Year: 1872

on hearing the allegations and proofs OF, the
parties, in case they shall not agree.


SEC = That said bridge may, at the OPP
tlon OF the company building the same, be


built either 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 elevation, in any case, than fifty
! feet above 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 two 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 said bridge shall be constructed
as a pivot draw-bridge, the same shall be
| constructed with draw over the main
| channel of the river at an accessible
and navigable point and with spans
of not less than one hundred and
sixty feet i'll 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, if the proper location OF the
draw over the channel will admit spans 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





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 open
ed promptly, upon reasonable sig nal, tor
the passage of the boats whose construction
shall not be such as to admit of their pass
age 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 dur
ing or after the passage OF trains


SEC. 3. That any bridge constructed IN
der this act, and according to its hmita
tiOns, shall be a lawful structure. and shall
be recognized 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 munitions of war
of the United States, than the rate per
mile paid for the 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
a mortgage upon said bridge, and issue
bonds, payable, principal and interest, in
gold or United States currency.


SEC. ). That the right to alter or amend
this act so as to prevent or remove all ma
terial Instructions to the navigation Of said
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 Sec
retary Of War shall prescribe; and said
bridge shall be, at all times, so kept and
managed 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 approval, and until he approve the
plan and location of said bridge it shall not
be built or COmmenced; 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 APP
poval of the Secretary of War; and all
changes in the construction or any altera-
ton of said bridge, that may be directed at
any time by Congress, shall be made at the
cost and expense of the owners thereof


SEC l. That the Warsaw and Alexandria
Bridge Company, their successors and as
signs, corporation existing under and by
virtue Of the laws of the State of Missouri,
be, and is hereby authorized to con
struct and maintain bridge over the Mis-
sissippi river at and between 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 be built by this section
is hereby declared to be pOst-rOute, and
shall have all the privileges and be subject
to ali the terms, restrictions, and require
meuts contained in the foregoing sections of
this act: provided, that the construction of
the bridge mentioned in this section shall
be commenced within eighteen months from
the passage of this act.


Approved May II, 1872.