Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-11-28
ORANGE, ALEXANDRIA AND MA
NASSAS RAILROAD.


At the meeting of the Stockholders, ycstcr-
day evening, after the reading Of the PreSl-
dents report, aud the presentation OF the ac-
companyiug papers.
w. P. Shepherd, chairman Of the Examln.
ing Committee, submitted the following report
70 the Stockholders Of the Orange, 1ier,,A-
dria ant IMtuassus Railroad C0npany:
The Examining Committee, elected at your
last annual meeting, and to whose hands, under
the bylaws of the company, were committed
the important trusts of "ascertalnlng the con-
dition of the several improvements OF the COM
pany; to enquire into the management OF the
same and the manner 10 which its books and
| financial affairs are kept having diligently
aud carefully discharged the said duties, respect
fully submit the following report:
In special train kindly furnished for that
purpose, your committee commenced their tour
of inspection from the city of Lyuchburg on
Tuesday morning, the 9th instant, and care
fully examined the road, bridges, depots, and
books of the depot and ticket agents through
the entire length Of your road, including the
main line, the Manassas, Warrenton and Front
Royal branches aud are pleased to report that
they found the entire road bed in safe, smooth,
and in many parts in very superior order, haV.
ing been relaid with new iron OF an improved
and superior pattern.
In Lynchburg your committee found new
bridge erected over B!ackwater Greek, now
about being completed, making connection
between your road and the Virginia and len
nessee, which has been SO long needed.
Between Lynchburg and Charlottesville, three
and half miles of new iron, and over 10000
new cross ties have been laid. new bridges
erected over North and South Hardware, and
new one under construction for Bucher S
Run.
Between Gordousvie and Alexandria about
80 900 new ties have been put n, aud about
four miles of new iron, and nice ticket office
and reception room crested at Rapid Ann.
On the Warrenton Branch the entire track
has been relaid with new iron.
The sportive but significant aliuslon made
by your committee 10 their last report to the
| need of a new broom, has effected the pur
pose designed, and they are gratitied to report
the dcpots; with scarcely an exception, all IN
clean, nice order he freight of different par
ties separately and compactly stored, and not
intermixed and scattered promScuousIy over
the floor as was sometimes the case in former
years, and which afforded greater facilities for
theft, when goods were lying around loose, and
which greatly increased the liability Of agents
to deliver or ship to wrong parties.
The books and accounts Of the various depot
agents, with very few exceptions, were found
to be neatly and accurately kept, and those cx
ceptions confined principally TO new appolntces
without previous experience as to the mode OF
keeping the accounts OF the company.
10 this connection your committee take
pleasure 10 saying that along the entire line OF
road, and more especially in Alexandria, every
facility was afforded them by the gentlcmanIy
officers of the company to full and protractcd
examination of their books and accounts
On their arrival at Alexandria your commit
tee. in the iual prosecution of their duties. pro
cecded to examine the machine shops and the
BOOKS and accounts Of the various offices OF the
company Aware of the importance of this
branch of their duty, they had, in passing over
the road and its several branches, copied from
the books of the depot agents the amount OF
their returns both for freight and passengers
for January, April, July and Scptenber-tour
months of the fiscal year. These returns they
carefully compared with the entries as recorded
10 the respective offices Of the company IN
Alexandria, and are gra,ihcd to be able to re,
port that iu this rigid and searching examna-
ton, no error exceeding few cents could be
found The same scrutiny was carried into the
Treasurer s office, and with like result.
In the examination of the machine shops un-
der the supervision of Master Machinlst j. f..
Waddy, the busy hum of machinery in every
shop told, in unmistakable language, the I'M
portance of this branch of the business of the
company.
). A farther proof is found in the fact that a
new locomotive OF great power has just been
completed within the last sixty days This en-
CINE, which has been christened blue Ridge, y
was built entirely in the shops of your company,
and that at a cost of between $4,000 and So
OOO-ess than the same would have cost the
company if purchased abroad. Another ad-
vantage is that the work is promptly and faith
fully done, employment give to our own cltl
zens, and the money paid for such work is
kept in circulation amongst us. With increased
facilities, your committee can see no reason why
all the rolling stock necessary to a full equip.
ment of your road, cannot be manufactured
here.
Your committee would respectfully suggest
q new water tank and depot at Madison Run,
a depot at Warrenton Junction, and larger
one at Rappahannock Station, as the present
one is entirely too small for the freight deliver
ed there, and much of has to be left exposed
on the platform.
The depot at Edinburg is also too small for
the business done there, and can be sufficiently
enlarged at very triling cost.
The depot at Tye River needs repairs, as 1t
is 10 leaky condition, and freight or storage
liable to damage from heavy rains. The at
tention of proper parties is also called to some
repairs needed on the Broad Run bridge
A comfortable reception house is also again
recommended at Culpeper-one in keeping
with the business of that thriving town, and
sufficiently large to furnish separate apart
ments for colored passengers, and leave them
without excuse for intrusion.
Your committee feel unwilling to close this
part of their report without calling your atten-
ton to some Of the advantages offered by a
newly invented patent compressed air brake,
and earnestly recommend its application to all
our passenger trains.
The control which it gives to the eng ueer
over his entire train in being able, with the
speed of electricity, to apply the brakes to every
coach instead of having to whistle up the
brakesmen who are sometimes out of place. or
are talking and do not hear the signal; The
saving 10 the reduction Of the number OF
brakesmen the great saving IN damages tor