The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-24
REPORT OF STATE ENGINEER.
rCOudenSed,l

Condensed.
To His Excellency, John Ireland Governor
Texas:
Sir:-I have the honor TO submit this, m
first annual report on the physical condition
the railways in the state OF Texas. With fe'
exceptions, the condition OF the roads has Gel
tainly been very much improved in the las
twelve months more especially the man trln
lines traYersing this state. The complaint
few. The most serious complaints have bee
against the Missouri Pacific railway, lessee @
the Texas Paeinc railway and BRANCHES, Inter
branches and the Missouri, Kansas & T. IA
railway and branches The complaints are TO
delay In transportation Of freight and the II
regularity with which they operate their pas
senger trains After thorough investigation
find this trouble arises from denclent equip
co ent, m0Te especially herewith Submit tn
following letters from Chief Fxecu
tive HAYS and General Manager Ialmage
MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, December !, 1883.
Hon. j. II. BrittOn, State Engineer Austlh
Texas:
DEAR sIn-I am in receipt Of your favor Of
the 10Th III :. enclosing copy OF your commune
cotton of SAM date TO Mr.. A. Talmage, grn
eral transportation manager reIatlse 70 i c0in
upon our Texas lines. l am aware that some
eau OF complaint has existed, ana nave i
ready inanguFated mrasq pesf Contracts for
Zoo adS,tiopaI freight cars for the System
have been made for early delivery, ana tnlr-
teen new locomotives are being placed upon
the Texas roads at the present time, and have
besides added twenty-seven large moguls since
the spring. Tho very early movement o. t tne
the CARRYING capacity of the roads to
a greater extent than in previous years at the
same season, and its volume has exceeded I ne
Expectation form d in ard to It. IL Is Inn
possible at this season 10 comply with the
wishes Of every shipper, With would tb require sGe
time and we would have to move the crop In
the first week. hence some c0mpla MS are I'M
avoidable. trust, however, thou tne CON
tract and preparation already made ana IN
nrooresS 10 meet all reasonable demands, and
to have the transportation conducted 10 the
satisfaction Of the STATE, our patrons anu tne
puOhc' ho'i' u Il. 8. HAYES.
MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY, /
OFFICE G EN-. TRANSPORTATION MANIAC r,
NEW ORLEANS, Dec 8, 1883.
Col. ]. III. Britton State Engineer, Austin, Tex:
DEAR SIR-YourS of TIL Goth inst. Is re-
C iv,d. am aware Of the fact that there mas
been delay on some portions Oh our LneS IN
Texas in the movement If frelghtS, particular
iy H. October and fore part OF November, owing.
in a great extent. to our having been snort Ol
motive power, also to the fact tnat cotton ma
tured earlier than n IL al, and nearly all Sla-
lions show increased receipts as compared win
last year at corresponding period. we nave,
Week In December, received ten additional 10,
eomotives for Texas & Pacif;, also received
several for Missouri. Kansas g. Iexas, ana
have loaned to International & Great North
ern some Missouri, Kansas Texas engines;
50 that from this TIM on can assure You tnat
nearly ALL if not all, of the business handled by
our lines will be handled omptly'
Yours truly,
General Transportation Manager.
These delays have seriously damaged the
patrons OF the roads More especially IS This
true OF the farming communi y, as failure TO
transport tn ir produce has caused losses 70
Mnces, and insurance on the property while
Waiting shipment. The Texas & Pcclnc and
International & Great Northern Railways. OF
this system, do very large lumber business.
II fact, 1t is the principal Industry of number
d counties traverSed by these roads. Several
Complaints have been made by the manu1acs
Ring unable tn procure cars to ship their luln-
Der. This delay compels the mill owners to go
:. the expens1 OF insurlug their lumber NIB at
hazardous risk themselves, and also
o. losing the sale of their lumber, on
account of said delay In shipment. There are
two causes Of their passenger trains being so
Nry frequently behind their published sched-
ue time: First, defective motive power;
a Denis S and Texarkana. The first cause is
rry easily remedied by putting on their va
bisiness, the second by starting their ira ms
pomptly on time from their northern termini.
