Year: 1862

Passed at the Second session OF the Thirty
seventh Congress.


PUBIC-No. 1873. ..
AN act to establish certain post


roads.


BE IL enacted by tie Senate and House Of Pepre-
sentatires Of the United States Of .4mcrica ia Ta,
gress assembled, That the bridge partly con-
structed across the Ohio river at Stcu-
benville, in the State of Ohio, abut-
ting on the Virginia shore of said riv.
er, is hereby declared TO be q lawful
structure: Prorided, That when COM
pleted, if constructed without draw,
it shall leave an unobstructed head
way in the channel Of the river of not
less than ninety feet above low water
mark, and such channel or waterway
shall have an unobstructed width of
not less than three hundred feet be-
tween the piers next to said channel
or waterway and one of the spans
next adjoining thereto shall not be
less than two hundred and twenty
feet in length or said bridge, if con-
structed with draw, the same to be
constructed under the limitations and
conditions provided in the fourth Sec
tion of this act. H..


SEC. 2. And be IL further enacted, That
the said bridge and Holidays Cove
railroad are hereby declared public
highway, and established post road
for the purpose of transmission of
mails of the United States, aud that
the St e]ubenville and Indiana Rail-
road Company, chartered by the leg
islature of the State of Ohio, and the
Holidays Cove Railroad Company,
chartered by the State of Virginia, or
either of them, are authorized to com.
plete, maintain, and operate said road
and bridge when completed, as set
forth in the preceding section, any
| thing in any law or laws of the above
named State to the contrary notwith-
standing. ..-..... .....


SEC. B. And be IL further enacted, That
it shall be lawful for any other rail-
road company or companies, whose
line or lines of road may now or shall
hereafter he built TO the Ohio river,
above the mouth of the Big Sandy riv-
er, in accordance with the terms of
the charter or charters of said COM
pany or companies. to build bridge
across said river for the more perfect
connection Of any such roads and for
the passage of trains thereof, under
the limitations and conditions herealt-
er provided.


SEC. 4. Ind Be IL further enacted, That
any bridge erected under the privileg-
es Of this act may, at the option of
the company or companies building
the same, be built either as draw
bridge, with a pivot or other form of
draw, or with unbroken and continu-
Gus spans Prorided, That if the said
bridge shall be made with unbroken
and continuous spans it shall not be
of less elevation than ninety feet
above low-water mark over the cham
mel of the said river +; nor in any case
less than forty feet above extreme
high water, as understood at the
point of location, measuring for such
elevation to the bottom chord of the
bridge nor shall the span of such
bridge, covering the main channel of
the river, be less than three hundred
feet in length, with also one of the
next adjoining spans of not less than
two hundred and twenty feet in length,
and the piers of said bridge shall be
parallel with the current of the river
as near as practicable Ind prorided
also, That if any bridge built under
this act shall be constructed as a
drawbridge the same shall be con-
structed with span over the main
channel Of the river as understood at
the time of the erection of the bridge
of not less than three hundred feet in
length, and said span shall not be less
than seventy feet above low water
mark, measuring to the bottom chord
of the bridge, and one of the next ad-
joining spans shall not be less than
two hundred and twenty feet in length;
and also that there shall be pivot
draw constructed in every such bridge
at an accessible and navigable point,
with spans of not less than one hun
dred feet in length, on each side of
the central or pivot pier of the draw
dnd prorided, also, That said draw shall
always be opened promptly, upon rea-
sonable signal, for the passage of
boats whose construction may not, at
the time. admit of their passing under
the permanent spans of said bridge,
except that said draw shall not be re-
quired to be opened when engines or
trains are passing over said bridge,
or when passenger trains are due, but
in no case shall unnecessary delay oc-
cur in the opening of said draw after
tue passage of such engines or trains.


SEC 5. And be w further enacted, That
any bridge or bridges erected under
the provisions of this act shall be law
full structures, and shall be recogniz-
ed and known as post routes, upon
which also no higher charge shall be
made for the transmission over the
same of the mails, the troops, and mu-
nitions of war of the United States
than the rate per mile which the COM
pany or companies erecting such
bridge may from time to time receive
on the balance of their line or lines
for such services, and the officers and
crews of all vessels. boats or RATS,
navigating the said Ohio river, are re-
quired TO regulate the use of the said
vessels and of any pipes or chimneys
belonging thereto, SO as not to inter-
ferc with the elevation, construction,