"i, ^
LIBRARY
BUREAU OF RAILWAY ECONOMICS
. WASHINGTON. D. ^
CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILROAD.
LETTER
«■■Mi
•- Mm«»1"
(v OF
THOMAS M. MUNROE,
OF DI BUaUE, IOWA,
AND THE
ANSWER
OF
E. FÓNTAINE,
PRESIDENT VIRGINIA CENTRAL RAILROAD.
RICHMOND:
XT. A. K. NYE, BOOK AXJ) JOB PRINTER,
Whir; Building.
1868.
CHESAPEAKE AND. OHIO RAILROAD.
' LETTER OF COL. MUNROE OF IOWA.
Dubuque, April 24, 1868.
E, Fontaine, Esq.,
Dear Sir : . „ "
I sent you some days ago a copy of the memorial and accom¬
panying resolutions of the Legislature of this State to Congress,
ashing for aid to the ««Water Line" improvement through Virginia.
The consideration of this subject in connection with your letter
of the 25th of February last, and also with the recent «'report of
the Great Kanawha Navigation Company," and with estimates of
tho chief engineer of the James River and Kanawha Company t
has impressed upon me a community of interest between the three
projected enterprises, which should make each desirous to promote
the success of the others.
In addition to the great cost of the through water line, there are
two prominent objections to the giving of help to that enterprise,
which ought, if possible, to be anticipated and obviated.
1st. The unavoidable length of*time necessary to complete that
line, and to make it available as an independent enterprise.
2d. The accumulation of interest while the money is being
expended.
The chief engineer of that company estimates the amount ne¬
cessary to complete the canal on the enlarged plan from Buchanan
to Covington at $4,036,577, and the improvement of the navigation
of the Kanawha at only $402,168. While his estimates as to the
cost of the lock and dam system on the New river and Greenbrier
aggregates the sum of $12,604,043, and will also require from three
to perhaps five years' time for its completion. While the section
from Covington to Greenbrier would require $8,994,048 more ; acd
if a long tunnel be adopted to save lift and lockage, yet $7,000,000
more; so that the sum required to complete the water line im¬
provement from Covington to Loup Creek shoals, a distance by the
water line of about 153 miles, will be $21,598,091, and may exceed
even that amount by the estimated $7,000,000 for a loDg tunnelj
and will probably take at least six or seven years' time.
Do not understand me for one moment to question the merits of
this great improvement. Were both the cost and the length of time
4
double, the immense advantages, nay the imperative necessity, of
such an improvement would more than justify both.
I only allude to it to show the importance of meeting in part at'
least, the two formidable objections named. The Great Kanawha
Navigation Company proposes to improve the navigation of the
Kanawha from Its mouth to Loup Creek shoals, 90 miles, so as to
be navigable for steamboats and barges at all times, at an estimated
cost of from $750,000 and upwards, according to the plan adopted.
The admirable location of your road from that point to Covington
would enable you to carry freight from one to the other at a com¬
paratively low, and yet highly remunerative rate.
"With the canal completed to Covington, a mixed line of water
and railroad transportation through Virginia, will, to the extent of
the capacity of the railroad, defy competition by any other route.
Allowing 16 mills per ton per mile for railroad transportation, 3
mills for river transportation in barges, and 5 mills for canal trans¬
portation, with a charge of ten cents per ton for each transfer, and
the charges on heavy freight from Cincinnati, .St. Louis and
Dubuque respectively, will be as follows:
From Cincinnati to Atlantic seaport :
From Cincinnati to Loup Creek shoals, 290 miles, in
barges' at 3 mills per ton per mile . 87
Add tolls on Kanawha, 90 miles, at 2 mills 18
Railroad transportation, 130 miles, at 16 mills 2 18
Add two transfers 20
Canal transportation to Richmond, including tolls, 243
miles, at 5 mills
From Richmond to Atlantic seaport, 125 miles, at 3 mills
(without transfer)
Total
I
From St. Louis to same :
From St. Louis via Mississippi, Ohio and Kanawha rivers
to Loup Creek shoals, 997 miles, at 3 mills per ton per
mile.....
