The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-11-22
The Proposed Bridge Across the HudRsOn
River &C Albany.
UNITxD STATES CIRCUIT COURT.
Before Hon Judge Nelson.

UNITkD kTATEb CIHCUlT COUNT
Before Hon Judge Nelson.
Nov. n-FtdsGk W. coleman and Robert d. SUgasus
- ne Hudson Rire, Bridge Company at Albas-rnsse,
cares are stl under Argument The leading features In
the dispositions and adavts submitted on behalf Of tho
defendants ~ followa;-
That il does not appear that the United States govern
meni has taken any action whssever for the improve
meut river at and near Albany, excep PRIOR 70 mo
year 1884, The works contemplated prior 70 thss date
have been sband oned and suffered 70 90 Into diapda
ton If making appropriations and attempting 70 I'M
prove the navigation before that date proves q al Any
the subsequent action shows 70 nave oeen
No praton has been made since 1902
and nothing has been done since the esPermene made
by Leatbester many years before. Tue work Prooctoo
by him then left incomplete, and has been praccA
abADt oned. The dykes constructed by the unlted
states sntineers were some. II nos I'll Of them,
b. SINCE been - 1sp. nav ns,s.Sis by the constant
Sypone. - % ni ssSt 70 hoss works was sver
IN lsA, and refers to the state Of things then existing
st one then though, practosbe He says expressly that
Is on account the consequences which no supposed
isre with ihe improvements then Contemplated The.
estmopy given 10 respect 70 the bridge proposed
shows .ha. his apprenensons = to dams saudbars &c
between Troy and Albany IL narrow, Indirect and de-
vious. II 70 so, also, for some distance below Albany
10 so narrow and crooked bet Troy aud Albany,
tow @i 100 o fee. WIDE tSroash il Such Tow drawing
parts Of the channel are only from lao o 100 feet
vice, and sometimes only one vessel at time can 60
This dculiy in the middle Of the channel such ihah
meme large for New York made up Troy,
ard msoe up into larger Albany for New York.
That while the bed Of the river above and below Alba
n.y. 10 subject TO changes by reason OF freshets 80 that
bars med, ID owing mainly to the ciscuitous and
ipdrtc Of the channels at these points, and va
rous shore projections that disturb the current At
Albany, for about two miles the chnane Is direct and
uniform SID so confined between the Albany pier and
the docks aide Of the river TIM no bars form
there, there any dsnger of any being Termed By
ibe piers necessary maintain the bridge. Besides it
IL made the aty the Bridge Company TO remove any
psrs Tns Of the charter II duly uasd.
guards nagigat from al possible danger nom this
source There no evdenceo show that at any time oarc
broge brt the contrary all the Witnesses concur in
showing that the channel at and at great distance above
THAI point has been ormy free from oostrucons
aed by fsndbas The erection the piers for the sup
port OF the bridge will not create sandbars or Ice
The vessels now mainly employed in the Navigation Of
the rivers above Albany are OF such character that
nav isstoa than formerly, when sail Vessels were
most IN ufe. The number OF SAIL vessels go
ing above Albany .r.u.y s 1s from se
rivers at that point and bArges and steam vessels iare
taking 'h'ir places In ls4o the number Of steamboats,
used and running to Troy was eight 10 part owned as
Troy, ard rurnn regularly ten; at Albany and below
apo frequently running 70 troy, five, making total Of
twenty three The number o. freight barges owned 81
Troy In ls45 wenty nne Foreign tow bsrges rsd
ding TO I, oy as twenty making total forty nine The
number OF ma.ted vessels owned above Albany in 1916
was seventy four Number foreign vessels with mAss
usding with Troy In ls45 two hundred aud my SIX To-
a the pumSsr Of masssa yssss Owned .. West
Troy was q; At Troy. 81 total "a; freight barges -
West Troy 80 q Troy, So;.o.~, -; one steamboat
ttean boas and towing between Troy and Alba
ny; ~ Troy pnadeiphla vessss consisting OF pro-
peters and bsrges: 1872 cagoes were sent by vessec
eIfsRed In The trade but the number Of vessels
thus employed not given 1t lis esimstsd-not proved
ses trading with Troy 1850, but the and kidd
Of vessels not given Tie estimated tonnage Of foreign
vessels trading with we, Troy in 1866 1850 TONS the
number OF vsssels Is not given
so far As amy renAble data are given, these state
n,s,e, ossaa |. and ,r.ainr With Troy since is4s
THIS total TORI age Of all vessels owned u and raang
u u ss ss'y sse ~ ,o ,oss.se Of Yves; roy
lie tonnage o. Troy not including The foreign and
Eastern vessels, lbo3e
s,o,s,s
The statemeptss TO tho tonnage OF the foreign snd
Eastern vesrsE Is not reiiabis, because no num-
Der Of vssseIs n aver, ana the amount OF freight
csnied Ia mere estimate.
