Слике страница
PDF
ePub

SUFFOLK, SS. Boston, Jan, 15, 1845. Then personally appeared Thos. West, J. Howe, T. Nichols, T. Farrar, W. F. Weld, and R. W. Bayley, and made oath that the foregoing report by them subscribed, was true, according to the best of their knowledge and belief.

Before me,

EDW. PICKERING, Justice of the Peace.

The undersigned has examined the foregoing report of the Directors of the Boston and Maine Rail-road, and approves the same.

WILLIAM STEVENS,

Commissioner for the State of Massachusetts.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

BOSTON AND MAINE RAIL-ROAD

EXTENSION COMPANY.

To the Honorable Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

The Directors of the Boston and Maine Rail-road Extension Company do hereby make the First Annual Report of their acts and doings, receipts and expenditures.

In conformity with the act of incorporation, the stock has been fully subscribed for; and the company was duly organized by the choice of directors. The survey and location were commenced in May, and the contracts for the graduation, masonry and superstructure concluded. The road commences at a point on the Boston and Maine Rail-road in Wilmington, three-fourths of a mile east of Lubber Brook, passes near Wood-end village in Reading, through the westerly part of the village of South Reading, North Malden and Malden-thence over the marshes and across the Mystic river to Somerville-thence over the Middlesex Canal, crossing Charlestown Neck under the Medford turnpike road and the Winter Hill road-thence over the marshes to the Back Bay in Charlestown-thence by a bridge west of the State Prison and across Charles River to Boston-thence between Haverhill and Canal streets to the public square at the head of those streets. The entire length of the rail-road is 174 miles. Four miles of the track are laid, and the remainder of the road will be ready for the superstructure as soon as the season opens sufficiently in the spring to permit the laying of the rails.

The total amount of capital paid in up to December

1, 1844, was

Other receipts,

Total,

$428,225 00 $129 76

$428,354 76

The expenditures up to December 1, 1844, have been as follows:

Engineering,.

$5,421 71

Land and land damage,

223,062 40

Bridges from Boston to Somerville, and over the Mid

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Directors of the Boston and Maine R. R. Ex. Co.

BOSTON, January 15, 1845.

SUFFOLK, SS. Boston, Jan. 15, 1845. Then personally appeared the above named T. West, John Howe, T. Nichols, J. Flint, T. Farrar, W. F. Weld and R. W. Bayley, and made oath that the foregoing report by them subscribed, was true according to the best of their knowledge and belief.

Before me,

EDW. PICKERING, Justice of the Peace.

THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

BOSTON AND PROVIDENCE

RAIL-ROAD CORPORATION.

To the Honorable the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachu

setts:

The Directors of the Boston and Providence Rail-road Corporation respectfully submit a report of their proceedings, and the receipts and expenditures during the past year, as required by law.

The business of the road, during the past year, has yielded a considerable increase, in each branch of trade, compared with the three preceding years, without involving any increase in the expenditures, and future prospects in regard to receipts and expenditures are encouraging. The increase of receipts was principally derived from what is termed the local business of the road.

The Long Island Rail-road, connecting the city of New York and Greenport, was opened for travel in August last, and, in connection with the New England rail-roads terminating on Long Island Sound, affords a new line of communication between Boston and New York. It was deemed due to the public convenience to make such a connection with the Long Island and Stonington Rail-roads as should render this line useful, by a prompt and uninterrupted passage between the two cities. Thus far, it has not commanded sufficient travel to remunerate this company for the expense incurred.

The trade on the Dedham Branch Rail-road has continued to be satisfactory, and during the last summer warranted an increase in the number of trains. The passenger house, at the depot in Dedham, was enlarged last fall, to meet the wants of an increasing amount of travel.

In anticipation of the opening of the Stoughton Branch Rail-road, which enters this road in Canton, fourteen miles from Boston, we have entered into an arrangement with that corporation in regard to ope

rating the Branch Rail-road, and the tolls for the use of the main road, which we do not doubt will prove advantageous to both parties. For the accommodation of the business of this branch road, we have constructed an engine-house at the junction of the Dedham branch with the main road, and a store-house in Boston. A copy of that contract is hereto annexed.

Preparations for the extension of a second track, from Roxbury to the Dedham Branch junction, a distance of eight and a half miles, have been made, and it is expected that it will be completed in May next. This portion of the road is more curved than any other, and being traversed by the Dedham trains, in addition to those which run over the whole length of the road, requires the facilities and safety which a double track affords, to prevent accidents and detentions.

During the past year the residue of the sleepers originally laid down have been replaced by new ones. The average duration of the sleepers, which were principally of white cedar, has been between seven and eight years.

As the durability of the iron rail has been a source of much speculation, we have taken pains to ascertain particularly the state of the rails on this road, and while they exhibit evidence of wear and tear arising from the action of the trains, we are happy to say that their general condition, taken in connection with the amount of renewals since the road was opened for travel in 1834, warrants the conclusion, that this important item of construction will never become one of serious expenditure; that a small annual appropriation will maintain the rails in good condition for all time; this opinion is sustained by the fact that in ten years of use to which the rails have been subjected, only 750 new rails, (about 24 per cent. of the whole number,) have been put into the track; a large proportion of this number were originally of inferior quality when laid down.

The cars and engines are in the same condition as at the date of our last report, with exception of a small addition to the former.

On the 31st ultimo we made a careful estimate of the present value of the cars, engines, and other personal property of the corporation, which had been charged to the account of construction, and have charged against such depreciation from the cost to income account, the sum of forty thousand dollars, and deducted the same from the cost of construction.

« ПретходнаНастави »