Seconded by Major Miller. Carried.

Moved by Major Mackenzie that in

Section 4, line 20 (pencil copy), there be added after the words "channel-spans" the words or draw-openings," and in section 4, line 22 (pencil copy), after the word "required" the words "as a part of the necessary accessory works provided for in this act," and in section 4, line 40 (pencil copy), to omit the word "require" and substitute "also require as a part of said necessary accessory works.”

Adopted.

The following change was moved by Major Mackenzie:

Section 4, line 8 (pencil copy), omit " and provided with such sheer-booms. guardfences, or other structures."

Adopted.

The following change was moved by Major Mackenzie:

Section 20, line 55 (pencil copy), after the word "reports," add the words "that the bridge is not a public necessity or;" and add at the end of section 20, "that whenever the Secretary of War has good reason to believe that any of the provisions of sections 8, 9, and 25 of this act have not been complied with by any persons or company owning, controlling, or operating a bridge authorized under the provisions of said act, it shall be the duty of the Secretary, on satisfactory proof thereof, to require the said persons or company to comply with the provisions of said sections, and on failure of said persons or company to comply with the said requirements within a reasonable time, the Secretary of War shall proceed to cause the necessary work required by law, in the form of additions, alterations, repairs, or removal of obstructions to be made at the expense of the United States, and shall refer the matter without delay to the Attorney-General of the United States, whose duty it shall be to institute, in the name of United States, proceedings in any circuit court of the United States, in which such bridge, or any part thereof, is located, for the recovery of the cost thereof, and all moneys accruing from such proceedings shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States:

"Provided, That, in the construction of additional accessory works not contemplated by the approved plan of bridge and accessory works, no greater sum than fifteen thousand dollars shall be required to be expended upon any one bridge in a single year:

"Provided further, That such sum of money as may be necessary to execute the provisions of this section is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, to be paid on the requisition of the Secretary of War.”

Adopted.

The following change was moved by Major Mackenzie:

Section 20, line 25 (pencil copy), for "one mile" substitute "three miles."
Adopted.

The following was moved by Major Handbury:

Resolved, That for section 7 of the pencil copy of Senate bill 275 before the Board the following be substituted:

"SEC. 7. That in all high bridges authorized by this act, except as hereinafter provided (Sec. 12), every span over the water-way between the shore-lines of the river at high water shall give a clear head-room not less than that prescribed for those over channel-ways; also that in such high bridges one or more wide or channel-spans, of lengths to be hereinafter prescribed, shall be placed over the main channel or channels of the river; and in case the channel is variable the number of channel-spans shall be increased so that there may be a good navigable passage for all classes of boats under some part of the bridge at all stages of water."

Adopted.

At the request of Majors Mackenzie and Handbury, and in order to enable them to obtain further information upon matters before the Board which in their opinion is essential to a proper conclusion of its labors, the Board, at 1 p. m., adjourned to meet at 10 a. m. on Friday, January 27, 1888.

SAINT LOUIS, Mo., January 27, 1888.

Board met at 10 a. m., pursuant to adjournment. Minutes of last meeting were read and approved.

The following letter was laid before the Board:

PITTSBURGH, PA., January 24, 1888. MY DEAR SIR: In answer to your inquiry as to the effect of large tows of coal on the cost of transportation, after dilligent search I beg to submit as follows:

During the war, when the towing system was in process of development and steamtugs had not the capacity as now, 10 and sometimes 15 cents per bushel were paid for towing from Louisville to points below Cairo. After the war, when commercial and trade prices had assumed normal values, the price settled at about 6 cents from Louisville to points below.

The history and experience of the Grand Lake Coal Company will furnish the most satisfactory answer to your inquiry. I received from the officers of the company the following statement:

Commencing some time after the close of the war the steamer Grand Lake, with a towing capacity of ten boats, received 5 cents per bushel for towing from Louisville to New Orleans and intermediate points. The Grand Lake was succeeded by the Grand Lake No. 2, with a towing capacity of sixteen boats. Owing to the decline in transportation prices, the company sold No. 2, and built the present J. B. Williams, with a present known capacity of thirty boats and eight barges, and are now towing coal with some profit from Louisville to New Orleans at 2 cents per bushel.