The aDnsse Of the 2so lors,sn vessels trading whh
Troy II 1884, VAS put down at............... M7lo
This II now adopted makes. Is1
II tnm be adopted the present amount Of tonnage of
foreign vesfe the increase OF tonnage over l84< COM
EsravsH thsht but Is sail vessels going 70 Troy have
largely decreased Ia clear thai the tonnage OF vessels
ing with Trey 10 lees than In 1884, not osrYcct
therefore, tina, The foreign trade Of Troy hes been
tress opinion ali reliable data 10 the provo
ibe contrary. The foreign TRACE Of Troy carried
b,r OF that OF going albany has been
steady ctcres,pg and they are not now 10 numsrous
srs1usi .nd large dminution OF foreign .rsds. The
vsssels called mated barges are bnses universally
,oved BY st.smers They have no mas. IN NE pro-
Al al. The upward projection called mast b merely
derrick, when used in loading and unloading the va
sci anc may he made movable II s not connected with
nsvgstop vessoi Of all The evidence 10 the
clearly shows that there no dinucalsy In navl
esuuy . weasel through draw bridge, properly
haboleo the draw properly constructed and man
aged; ADD that properly constructed draw bridge
The .ve ence assr,, the praccapliy Of draw bridges
" My fou. navisatofs, Who "hoo draw bridges In
Devastation and ~no have only had expeflsncs, under
drsws Of Imperfect construction sDd nnsklful "A snaxo-
meni Besdes, his testimony relates TO sdrawbridge
tno~n IN toe science Of bridge building in 1ss1 whom
pesiy oil The conlptinsD' testn ony sskon. sinse
there the that draws Of zoo
feet width are row entirely prastcaole. No Wit
sss @se'ss s1s.s has xa been sund prosuGs ss
a. AbeDl, or two cra~r OF $50 each, VIII present
any material or subar ta impediment obstruction 20
commerce. The reliable evidence proves that such'
brio gee mar be patea by psygstors OF ordinary skin,
without ma,era delay under ordinary circumstances.
The sctusi eIpcIci At Rock Island, Chicago, ana
her lace oprovcs thai proper oonsuucted bridges
net any Obs rue iop impeachment 70 navigation.
With dfs~s vide those required In the Albany
brags ,ht incop will be ess any bridge
heieoior, o-n tructed. Vessels which ely nsv-
gate devious nd channel Of only 100 feet vide,
by the exercise 81 and skl pass draw Of
that width Wit he current true ADD direct II the
comms rec Of Troy can pass . devious and uncertain
cbsnnei Of 100 feet widn can csrtsily psss With
tBety through Of tbat With, WHARF the
channel dutct and the current rse and uniform. rhs
reishls oviseLce 400 that the number OF veWe1
psssing albany, requiring the opening Of the
draw ccer rot exceed ave or six per hour. Thee
be all ps~ed, ana toe draw be closed half the time.
he orriors of -afi,us witnesses In relation The nun.
Der Of vee,ss leaving Albany and the calculations made
- 70 fe number of assasss required or The Troy con-
ntrce,s wholly faucifu and unreliable In every re-
sIsct The Istge tows tha, up In part Al Al.
bsry themselves the most serious o1structons " tho
ordinary Of the river and they well DO
made up below The bridge above Thss the necessity
for bridge Of Albany s proved by the scs Authorizing
LIS uclob afro by the inability 70 carry the travel
and the river, II many seasons OF the
year, by of the ferry, also BY evidence
The large smcunt o. freight snd pAssensers
-hob requires a passage ct the river ~ Alosay.
Evsy faculty il snorued the Troy snd Scnenectatg
hfaueh 1T the New York Central Railroad, for sendrr