4

THE CAIRO BRIDGE.

Act of Congress approved Sept. 20, 1850, and Act of State of Illinois approvedFeb. 10, 1851; and that part of said trunk line from New Orleans, La., to Canton,Miss., was constructed by said New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern R. II. Co.;and that part from Canton, Miss., to the Ohio River, opposite Cairo, was constructedby a corporation known as the Mississippi Central R. R. Co., said Company beingincorporated in Mississippi by Act approved March 10, 1852, and by theState of Tennessee, by Act approved Nov. 30, 1853, and by Act of Kentuckyapproved March 18, 1872 ;

And whereas, the Chicago, St. Louis & New Orleans Railroad Company nowowns said roads from New Orleans, La., through Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennesseeand Kentucky, and is a corporation of each and all of said States, with all the pow-ers, rights and franchises of the other two corporations, being incorporated inLouisiana by Act approved March 13, 1878; in Mississippi by Acts approved Feb.27, 1878, and March 1, 1882 ; in Tennessee by Act approved April 7, 1881, and inKentucky by Act approved March 27, 1880, leaving nothing remaining to be doneto carry out the original object of its creation, except the construction of a bridgeacross the Ohio River ;

And whereas, the State of Kentucky (whose territory extends across the OhioRiver) has, by an Act entitled ‘ An Act authorizing the Chicago, St. Louis & NewOrleans Railroad Company and the Illinois Central Railroad Company, or either ofthem separately, to build and maintain a railroad bridge across the Ohio River,’approved March 29 1SSG, again affirmed the right and purpose of this throughtrunk line, and has therein expressly authorized the construction and maintenanceof such bridge;

And whereas, this Company has heretofore, to-wit, on the 1st day of April,1880, accepted said Act, and has, within the time required by the sixth section ofsaid Act, filed with the Secretary of State of Kentucky a copy of the resolution ofthe Board of Directors accepting said Act;

And whereas, this Company has also, as required by said Act, had the work onsaid bridge or its approaches begun in good faith Avithin one year from the passageof said Act, and has continued and now continues in good faith its constructionwithout unnecessary delay, in accordance with the provisions of said Act, and in-tends to have said bridge in condition for use within six years from date ofsaid Act; noAV, therefore, it is

Besoiwed, That this Company, to wit, the Chicago, St. Louis & New OrleansRailroad Company, doth hereby accept the General Act of Congress entitled, ‘AnAct to authorize the construction of bridges across the Ohio River, and to prescribethe dimensions of the same,’ approved December 17, 1872; and an Act of Congressamending said last-named Act, being entitled ‘An Act supplementary to an Actapproved December 17, 1872, entitled ‘An Act to authorize the construction ofbridges across the Ohio River and to prescribe the dimensions of the same,’ approvedFebruary 14,1883; and that a copy of the acceptance by this Company of said Actsof Congress, duly certified by the secretary of this Company under its seal, be filedin the office of the Secretary of State of the United States of America, and duplicate

copies thereof, and of the Act of Kentucky aforesaid, be delivered to the Honorable,the Secretary of War of the United States.

Resolved, That the Vice-President of this Company be and he is hereby author-ized and requested for, on behalf of, and in the name of this Company, to makeapplication to the .Honorable the Secretary of War of the United States for hisapproval of the plans, profile and other papers required by the Act of December 17,1872, aforesaid, and the supplementary Act of February 14, 18S3, aforesaid, inreference to the proposed bridge across the Ohio River aforesaid, and that he sub-mit to, said Secretary all papers required by either of said Acts of Congress, and alsosuch facts and papers as are required by the rule established by the Secretary ofWar, dated July 31,1886; and that the recommendations of the Board of ArmyEngineers, dated May 7, 1886, and approved by the Chief of Engineers June 7,1886, have been complied with in the maps, plans and profile so submitted.

