roads, Average rate of speed adopted for passenger trains, Number of tons carried one mile, to and from other 10 miles per hour. Estimated weight in tons of passenger trains, including engine and tender, but not including passengers, hauled one mile, 10,845,750 tons. Estimated weight of merchandise trains, including engine and tender, but not including freight, hauled one mile, EXPENDITURES FOR WORKING THE ROAD. Including the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad and branches owned and leased by the company. For repairs of road, maintenance of way, exclusive For renewals of iron, including laying down, For repairs of fences, gates, houses for flag-men, For repairs of station buildings, aqueducts, fixtures, For amount paid other companies, in tolls for passengers and freight carried on their roads, speci except on construction ac For amount paid other companies as rent for use of their roads, specifying each company, [Vermont and Massachusetts, Peterborough and Shirley, and Lexington and West Cambridge,] For salaries of president, treasurer, superintendent, 79,426 80 law expenses, office expenses of the above offices, * The repairs of road on the Vermont and Massachusetts, Peterborough and Shirley, and Lexington and West Cambridge roads, were not done by this company. For freight : 1. On main road and branches owned by company, U. S. Mails, $2619 00; rents, $2780 47, Net earnings after deducting expenses, Surplus not divided, DIVIDENDS.
166,488 26 53,710 58 218,073 78 A contract for the construction of the Lancaster and Sterling Branch Railroad, as far as the village of Feltonville, in Marlborough, where it terminates, has been made, a portion of the iron has been laid, and the grading for the remainder is going on. We have to report the following serious accidents on the Fitchburg Railroad, and those roads operated by us : March 2d, 1848. - Just before the evening up train from Fitchburg, on the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad, approached the crossing near the stone yard, in Fitchburg, a sleigh, with two women in it, crossed the railroad; they turned their horse round, apparently to look at the approaching train, when the horse became restless, and backed the sleigh on to the track, directly in front of the engine, and they were both run over, and almost instantly killed. The bell was rung, and the whistle blown, and the engine went but a few feet after striking them. March 31st.-A brakeman on the upward freight train, at West Acton, fell off from the top of the car while pulling a pin to disconnect it, and had his leg run over by the car. His leg was amputated, and he recovered, and is now in the employ of the company as an assistant clerk in the freight department. April 20th.-A man was driving a horse and waggon towards the railroad crossing, above the depot in Groton, in company with another person; when the train was seen approaching, the driver was warned not to go on, by his companion, but persisted in driving over before the train. His companion jumped out, and was saved; but the engine struck the waggon, and killed the driver almost instantly. He was an intemperate man, and did not heed the warning of his companion on the ringing of the bell. April 27th. Some evil-disposed person or persons put, and fastened down across the track, some posts and rails upon the Peterborough and Shirley Railroad, very early in the morning, just before the gravel train went up from the engine-house to the pit. The train was backing up, and six or seven of the cars were thrown off the track and piled one top of the other; one man was instantly killed, and another maimed for life. A large reward was immediately offered to any one who would give information which should lead to the discovery and conviction of the guilty person or persons; but no information whatever was ever given. June 22d.-A brakeman was knocked off from the car by standing on top of it when approaching a bridge in Lincoln; he had just been warned by the conductor not to stand up; he lived a few days, and then died of the injuries he received. August 23d.-A brakeman fell from the top of a car, at West Acton, while pulling a pin to unshackle a car, and was run over by the car almost precisely as the one before reported; both legs were amputated, and he shortly after died. November 22d.-An Irishman jumped off the passenger train while under full speed, near the westerly part of Concord, and was so much injured that he died the next morning. December 24th.- A detained freight train came down from Fitchburg to Charlestown, and a man got on top of one of the cars after being forbidden by the conductor. He stood top of the car while the train was passing through a truss bridge over the Nashua River, and was knocked off and killed. It was not known that he was on the car till about the time he was killed. The last year we have run, under leases, the Vermont and Massachusetts, the Peterborough and Shirley, and the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroads; owing to the prostration of business, and to the fact that the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad did not, within the year, reach the point anticipated, when the lease was made, where it could command the business of the rich valley of the Connecticut, we have made a considerable loss in operating that road, and paying the rent specified in the lease. Our lease with the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad terminated on the first day of the present month. 1 Within a few weeks past, about one hundred miles of roads connecting with ours have been opened, and, within one week from this time, connections will be formed with more than one hundred miles of additional railroad; there must be, therefore, a large accession to our business. We have kept our road, engines, and cars, in good repair, and are now amply supplied with road furniture and depot accommodations to do a very much larger business than we have yet done, without a corresponding increase in our expenditures. We have endeavoured to keep up with the increasing demands for business accommodations, in the way of cars, engines, and depots, during the past year. We have completed our extensive passenger accommodations in the city of Boston, and added largely to our freight buildings in Charlestown. Respectfully submitted by JACOB FORSTER, Directors. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. SUFFOLK, SS. January 26, 1849. Then personally appeared the above named Jacob Forster, Henry Timmins, E. Hasket Derby, Alvah Crocker, Israel Longley, Horatio Adams, and N. F. Cunningham, and made oath that the above report is true, according to their best knowledge and belief. HENRY CROCKER, Justice of the Peace. SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FITCHBURG AND WORCESTER RAILROAD COMPANY. Return of the Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad under the Act of April 16th, 1846, chap. 251. Capital paid in, since last report, Total amount of capital stock paid in, 1,746 00 50,438 00 52,184 00 Funded debt, per last report, Funded debt paid since last report, Funded debt, increase of, since last report, Total present amount of funded debt, Floating debt, per last report, Floating debt paid since last report, Floating debt, increase of, since last report, 1,600 00 1,600 00 Six per cent. COST OF ROAD AND EQUIPMENT. For graduation and masonry, per last report, For graduation and masonry paid during the past year, 42,540 67 For superstructure, including iron, per last report, For stations, buildings and fixtures, as per last report, For land, land-damages and fences, per last report, Total amount expended for land, land-damages and |