the western
abutment built nearly to the bridge-seat.
The work is in such condition that any
unfinished portions can be resumed in the
spring without serious interference from
the river. Very little has been done on Sec
ton No. 40, owing to impediments out of
the power Of the contractors to remove.
&c fsorna fo,,s l.,
The contractor on section No. ~, on which
is tunnel about LOO feet long, is progress.
ing satisfactorily. The tunnel has been
driven 100 feet in limestone, and thus far
will need no lining, except perhaps for afeW
feet at the portal. "a H., II. y =
On section 43 considerable work has been
done. The three piers OF the third Green
brier bridge, on section IS, are several feet
above low water: There will be no diff
Guilty in resuming the work rs soon as the
weather will permit in the spring. At the
Great Bend tunnel, on sections go and 81,
The eastern approach cut has been compile
ted, and 100 feet Of tunnel driven. Shaft
No. I was sunk about 10 feet, and the work
Shaft No.'2 has been sunk to grade, and
the headings from it will be started IN No.
yember. A shaft was sunk at the western
portal, and 500 feet of heading taken out.
The western approach cut is long and
heavy, and will require yet several months
for its completion. The rock on these Sec
tons is favorable for excavation, but the
tunnel will need support. The contractor
has been hindered by considerable amount
of water in shaft No. 2. Section No. 81 is
well advanced toward completion. The
eastern abutment and the river pier, or
pier No. 8 of the New river bridge, section
121, will be completed this season. The
foundations Of piers Nos. / and 2 will be
laid, and also it is hoped foundation Of the
western abutment.
The work on the Kanawha division is
well advanced. The foundation of all the
bridges and arch culyerts are secured, and
the masonry will be laid to above ordinary
water by November 1st. About forty per
cent. of the grading and thirty-three per
cent. Of the masonry on this division are
completed, and probably forty per cent. in
addition will be completed by January LIST.
On the western division the progress has
not been so rapid. "A considerable sum,
to about 800, 900, was expended
on this division by the State of Virginia
previous to 1860. Of the part remaining TO
be done and under contract, twenty-five
per cent. Of the grading and thirty per cent.
of the masonry have been done, and prob
ably thirty three per cent. in addition may
be done by January LIST. At the same rate
of progress, the division can be completed
early in the summer. This depends upon
the practicability of maintaining the pre-
sent force during The winter months.
The amount of grading and masonry may
be considerably reduced temporarily by
trestle-work in lieu of en-
bankments and cuiverts at several points !;
and as it is certain the work can be done
more economically by trains after the track
Is laid, it will probably be resorted to, and
T., FL q. 90 CO. tho ore renllte cd ma done