It is claimed by parties in the trade that if the river is not injured by artificial obstructions steamers will be constructed in the near future with a towing capacity of fifty boats, carrying 1,000,000 and over of bushels of coal. Our people claim that any channel-span at Memphis less than 1,000 feet will endanger the passage of large tows, as the river at that point has to be "flanked;" the tow, instead of being in a straight line, has to be placed almost at right angles with the river channel, and would have to pass sidewise-the steamer and tow. If the "

gauge measure" of the Williams tow has not been mailed to me, please do so, as the paper is just now needed by the company.

Yours, very truly,

Colonel SUTER.

JOHN F. DRAVO.

The following report of the Mississippi River Commission on a proposed bridge at Memphis was then read:

[Extract from the proceedings of the Mississippi River Commission at its session of May 9 to 14,

1884.J

General Comstock, from the special committee on Memphis bridge, submitted as a report the draught of a letter, as follows:

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY:

MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION,
ON BOARD STEAMER MISSISSIPPI,
New Orleans, La., May 14, 1834.

SIR: I have the honor to return herewith House bill No. 2799, and the other papers relating to a bridge across the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tenn., sent me with your indorsement of February 13, 1884, and to submit the views of the Mississippi River Commission, which has duly considered the subject, in reference to such a bridge. The Commission has corresponded with the chambers of commerce at Pittsburgh and Cincinnati; with the president of the Saint Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line, and the Saint Louis and Mississippi Valley Transportation Company, and has obtained information from Maj. A. M. Miller, United States Engineer, who has observed the method followed by tows in passing Memphis.

Major Miller states that large tows are 775 feet long by 192 feet wide.

P. Follansbee, of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, states that on February 27, 1884, the steamer W. W. O'Neil left Louisville with a tow of 38 pieces, carrying 700,294 bushels of coal, the length of the tow, including steamer, being 900 feet and its width 265 feet.

When such a tow meets a bend in the river the steamer begins backing, to pull the upper end of the tow and the tow itself away from the concave bank. This opera tion is called flanking. In this way, in passing bends, the axis of the tow becomes inclined to the axis of the river, and in cases of sharp bends or swift currents may be

at right angles to it, as seen in sketch by Major Miller, submitted herewith. That sketch shows tows which passed Memphis going down the east side of President's Island.

Major Miller states to the Commission that tows also pass down the west side of President's Island, and in that case, instead of taking a position when below the custom-house such that their axes are parallel to the current, as in the sketch, they may have to retain an oblique position in passing nearly the whole of the Memphis front. It must be remembered that the channel on the west side of President's Island is the main channel, is the one which requires the most flanking, and that in the progress of the improvement of the river it may be advisable to close the other.

In consequence of this necessity for tows when following the main river to flank along nearly the whole of the Memphis front, the place is, so far as the interests of navigation are concerned, an objectionable one for a bridge.

The United States is expending large sums in improving the river, and should permit no one to place a serious obstacle to navigation in it.

In view of the facts stated and of the possible increase in the size of tows, the Commission is of opinion that, if a bridge is permitted at Memphis, it should have at least one channel span with a clear opening at right angles to the current of 1,000 feet, and that the lowest part of this span should be 75 feet above extreme high water. There is now being built in Great Britain a Cantelever bridge, with spans exceeding 1,700 feet, for a railroad.

DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 21st duly to hand. The bridge question is one that has bothered the river men for several years, and it will be a hard matter to get up a law that will suit them. The channel of the Mississippi is so changeable that it will be almost impossible to bridge it without interfering with the navigation. As the bridges are sure to come, the question to build them so that they will interfere as little as possible with the navigation of the streams which they cross is the vital question to be considered. The cross-currents and the great change in the channel in high and low water is the real question to consider. If the current or channel always run in one place there would be no trouble whatever. The best-posted steam. boat men say that all spans should be long or channel spans, so a boat could go through any of the spans in all stages of the water, and if there is a draw it should be near or next to the shore, as they would never use it only in extreme high water. The coal men want room in width, and they are not so particular as to height, and they say the spans should not be less than 600 feet for safety in passing through. Some of the coal tows that go south are from 900 to 1,200 feet long and from 200 to 250 feet wide; so you can see that when caught in a cross current they are hard to manage and want all the room they can get. So you can see why the coal and barge men cry for side room and the packets for head-room.