This would probably cause delay Of n few
hurs to an average OF not over tWenty-nve
through passengers, while IL would prevent
hundreds of passengers waiting indefinitely at
tie different stations in Texas Another serious
caIse of complaint against this company IS the
Ing delay In adjusting and paying CLAIMS ms
Dies not refer to claims in litigation. but to
eHims for loss OF freight, oysrcdharges, etc etc;
ohces in St. Louis said offices SHOULD, under
the law, be in Texas, and there remain lndei-
.intely before being audited ana ordered paid:
lie above grievances can only be remedIed by
legislative enactmentS.
BRIDGES.
By reference to the accompanying table, you
VII perceive that there are about 15o miles oil
wooden bridges on the railways in Texas.
Thse bridges are closely watched BY the SUI
Peintendents Of bridges and track foremen,
bit they are very temporary structures. In
mny instances long trestle and pile bridges
ar erected where a small culvert Is all that Is
necessary to carry off the water. When the
roads were building, in many instances stone
coJldnot be procured, and in the hurry to
conpeIe the road treStle-w0rk was reS0rted 10,
instead of embankment; but now, since the
roads have been completed, there are none in
thestate that areISE accessible to either brick
or lGne, and ] Gotlid suggest that the state
atgineer be empowered to have such temper
ar openings as he may decide upon replaced
with permanent structures, built OF stone. iron
Or,teel. This could be gradually accomplished
without working very great narusnip on any
of he roads.
PASSENGER DEPeTs.
With a very few exceptions, the roads are
insfficiently provided with waiting-rooms and
Accommodations for passengers ot their sta
tions, and in most instances they are OF only
inaaeuate In size. but are not kept neat and
clean. The JOINT depot at sherman of the Mis-,
sol Pacific and Houston 4 Texas Central
raAw Us, the joint depot at A stin Of the sam.
rosdsthe depot at Houston Of the Houston q
Texaspep,ral rSwsv ana the hGepp &c Se Anu
tonic railway, are q disgrace TO the roaus ana
an oGrage upon the travelling public, and
n nal ntborities of the respective cities where
locatd.
FOR1 WORTH AND DENVER CITY RAIL
WAY.
inspected August IT. 1887
ThiSoad runs from Hodge. In Tarrant coun-
miles, and uses the track OF the missouri rae
fc iroi Hodge to Fort Worth, four miles. The
road / in good condition and its equipment is
first ciss and fully adequate for all traffic de-
mand. There has never been complaint
made gainst this road
missouri, KANSAS AND TEXAS RAIL
WAY AND BRANCHES.
Ieasa and operated by the Missouri Pacific
Railway. Inspected August 2f-29, 1881
Thisrnad comprises main line from Red
River, in Grayson county, to Taylor, in VIII
lIamsa county, 25I.5 miles: Mineola branch,
lO3 mis-; Gainesville branch, 1874 miles; Dali
las brnch, 81 miles; Jefferson branch, 1858
miles this branch is three feet gauge); Bolton
branQ, CT miles.
allyn fair condition. The equipment Is not
adeQate to the traffic, and several complaints
haveDeen made as to the crowded condition OF
GaiRsyille branch should run another train.
I ExAS AND IT. LOUIS RAILWAY.
tThre feet gauge. Inspected Sept. lille, 1881
Th road runs from Texarkana, in Bowie
courG, 20 q .tesville, in Coryell county, S0i!s
mile The road from TeSa' kama to Waco l.
not good condition-needs great many new
ties nd some new iron. Between Big Sandy
and yler the iron is worn and Is entirely too
lightor the equipment; the equipment is first-
class Depots and waiting rooms for passen-
gersvith a few exceptions, are good. Only
one Complaint has been ed In this office
aRaIst this company, and this was remedied
. as son as the attention OF the manager was
Gale TO 1t.
INTERNATIONAL & GREAT NORTHERN
RAILWAY.
lLeasd to Missouri Pacific Inspected Octo-
Der 1871, 1881
Til road consists OF main line from Pales-
time. n Anderson county, TO Laredo, in Webb
o. count. AIS miles; from Iongview, in Gregg
count, to the city of Galveston, 2s2 miles; the
M meta branch, AL miles; the Henderson
branc, 10 miles; the Trinity and Sabine
brand, G6.2 miles; the Columbia branch, 50
-Ier,i,o 4. anrVetOyyn branch miles. the