The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-06

/ plisn..ed. ',' = - 'eS'. -
The fidelity and zeal with which the sub
| ordinate officers and employees of the com.
pany have discharged their respective duties
is acknowledged and appreciated.
u. +. HUNTINGTON, President
We present below an distracted
REPORT OF TIE CHIEF YsGINfER,
It commences by stating tho reasons why
the expectation that the road would have
been completed by the 1st of October was
not realized; amongst which was the long
and severe winter, unfavorable weather
through the spring and sunimer months, diff
tculty Of procuring hands, de-, but says that
There is reasonable expectation of completing
| 1t BY the last of December It gives In de,
| tail the work on the connection with tide.
| water including the Church Hill tunnel,
only l,150 feet of beading-in which remain;
| ed at the date Of the report to be exea:
| waited, with an average drive" Of 50 feet
| per week in either direction;
East or the white Sulphur the heavy em-
bn;kn.ents at Lick run and Jerry's run, and
| the excavations at Lewis tunnel, were all
| completed by the LIST Of May. The Lewis
tunnel will be completed early in the spring.
About one-fourth of the Allegheny tunnel is
now lined with brick. The work at Dukes
tunnel is progressing.
"Greea,brier Dirision.
"This division is completed, with the ex.
ception of the masonry in the tunnel on Sec
ton AZ and some trimming in the tunnel at
Great Bend. Several miles of the track have
been ballaSted, and the whole will probably
be finished before winter. The tunnel on
section 40 has caused some trouble. AT
about two hundred feet from the western
portal the material changed abruptly from q
sound limestone to clay. At this division.
line water penetrated, softening the clay, and
bringing heavy strains Oh the timber sup
ports. The tunnel, including its masonry,
| will be completed by December LIST. The
track was laid through it in July. The head
ing of the tunnel at Great Bend was opened
in May. and the track laid through the tun-
mel in the past month. This work was com.
menced in May, 1870, and completed in two
years and four months. The tunnel is 8, AGO
feet long.
"The bridges at the first and second cross
| ings OF the Greenbrier are completed. The
rev superstructure Of the third crossing is
i'll progress. ...a.
FIRST Ne,c Rirer Diuision.
"The graduation is so nearly completed
that track-laying will not be delayed. The
most serious difficulty occurred at the west
eru portal Of the tunnel ut Stretcher's Neck,
affecting about eighty feet Of that work
where it was lined with masonry. The
pressure of this slide, which was very extern
slve, was sufficient to dlstort the arch, and to
some extent crush the hard sandstone OF
which the portal masonry is built. II would
,.an,,i,.o3 mo limo and a In fNrpn
than we could command to remove this mass
of sliding material, and an interior arch was
introduced TO resist the strain. The width
OF the tunnel for this eighty feet is contracted
to twenty -oue feet. When the second track
is laid this slide can be removed and used in
graduation.
"iSecond Nc,r Rirer DiUisiOn.
"The excavations here have been difficult
and expensive. For nearly its whole length
the line is laid on steep mountain-side or III
sandstone cliffs, some OF which overhang.
The prevailing material is composed Of angu-
lar blocks Of sandstone imbcdded in tena-
cious clay. Several sections are in arrears.
The force on this division has never been
sufficient to push the work, and this is espe-
cially the case west of Mlllers ferry, where
the line for a few miles encounters cliffs OF
sandstone. Ou llC Otlltl lhl tS VI UhS uif u
sion, where the main line cannot be com.
pleted in time, the track can be taken around
the cuts by curves Of practicable radii. On
the eastern part of the division the track cal
be laid for thirteen miles without Interrupt
| ton. For the remaining distance it will be
laid from the west. The masonry, with few
exceptions, is completed. The bridge over
New river is ready for the track.
"KanGschd Dirision.
"Ampe Sidings have been laid at Coalbure
for the coal traffic, and others are under con
struction opposite Cannelton, which will BIZ
ready for the camel coal mined at that point
in few weeks. \ branch track, one and :
quarter miles long, from st. Adams to Loci
no. on Coal river has been ordered anC
will be ready by the time the road is opened
to receive the camel coal from Pevtonu.
"Western Dirtsion.
mThis division is completed to Hunting
ton. The line west of Huntington has beer
! located except through the town of Cercdt
and at the crossing Of Big Sandy.
"LocomoHre- Houses and Workshops.
"The foundation walls of a portion of TIL
locomotiye-house near Staunton, the ent
of the eastern division, are under con
tract, and will be completed this season
The building will be erected in the spring
A similar building will be provided ut tn
mouth of Greenbrier, the end OF the mlddl
division, the graduation for which is in pre-
press. One-fourth of the locomotive-hous
. at Huntington is completed and occupied.
| "The workshops in Huntington are i
nrorress. The machine and car shops hay
each been completed for 120 feet, aud th
hlocksmith's shop for 80 feet. This building
when completed, will be 800 by 80 feet. 81
sides these, tire-proof oil-house, brick OF
flee. and house for stationary engine ha
been built.
Stdtion-Houses and Fixtures.
"Combined freight and passenger-house
have been provided at the principal station
on the Kanawha and western divisions, an
have been contracted for at some points o
the Grcenbrier division. A handsome brio
nassenrer-house has been erected 40 hun
ington. ~,
"The coal-tipple on the Ohio river has III
canacity to discharge $50 tons day, an
there is room on the river trout for ada
tional works as they may be needed. In
riyer-bottom at the tipple has been dredgee
so that there is from i've to SIX feet OF Wate
at all times.
"The machinery for transferring treigf
! between the river and the cars is sutticer
4 for the present business, but will need Ell
largement to accommodate that which mus
soon be offered. a graln.elevator will ais
be needed at Huntington.
/ g The Engineer Corps.
| "The Church Hill tunnel and the WORE
connected with it, and sundry engineerln
oner4tions between Richmond and Mil
boro'. have been under the charge of Char
ming Bolton, assisted by two resident eng
a