Some of the Anchor Line boats when light are 64 feet from the water to the top of the pilot-house. I think this can be lowered some 8 or 10 feet without any serious inconvenience to the boats. I think they are a little over the average height of river boats, although some of the cotton boats in the South are still higher. However, I think the Anchor Line boats are the extreme, and if you go by them you can't miss it much, and any law based on their size would give general satisfaction.

Advocate all the room that you can both ways consistently with the safety of the structure. The more room that you can give the better it will be for navigation. I hope this little information will be of some use to you, and I am at all times at your service for all I can do or know.

I have been quite busy in the yard for the last year, and I expect to put in marine ways this coming summer. Do you expect to build any boats for your department this season?

With regards to all and best wishes for your success, I am,

Respectfully, yours,

ED. J. HOWARD.

[Copy of resolutions adopted at River Convention, Dubuque, Iowa, January 17 and 18, 1888.] "One hundred and thirty-three delegates present, representing the States of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri.

"We heartily indorse Senate bill 275, excepting the low-bridge clause in section 14, after the word act, in line 8, against the adoption of which we strongly protest, for reasons that a bridge so constructed in accordance with this clause would prove a most serious obstruction to navigation.

"The proposition to construct such a bridge has already been condemned by a Board of United States Engineers especially appointed by the Secretary of War to examine and report upon the advisability of allowing the construction of a low bridge between the mouth of the Missouri River and the Eads bridge, at Saint Louis, Mo.

"The adoption of this clause would be in effect putting condemned special legislation in a general bill.

"We further and respectfully urge that a section substantially as follows be added to Senate bill 275: That no charter or permit shall be granted for the building of a second bridge in the vicinity of one already in operation until it has been shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of War that the bridge already constructed is inadequate for the demands of traffic."

Saint Louis and New Orleans Anchor Line-Table showing certain dimensions.

Saint Louis and Mississippi Valley Transportation Company-Table showing certain dimen

The following copy of Senate bill 275, as recommended to be changed by the Board, was then taken up for consideration.

The following changes were adopted:

Section 1, line 8, for "Railroads "put "Railroad." Line 6, instead of "across the," etc., substitute "across the Missouri River between its mouth and the mouth of the Dakota or James River, and across the Mississippi River between the mouth of the Minnesota River and Natchez, Miss; and across the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers between the mouth of the Illinois and the city of Joliet, in the State of Illinois, for railroad or other uses," etc. Line 10, after "built" insert "over said rivers."

Section 2, line 9, "to such points," to "at such points."

Section 3, line 12, after "piers" insert" measured on the center line of the bridge." Line 14, strike out "fixed," substitute "the." Line 3, "local highest water" to "local high-water, medium stage or lowest water-level at the bridge site as determined by the Secretary of War." Line 18, erase "may or."

A BILL to authorize the construction of bridges across the Missouri River between its month and the mouth of the Dakota or James River and across the Mississippi River between the mouth of the Minnesota River in the State of Minnesota, and the port of Natchez in the State of Mississippi, and across the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers between the mouth of the Illinois and the city of Joliet in the State of Illinois, and to prescribe the character, location and dimensions of the same. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any persons or corporations, having lawful authority, may hereafter, when public necessity so demands, erect bridges at points where said construction will not materially affect the interests of navigation across the Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, and Des Plaines rivers, between the points above mentioned for railroads or other uses upon compliance with the provisions and requirements of this act, and hereafter no bridges shall be built within said limits except under the said provisions and requirements.

SEC. 2. That the sections of this act numbered

shall be general and shall apply to all bridges authorized under this law; and that the sections numbered

shall apply specifically to bridges to such points on the Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, and Des Plaines rivers as are covered by the sections enumerated.

SEC. 3. That wherever the phrases "high water mark," "medium stage of water," or "low-water mark" are used in this act they shall be held to mean the local highest water, medium stage, or lowest water-level at the bridge site; and wherever the phrase "clear head-room" is used it shall be held to mean the clear height measured from the water surface to the lowest part of the superstructure in any span; and wherever the phrase "clear channel-way" is used it shall be held to mean the clear width of openings measured at right angles to the faces of the piers at the elevation of low water; and wherever the phrase "length of span" is used it shall be held to mean the distance between centers of adjacent piers; and wherever the phrase "high bridge" is used it shall be held to mean a bridge of which fixed spans over navigable channels are high enough to permit the passage of boats under them at all stages of water; and the phrase "low bridge" shall be held to mean a bridge having an opening or openings through which boats may or can pass at all stages of water.