New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-29

Approved March 1, 1872
GENERAL NATURE-No. 1871
An act to authorize the construction of a
bridge across the Missouri river at or near
st. Joseph Missouri.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, That it
shall be lawful for "The st. Joseph Bridge
Building Company" corporation organ
lied for that purpose under the general
corporation laws of the State OF Mis-
souri,, to construct a bridge across the
Missouri river at or near Saint Jo-
seph, Missouri, and to lay on and over
said bridge railway tracks for the more
perfect connection of any and alhTailways
that are now, or which may hereafter be,
constructed to the Missouri river at or near
Saint Joseph, or to the river on the opposite
side of the same, near Saint Joseph and
build, erect, and lay on and over said
bridge ways for wagons, vehicles of all
kinds, and for the transit of animals, and
to provide ways for foot passengers, and to
keep up, maintain, and operate said bridge
for the purposes aforesaid; and that when
said bridge is constructed, all trains of all
railroads terminating at said river, and on
the opposite side thereof, at or near Saint
Joseph, Missouri, shall be allowed to cross
said bridge for reasonable compensation, to
be made to the owners of the same, under
the limitations and conditions hereafter
named. The owners of said bridge may
also charge and receive reasonable compen-
sation or tolls for the transit over the said
bridge of all wagons, carriages, vehicles,
animals, and foot passengers.
SEC. g That any bridge built under the
provisions of this act may, at the option of
person, or persons, or corporation building
the same, be built as a drawbridge, with a
pivot or other form of draw or with unbrO-
ken or continuous spans; provided, that if
the same shall be made of unbroken cOntinu-
GUS spans it shall not be of less elevation in
any case than fifty feet above extreme high
water mark, as understood at the point of
location, to the bottom, chord of the bridge,
nor shall the spans of said bridge be less
than three hundred and fifty feet in length,
and the 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 provided also, that if a
bridge shall be- built under this act as a
draw bridge the same shall be constructed
as a pivot drawbridge, with draw over
the main channel of the river at an accessi-
BILE and navigable point, and with spans of
not less than one hundred and sixty feet
in length in the clear on each side
of the central or pivot pier of the draw, and
the next adjoining spans to the draw shall
not be less than two hundred and fifty feet;
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,
4,y, g |. /, -.
shall not be such as to admit of their pas
sage under the permanent spans of said
bridge, except when trains are passing over
the same, but in no case shall unnecessary
delay occur in opening the said draw during
or after the passage Of trains: And pro-
vided further, That the corporation building
said bridge may, If not unauthorized by the
provisions of its charter of Incorporation, enter
upon the banks of said river, either above
or below the point of the location of said
bridge, for a distance of seven miles, and
erect and maintain breakwaters or use such
other means as may be necessary to make
channel for said river, and cOntine the
low OF the water to permanent channel,
and TO do whatever may be necessary to ac-
cOmplish said object, but shall not impede
or Obstruct the navigation of the said river;
and all plans for such works or cree
tiOns upon the banks of the river shall first
his approval.
Sec. 3. That any bridge built under this
act, and according to its limitations, shall
be lawful structure, and shall be recog-
nlzed and known as a pOst-rOute, upon
which, Also no higher charge shall be made
for the transmission over the same of the
mails, the troops, and the munitions of war
of the United States than the rate per mile
paid for their transportation over the rail
roads ia hinhu m h
said bridge.
SEC. 4. That in case of any litigation
arising from any obstruction, or alleged OBJ
structiOn, to the free navigation of the Mis-
souri, river, at or near the crossing of said
said bridge, and caused OF alleged to be
caused thereby, the cause shall be com
menced and tried in the district courts of
either judicial districts of Missouri or Kan
sas in which the said bridge, or any portion
of such obstruction touches; and the right
to alter or amend this act so as to prevent
or remove all material distractions to the
navigation OF said river by the construction
of said bridge is hereby expressly reserved,
and all such alterations, when required by
law, shall be made at the expense of said
bridge company; and the plan on which
such bridge Is intended to be built; and shall
be DullC, snail be tirst submitted to and ap-
proved by the Secretary of War.
SEC. 3. That the Saint Joseph Bridge
Building Company, after the passage of
this act, shall not have the right to assign
the charter which said company now holds
Dy assignment from the Saint Joseph and
Denver City Railroad Company, and which
was granted to said last named company by
virtue of an act of Congress, approved July
fourteenth, eighteen hundred and seventy, |
TO any other company, person, or persons;
nor shall said bridge building company be
permitted, under the said charter so OBJ
tanned as aforesaid from the Saint Joseph
and Denver City Railroad Company, to !
construct any other bridge than the one !
now being constructed at Saint Joseph, Mis- |
souri,.