The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1872-06-22


treasury not otherwise appropriated, to repay
to the person or persons entitled thereto sum
of money equal to that originally paid by the
purchaser of the land so recovered, if the same
has been paid into the treasury.
Approved, May 9, 1872.
GENERAL NATURE-No. SO.
AN ACT to authorize the construction ofcertain
bridges across the Mississippi river, and to
establish the same as post-roads.
Be 1T enacted By the Senate and House of Rep
resentatiues of the United States of America an
Coma, ess assembled, That it shall be lawful for
the Western Illinois Bridge Company, corpo.
ration existing under the laws OF the State OF
Missouri, to build bridge across the Mississip-
pi river at the city of Quincy, Illinois, for the
purpose of crossing persons and property, such
as are usually crossed on wagon-bridges and
also to lay on and over said bridge railway
tracks for the more perfect connection of any
railroads that are or shall be constructed to the
said river at or opposite said point, and that,
when constructed, all persons and property as
aforesaid, and also all trains of all roads
terminating at said river, at or opposite said
point, shall be allowed to cross said bridge for
reasonable compensation, to be made to the
owners of said bridge, under the limitations
and conditions hereinafter provided and in
case of any litigation or alleged obstruction to
the free navigation of said river, the cause may
be tried before the district court of the United
States of any State in which any portion OF
said obstruction or bridge touches and that
all railway companies desiring to use the said
bridge shall have and be entitled to equal
rights and privileges in the passage of the same,
and in the use of the machinery and fixtures
thereof, and of all the approaches thereto, un-
der and upon such terms and conditions as
shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War,
upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the
parties, in case they shall not agree.
SEC. 2. That said bridge may, at the option
Of the company building the same, be built
ther as pivot draw bridge or with unbroken
or continuous spans Provided, That if the
said bridge shall be made with unbroken or
continuous spans it shall not be of less eleva-
ton, in any case, than fifty feet above high
water mark as understood at the point of loca-
ton, to the bottom chord of the bridge; nor
shall the spans of said bridge be less than two
h-rdred and Gfty feet in length, and TIE piers
of said bridge shall be parallel with the current
of the river, and the main span shall be over
the main channel of the river, and not less
than three hundred feet in length And pro.
vided also, That if said bridge shall be con-
structed as a pivot draw-bridge, the same shall
be constructed with draw over the main
channel of the river at an accessible and navi-
gable point, and with spans otnot less than one
hundred and sixty feet in length, in the clear,
draw and the next adjoining spans to the
draw shall not be less than two hundred and
fifty feet, if the proper location of the draw
over the channel will admitspa of this width
between it and the shore, and said spans shall
not be less than thirty feet above low-water
mark, and not less than ten feet above extreme
high-water mark, measuring to the bottom
chord of the bridge, and the piers of said bridge
shall be parallel with the current of the river:
And provided also, That said draw shall be
opened promptly, upon reasonable signal, for
the passage of the boats whose construction
shall not be such as to admit of their passage
under the permanent spans OF sald bridge, ex-
cept when trains are passing over the same
but in case shall unnecessary delay occur
in opening the said draw DUNG or after the
passage of trains.
SEC ). That any bridge constructed under
this act, and according to its limitations, shall
be lawful structure, and shall be recognized
and known as post route, upon which, also,
no higher charge shall be made for the trans
mission over the same of the mails, the troops,
and munitions of war ofthe United States, than
the rate per mile paid for their transportation
over the railroads or public highways leading
to said bridge, and the United States shall
have the right of way for postal telegraph
purposes across said bridge.
Sec. 4. That said company may execute
mortgage upon said bridge, and issue bonds,
payable, principal and interest, in gold or
United States currency.
Sec. s. That the right to altar or amend this
act so as to prevent or remove all meterial OBJ
structions to the navigation ofsaid river by the
construction of said bridge, is hereby expressly
reserved; and the said bridge shall be built
under and subject to such regulations for the
security of the navigation of said river as the
Secretary of War shall prescribe and the said
bridge shall be, at all times, so kept and man.
aged as to offer reasonable and proper means
for the passage of vessels.
Sec, 6. That the plan and specifications, with
the necessary drawings of said bridge, shall be
submitted to the Secretary of War, for his ap-
proval, and until he approve the plan and loca-
ton of said bridge it shall not be built or com
menced and should any change be made in
the plan of said bridge during the progress of
the work thereon, such change shall be subject
to the approval of the Secretary of War and
all changes in the construction or any altera-
ton of said bridge, that may bedirected at any
time by Congress, shall be made at the cost
and expense of the owners thereof
Sec. T. That the Warsaw and Alexandria
Bridge Company, their successors and assigns,
a corporation existing under and by virtue OF
the laws of the State of Missouri, be, and is
hereby, authorized to construct and maintain
a bridge over the Mississippi river at and be-
tween the city of Warsaw, in Hancock county,
and State of Illinois, and the city of Alexandria,
in Clark county, and State of Missouri and
the bridge authorized to tie built by this section
is hereby declared to be post-route, and shall
have ali the privileges and be subject to all the
terms, restrictions, and requirements contain
ell in the foregoing sections of this act: Pro
vided, That the construction of the bridge mem
toned in this section shall be commenced
within eighteen months from the passage of
this act.
Approved, Nav II, 1872