Add tolls on Kanawha river as above
Thence to Atlantic seaport as above #
Total...,
From Dubuque to same :
From Dubuque to Loup Creek shoals, as above, 1,425
miles, at 3 mills per ton per mile $4 37
Add tolls on Kanawha river as above 18
Thence to Atlantic seaport as above., 3 97
Total $8 52
1 21*
37*
$6 02
$2 99
18
3 97
$7 14
5
The present charge on transportation from New York to Cin¬
cinnati is $14 ; to this place, an average of upwards of $20 ; to St.
Louis about the same, on the freight paying lowest charges, being
much more than double the rate at which it could be carried by
railroad and canal through Virginia.
These charges, to and from New York, can be reduced, and will
be, when forced upon them to meet competitions, but they will
never be so much reduced as to prevent the mixed line through
Virginia having freight to its utmost capacity.
By the completion of this mixed line, in advance of the comple-
. tion of the whole water line, through freight would pass up and
down the Kanawha improvement to the extent of the capacity of
the railroad, adding largely to its income. Besides the barges
which would pass up that stream, with freight bound eastward,
would be able to return with cargoes of coal, salt or other pro¬
ducts of the Kanawha region, at much lower rates than if they
went there expressly for it ; which would have to be the case if the
through line were wanting.
The Kailroad Company would on this through freight, make a
profit large enough to enable them to complete their line both
east and west, while upon the canal proper through Virginia there
would be thrown a very large through tonnage, adding to its
income, enough to enable it to meet a large portion, if not all the
accruing interest on the expenditure requisite during the much
longer period necessary to complete the entire water line. Besides
realizing partially the benefits to all the west of the completion
which that line would alford, some years sooner than it otherwise
would.
Leaving out of view for the present the ultimate testing of your
road as a part of the great line from ocean to ocean, it seems too
plain for argument thqt the three enterprises are each so intimate¬
ly connected one with the other, in the near future, that there
should be a harmonious cooperation between them all, to secure
as speedily as possible such aid as will make a return of profits to
the several enterprises, without waiting until each as a separate
measure shall be able to push forward to completion.
The Legislature of this State, in a proper spirit, have, in their
resolutions, connected the improvement of the "Western waters
with the water line through Virginia, as required by the demands
of the West for a cheaper transportation.
Your railroad is an important means to the same end, and when
the water line shall have been completed, so far from its useful¬
ness and importance being superseded thereby, it will only be ren¬
dered the more necessary to accommodate the stream of travel
6
»
and lighter freight, asking quicker movement than by the slower,
but cheaper water line. • >
Thus regarding the whole matter, it seems to me one cannot be a
true friend of either enterprise who does not equally wish to pro¬
mote the success of each of the others.
' Tours very respectfully.
THOMAS M. MIJNROE.
P. S.—After writing the greater part of this I received the two
maps sent me containing a profile of your road, as compared with
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which present, through the eye
to the mind a much more striking argument in favor of the great
advantages of the former over the latter than could be made by
any language that could be used ; and this suggests several ques¬
tions, the answer to which I can only conjecture : 1st. What would
it cost to complete and stock your road with proper transfer fa¬
cilities for a heavy freight business between Loup Creek shoals and
Covington?
2d. What will be its capacity when so completed between those
points ?
* 3d. At what rate can it transport freight at a profit, if an abun¬
dance be offered at all times ?
4th. What number of cars and amount of freight can one loco¬
motive (large size) draw going eastward ? and what going westward ?
5th. Probable cost of working and keeping road in repair when
worked to its utmost capacity ?
T. M. M.
REPLY OF PRESIDENT FONTAINE.
Office Virginia Central Railroad Compant, )
Richmond, Va.., May 14, 1868. )
Thomas M. Mcnroe, Esq.,
Dubuque, Iowa, \
Dear Sir:
' Tour letter of the 24th ultimo only reached me a few days
ago, and my hnswer has been somewhat delayed by other en¬
gagements.
The importance to the Northwestern States, indeed to all those
bordering on the Mississippi Valley, of opening the route through
Virginia, along the Valley of the Kanawha and James rivers,
cannot be too highly estimated, on account of its cheapness and
directness of transportation to our Atlantic seaboard.
You very properly remark that the friends of the railroad com-
municatiou, the Great Kanawha Navigation Company, and the ad¬
vocates of the continuous water line which has been suggested by
the Legislature of your State, ought to unite on tho "mixed line"
for the present for the reasons so clearly set forth in your letter.
