The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-24

General e1penses..:.: 7,2sa 7,3ssadjsa g. s+' ~
Salaries 7oeo .szAa1 Ii naa 90
Less decrease, loss, and damages..... $500 80
1894 4,e4O A.
Expenses, SO is-10o per cent. of earnings.
PASSENGER BUSINESS.
The small increase in passenger business Is
attributable in great measure to the protract.
Ohio river by the unprecedented low stage
of water that has obtained during the sum.
mer and autumn months. tis scarcely pro.
bable that we will again shortly have re-
currence of such drought.
FRIGHT BUSINESS.
When we consider the fact that the in'
crease Of freight upon the road is mainly due
to the increased development of the resources
of the country through which it runs, and
that, too. in the face of o stagnation which
for twelve months has almost paralyZed all
business enterprises, we have reason to con-
gratulate those interested In the road on the
indications it affords of future prosperity.
Many new enterprises for the development
and working of the coal and iron interests
of the line are just completing their works,
and will ia short time be forwarding over
the road the products of their mines and
furnaces. a.- .t. .ls
The manufacture of coke at many Of the
coal mines has been most successfully under
taken. and coke of unsurpassed quality pro-
duced. The production is already considera-
Bile, and extensive arrangements are being
made for an increase of the production! 1t
is found that the slack coal can be readily
utilized by coking, and thus the miues and
the railroad company will alike derive profit
from what has heretofore been regarded as OF
no value at these mines.
The numbering business on our line is as
suming very considerable proportions, and /
am assured by some of the most extensive
lumbermen of the country that there is
scarcely in the United States left such body
of oak and poplar timber-land, both as to
quantity and quality, as that penetrated by
our line. Nor are the white pine forests in
the tributaries of the Greenbrier to be disre.
garded in estimating the revenues OF the
road. g.. ."l'
We have concluded a much more satis-
factory arrangement than has heretofore ex-
listed for transportation of passengers and
freight By steamers on the Ohio between
Huntington and Cincinnati, by which we are
put in connection with the whole railway
system Of the North, Central and South.
west, and have coDsummated most safisfac.
tory arrangement with a tirstclass barge.line
for transportation of freight by barges from
St. Louis and intermediate river points to
and from our dep0ts at Huntington. With
these arrangements we have right to anti.
cipate the handling, at paying rates. of fair
proportion of the products OF the West; and
with these and the promised increase Of our
local business We are justified in anticipating
prosperous freight-year and fixed future
business. ..-..
THE ROADWAY
is in better condition than it has ever been
Two temporary tracks on Second New River
division that were source Of hlndIance and
expense have been gotten out Of the way,
and the track is laid in its proper bed.
We have within the past fiscal year relald
13 45.100 miles of the road with steel rails,
and have substituted 1S3 miles of worn track
with old rails Of better quality, and have
constructed 16 42-100 miles Of new sidings,
in which we used old rails. We have put
l10, ,9S7 cross.ties in the main track, and 49,.
638 in side tracks. Of those putin the main
track very much the larger proportion were
put in where the iron was old, with view
to giving it more strength and durability.
and was an economical measure.
- The bridges and trestles are all In good
condition, save that at first crossing of Jack.
sons river, which, whilst rendered perfectly
safe By additional trestling. may have to be
rebuilt during the year.
DEPoT5
have been built at Quinnimont and Guyan:'
dotte, and one removed from West Guyan'
dotte to Sewell.
Is...f-. ,.~r WATER STATIONS.
The drought of this year has shown the
great advantage of full supply of gravity
water. and when that is unattainable, O
pumping by steam.power from streams
Our arrangements in this respect are no"
very satisfactory, and we have but little ief'
to do to make them perfect.
The lengths of main tracks and sidings arr
as follows: ~, -. 1-,at
James River wharres to Huntington. 425 s2-lo
LoYmoor Rfapch.- ................... lS-lW
Ouinnimont Coal Track k................ l b.io
Coal River h....'..''...''.'.'..'" Ss-iS S
sidings... o. I-iV
Total length. ........................ 4o7 as-le
We have on hand a considerable supply
of cross-ties and other material necessary fol
repairs of the road for the next fiscal year,
and consequently the purchase on that ,ac'
count will be comparatively small. Mr. nv
M. s. Dunn, the engineer Of repairs, in whose
Judgment have entire confidence, estimates
the cost of maintenance of way exclusive O.
fhe cost of such new rails as we hopeto be
able to supply him) at within SSOO, ,0OO.. I, u
AIS >. fslE EQUIPMENT. .',:t >ti
- We have e70locomotives, "a passenger-cars
@,
car. / droyer's-ear, 10 caboose-cars, 852 box
cars, s54 4eight-wheel coalcars, 254 four vince
coalcars, 227 platform.cars, lS3 gondoias, oS
stock.cars, 122 graVel-cars. ~ /
ba GENERAL.
Amidst the embarrassment Of the mrs
months of the fiscal year we completed the
construction of tho Church Hill lItunnel and
of the Wharyes at James river. The whole
has been done in Almost substantial manner,
and. the result proves the wisdom Of the
management in pushing it to completion de-
snita OF all obstacles. i' Detailed information
Of the working of the various departments
viii be found in tthe appropriate tables
Permit me to call your special attention to
the measure of praise to which the employ e.
Of the company are entitled, with but few
exceptions, for the zeal with which they have
sustained the company ,in a very trying year
In con ausion, 1 would beg leave 70 say
,ttat + believe that with the arrangements we
have made for the business for the ensuing
year-witf tbe spirit Of economy that per.
yades every department of the road-.t,e
determination tiMt exists on the part OF lts
officers Of all grades to obtain successful. ~
suIts-we will achiey., alt that can be achieved
withont mn aII-raii conn; ;ectiOn west OF Hunt
ington. Yet without tl1at rail connection
we cannot attain that ems sneace Of success