Resola’ed, That the Vice-President of this Company, together Avith the applica-tion to the Secretary of War aforesaid, be requested to submit also copies in dupli-cate of the charters of this Company in Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mis-sissippi, certified by the several Secretaries of State and under the seal of therespective States ; copies of the organization of this Company under said chartersand of its acceptance of each thereof, certified by the secretary of this Companyunder its common seal; copies of minutes of this Company showing its presentofficers, their names and residences; copies in duplicate of the design and drawingsof the proposed bridge and piers; a map of the location, showing, as required bysaid Acts of Congress, the topography of banks and bottom of said river and shorelines at high and Ioav Avater; maps as required by said Acts, slioAving contour of bedof said river, width of river, the course and direction of currents at high and lowAvater, and at least one intermediate stage; and that the Vice-President of this Com-pany, in its name and on its behalf, be and he is hereby fully authorized andempowered to do all such acts and deeds, sign all such papers as are or may benecessary to secure the approval of the Secretary of War of said proposed bridge;and that he be authorized to enter into all such undertakings as are or may berequired under said Act of the State of Kentucky and said Acts of Congress afore-said, to facilitate the construction of said bridge so authorized and approved.

Resolved, Further, that the Vice-President, in behalf and in the name ofthis Company, may select E. L. Corthell, or any other person Avhom he may deembest, to present the papers and plans in person to the Secretary of "War, and to dosuch other acts as may be necessary in and about the same.”

The foregoing action of the Board of Directors was unanimouslyratified by the stockholders at their Annual Meeting held in XeAvOrleans April 0, 1887.

At a meeting of your Board, held April 14, 1887, the Vice-Presidentreported that in accordance with the resolution adopted March 26, 1887,he had made application to the Secretary of War for his approval ofthe plans and other papers relating to the proposed bridge at Cairo, and

submitted a letter from the Secretary of War, dated April 1, 1887,enclosing his approval (of the same date) of the design, drawings andmaps submitted by this Company, of which the following are copies :

“WAR DeTARTAIENT,

"Washington City, April 1, 1887.

Sir :— I have the honor to enclose for retention by the Chicago, St. Louis & NeivOrleans Railroad Company, a duly executed copy of an instrument issued induplicate, indicating my approval, under certain specified conditions, of the plans andlocation, as sliOAvn on the accompanying maps of a bridge to be constructed across theOhio River under the provisions of the Acts of Congress approved December17, 1S72, and February 14,1883, authorizing the construction of bridges across theOhio River.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Wji. C. Endicott, Secretary of War.

E. L. Corthell, Esq., Room 79, No. 34 Nassau Street, N. Y.

(Enclosures.)

Whereas, by an Act of Congress approved December 17, 1872, entitled, ‘AnAct to authorize the construction of bridges across the Ohio River and to prescribethe dimensions of the same,’ it vvas enacted that any persons or corporations,having laAvful authority therefor, may hereafter erect bridges across the Ohio Riverfor railroad or other uses upon compliance Avith provisions contained in said Act.

And aviiereas, by Section Four of an Act supplementary to the Act aforesaid,approved February 14, 1883, it Avas further enacted that any person, company orcorporation authorized to construct a bridge across the Ohio River shall submit tothe Secretary of "War, for his examination, a design and drawings of the bridge andpiers, and a map of the location, giving, for the space of at least one mile above andone mile below the proposed location, the topography of the banks of the river, andthe shore lines at high and Ioav Avater. This map shall be accompanied by others,dra\A - n on the scale of one inch to two hundred feet, giving, for a space of one half amile above the line of the proposed bridge and a quarter of a mile below, anaccurate representation of the bottom of the river by contour lines tAvo feet apart,determined by accurate soundings, and also showing over the Avhole Avidth of thispart of the river the force and direction of the currents at Ioav Avater, at high Avater,and at least one intermediate stage, by triangulated observations on suitable floats.The maps shall also sIioav the locations of other bridges in the vicinity, and shallgive such other information as the Secretary of War may require for a full andsatisfactory understanding of the subject. Said maps and draAvings shall be referredto a Board of Engineers for examination and report, Avhich Board shall personallyexamine the site of the proposed bridge, and shall hold a public session, at someconvenient point, to hear all objections thereto, of Avhich public session due noticeand invitation to be present shall be given to all interested parties; and if said