I agree with you that " one cannot be a true friend to either en¬
terprise, who does ñót equally wish to promote the success of each
of the others»" So deeply impressed have I always been with the
correctness of your view of the subject, that in a report made
many years ago to the stockholders of the Virginia Central Kail-
road Company, I not only stated that there was no antagonism
between this company and the James River and Kanawha Canal,
in conformity with the views contained in your letter, but that the
canal would be an auxiliary, and indeed a relief to the railroad in
carrying from Covington eastward some of the heavy 'products
which will bo brought there over the extraordinary low, grades of
the Covington and Ohio road, and which ought to be transported at
rates not very desirable to the railroad company.
While no one will deny that the continuous water line is the
cheapest and ultimately will be adopted, the very low grades of
the Covington and Ohio railroad will enable it to approximate the
capacity of a canal in the cheapness of transportation.
The following table taken from the report of a distinguished
engineer, with his introductory remarks, will serve to illustrate
and sustain this statement and at the same time show the com¬
parative advantages which the Chesapeake and Ohio road will
have over any railroad crossing the Alleghany mountains.
<« To give a clear idea of the rapid decrease of the effective power
of a locomotive as the gçade increases, the following table is given
showing the net weight (in tons of'2,000 pounds) which can ba
drawn by a 24 ton engine with eight drawing wheels, on different
grades from a level to 120 feet per mile.
FEET PER MILE.
i Lev el 10
20
30
O
o
1 60
70
80
90
1100
no
616,408
307
,243
¡202 Jl68
144
126
112
100
90"
82
120
"TT
Some idea may be formed of the relative cost of transportation
over grades by a glance at this table."
It will readily be seen that the Northwestern States will derive
immense benefit from the construction of the mixed line in advance
of the completion of the continuous water line, and that the latter
will he promoted by it. In answer to your questions after full
consideration of the subject, with the aid of the very intelligent
and experienced engineer and- superintendent cf the Virginia
Central road, H. D. Whitcorab, Esq., and after reference to the
8
report of Chas. B. Fiske, lately the engineer of the State of
Virginia on the Covington and Ohio road, I give yon the following
answers :
1st. The cost of grading and superstructure of a single track
road from Covington to Loup Creek shoals with buildings and fix¬
tures complete for a single track..,.$6,084:,049
Equipment for moving bne million of tons. ; §2,700,000
§8,784,049
As a practical question it must be remembered that the present
rolling stock of the Central company would diminish the outlay
for equipment to that extent.
A double track will cost for grading, &c., about 50 per cent, more
than the single track, but its capacity will be more than double,
and of course if a double track is made for an increased amount of
tonnage the cost of rolling stock would be increased in proportion
to the tonnage to be accommodated.
2d. The capacity of the single track would be more than one
million of tons, that of the double track about four millions.
A single track may be prepared for operation with temporary
tracks around tunnels for §4,775,000. This could be constructed in
*from one and a half to two years. But if completed the construc¬
tion of tunnels would extend the time to three years.
3d. If an abundance of freight be offered, so that the train can
i
always be loaded going eastward and one-half going west ward,, the
sictual cost of moving freight, exclusive of interest on capital
would be about one cent per ton per mile.
4th.- An ordinary thirty-ton locomotive will draw with ease
over the Covington and Ohio ropd, coming eastward, 480 tons, en¬
countering only ten miles in the 224 of thirty feet grade at the Al¬
leghany ; and going west, encountering a few miles of sixty feet, it
will draw 288 tons., Note.—These grades are concentrated at a
.single point, and, therefore, assistant power may be used with
great facility, practically increasing the capacity of the road.
5th. For a business of one million tons of freight and three pas¬
senger trains each way daily, the expense of operating the 130
miles would be about §2,000,000, but taken in connection with the
present Central, which will be the eastern end of the Chesapeake
and Ohio, it will be less.
6th. Transfers of freight may be made at Covington for a min¬
imum cost, as the Canal and Central railroad are located parallel
for many miles, and with special reference to that object.
Very respectfully,
» . E. FONTAINE,
Fresident Virginia Central Railroad Company.
»