Chapter CCXLVI. *to authorize the Construction of certain Bridges, and to establish them as Post Roads.*July 25, 1866. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Bridge may be built across the Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, and railroad
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CHAP. CCXLVI.— An Act *to authorize the Construction of certain Bridges, and to establish them as Post Roads.*July 25, 1866. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Bridge may be built across the Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, and railroad tracks laid thereon.That it shall be lawful for any person or persons, company or corporation, having authority from the States of Illinois and Missouri for such purpose, to build a bridge across the Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, and 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 Trains may cross for compensation.
Question of obstruction to navigation may be tried where.constructed 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 he made to the owners of said bridge, under the limitations and conditions hereinafter provided. And in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction 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.
Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted*, Bridge maybe built with draw or unbroken spans.Height, if made with unbroken spans.That any bridge built under the provisions of this act may, at the option of the company building the same, be built as a drawbridge, with a pivot or other form of draw, or with unbroken or continuous spans: *Provided,* That if the said bridge shall be made with unbroken and continuous 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 Length of spans.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 any bridge Pivot draw-bridge, with draw over main channel, and spans, &c.built under this act shall be constructed as a drawbridge, the same shall be constructed as a pivot drawbridge with a 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 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 Jess than two hundred and fifty feet; and said spans shall not be less than thirty feet above low-water mark, and nut less than ten above extreme high-water mark, measuring to the bottom chord of the bridge, and the piers of Draw to be opened promptly, except, &c.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 boats, whose construction shall not be such as to admit of their passage under the permanent spans of said bridge, except when trains are passing over the same; but in no ease shall unnecessary delay occur in opening the said draw during or after the passage of trains.
Sec. 3. *And be it further enacted*, Bridges constructed according to this act toThat any bridge constructed under this act, and according to its limitations, shall be a lawful structure, and THIRTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 246. 1866.245be lawful strictures and post routes.Rates of toll.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 the munitions of war of the United States, than the rate per mile paid for their transportation over the railroads or public highways leading to the said bridge.
Sec. 4. *And be it further enacted*, Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company may build a railroad bridge across the Mississippi, if, &c.That it shall be lawful for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company, a corporation whose road has been completed to the Mississippi River, and connects with a railroad on the opposite side thereof, having first obtained authority there for from the States of Illinois and Iowa, to construct a railroad bridge across the river, upon the same terms, in the same manner, under the same restrictions, and with the same privileges, as is provided for in this act in relation to the bridge at Quincy, Illinois.
Sec. 5. *And be it further enacted*, Bridge may be built across the river at Hannibal, Missouri;That a bridge may be constructed at the town of Hannibal, in the State of Missouri, across the Mississippi River, so as to connect the Hannibal and Saint Joseph Railroad with the Pike County and Great Western railroads of Illinois, on the same terms and subject to the same restrictions as contained in this act for the construction of the bridge at Quincy, Illinois. Sec. 6. *And be it further enacted*, between Prairie du Chien and North McGregor;That a bridge may be constructed across the Mississippi River between Prairie du Chien, in the State of Wisconsin, and North McGregor, in the State of Iowa, with the consent of the legislatures of Wisconsin and Iowa, on the same terms and subject to the same restrictions as are contained in this act for the construction of the bridge at Quincy, Illinois.
Sec. 7. *And be it further enacted*, between Keo-kuk and Hamilton;That the Keokuk and Hamilton Mississippi Bridge Company, a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Iowa, and the Hancock County Bridge Company, a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Illinois, be and are hereby authorized to construct and maintain a bridge over the Mississippi River between Keokuk, Iowa, and Hamilton, Illinois, of the same character, description, and construction as provided in this act for the bridges at Quincy and Burlington; and the said bridge, in its use and operation, shall be subject to the same restrictions that apply to said bridges at Quincy and Burlington by the terms of this act.
Sec. 8. *And be it further enacted*, between Winona and opposite bank of river, if, &c,;That the Winona and Saint Peter Railroad Company, a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota, is hereby authorized to construct and operated railroad bridge across the Mississippi River between the city of Winona, in the State of Minnesota, and the opposite bank of the said river, in the State of Wisconsin, with the consent of the legislatures of the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin; andthis bridge made a post road; said bridge by this section authorized is hereby declared a post route, and subject to all the terms, restrictions, and requirements contained in the foregoing sections of this act.
Sec. 9. *And be it further enacted*, between Dun leith and Dubuque, if, &c.;That a bridge may be constructed and maintained across the Mississippi River, between Dunleith, in the State of Illinois, and Dubuque, in the State of Iowa, with the consent of said States previously given or hereafter acquired, with the same privileges, upon the same terms, and under the same restrictions as are contained in ibis act for the construction of a bridge at Quincy, Illinois. Sec. 10. *And be it further enacted*, at the city of Kansas;That any company authorized by the legislature of Missouri may construct a bridge across the Missouri River, at the city of Kansas, upon the same terms and conditions provided for in this act.
Sec. 11. *And be it further enacted*, between the city of Saint Louis and East Saint Louis.That the “Saint Louis and Illinois Bridge Company,” a corporation organized under an act of the general assembly of the State of Missouri, approved February fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and an act amendatory of the same, approved February twentieth, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, and also confirmed 246THIRTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 246, 247. 1866.in its corporate powers under an act of the legislature of the State of Illinois, approved eighteen hundred and sixty-four, or any other bridge company organized under the laws of Missouri and Illinois, be, and the same is hereby, empowered to erect, maintain, and operate a bridge across the Mississippi River, between the city of Saint Louis, in the State of Missouri, and the city of East Saint Louis, in the State of Illinois, subject to all the conditions contained in said act of incorporation and amendments, thereto, and not inconsistent Question of obstruction, where may be tried.with the following terms and provisions contained in this act.
And in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said waters, 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. Sec. 12. *And be it further enacted*, Bridge to be built with unbroken spans.That the bridge authorized by the proceeding section to be built shall not be a suspension bridge, or draw-bridge, with pivot or other form of draw, but shall be constructed with continuous or unbroken spans, and subject to Conditions.Height and length of spans.these conditions:
First, that the lowest part of the bridge or bottom chord shall not be less than fifty feet above the city directrix at its greatest span. Second, that it shall have at least one span five hundred feet in the clear, or two spans of three hundred and fifty feet in the clear of abutments. If the two hitter spans be used, the one over the main steamboat channel shall be fifty feet above the city directrix, measured to the lowest part of the bridge at the centre of the span. Third, no span over the water at low-water mark, shall be less than two hundred feet in the clear of abutments.
Sec. 13. *And be it further enacted*, Act may be altered, &c.That the right to alter or amend this act, so as to prevent or remove all material obstructions to the navigation of said river by the construction of bridges, is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, July 25, 1866.