BRIDGE ACROSS THAMES RIVER NEAR NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, AUTHORIZED BY ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883. The joint board of officers of the Army and Navy appointed under the act of Congress passed at the second session of the Forty-seventh Congress, entitled An act to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Thames River, near New London, in the State of Connecticut, and declare it a post road— respectfully present the following report: The questions before the Board are whether the bridge proposed by the petitioners is designed for a draw of 500 feet at least in length, and would practically interfere with the navigation of the river for commerce and naval purposes, or the usefulness and efficiency of the navyyard upon the same; whether a change in its location or modification of its plan (one or both) would be necessary to avoid such injurious consequences. Notwithstanding that every bridge crossing a navigable stream must to some extent be an obstruction to navigation, Congress has nevertheless in numerous instances authorized the erection of such structures over the navigable waters of the United States, and the line of investigation within the province of the Board should be an inquiry into the location and design of the proposed bridge to ascertain whether peculiar difficulties to navigation not contemplated by the act must fol low from its construction. I. With regard to the location of the bridge as provided in the act, it is not below Winthrop's Point, the channel above and below is straight for considerable distances, offering direct courses to vessels intending the passage of the draw; there are deep and permanent channels in the draw, on both sides of the pivot pier the current is moderate and the freedom from serious obstruction to navigation due to ice is conceded to be remarkable. Difficulties in navigating arising from fogs and high winds present here no unusual or peculiar features. It is asserted, and it appears to be credible, that vessels during a fog, if the modifications and requirements proposed in this report be satisfied, could quite as easily find and pass the draw of the bridge as navigate the channel above the bridge to Allyn's Point or Norwich. II. The draw of the bridge as designed is, in accordance with the act, not less than 500 feet in length. MODIFICATIONS. The Board proposes the following modifications for the structure: The bridge should be raised 6 feet higher than the present plan indicates, so as to leave below it a clear way of 30 feet at mean high water. The starlings of all the piers on the up-stream side should have their upper surfaces or edges inclined to the horizon at an angle not more than 40 degrees; said slope to start from a level 1 foot below extreme low water and to terminate at one foot above mean high water. The draw to be provided with suitable rest piers above and below the pivot pier at the ends of the draw and suitable floats or other proper devices connecting said rest-piers with the pivot pier, to enable boats to pass through said draw with safety. A steam fog-signal which can be distinctly heard for a distance of at least one mile should be placed upon the pivot pier, and a system of signals should be established by which vessels approaching the bridge might know, when within one mile of it, whether the draw be opened or closed, and, should experience show it to be necessary, smaller bell fog signals of different tones should, when required by the Secretary of War, be placed on the side piers of the draw to indicate their positions also. These fog-signals to be sounded in foggy weather, and whenever, through the influence of rain, sleet, or snow the bridge-lights cannot be distinctly seen. The position of the pivot and rest piers should be marked at night by lights serving as ranges to show the direction of the axes of those piers, and the lights should be so arranged as to indicate at all times when in use whether the draw be opened or closed. III. And the Board is of the opinion that the bridge over the Thames River near New London in the location designated in the official maps transmitted by the petitioners to the honorable Secretaries of War and of the Navy, and with the modifications and further requirements proposed in this report by the Board, will not "practically interfere with the navigation of said river for commercial and naval purposes or the usefulness and efficiency of the navy-yard upon the same," and the Board hereby approves the location and modified plan of the proposed bridge as it is authorized to do by the second section of said act of Congress. IV. The second section of the act provides that "to secure the safe passage of vessels at night there should be displayed on said bridge, from the hour of sunset to that of sunrise, such lights as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War," and the Board respectfully offers as a suggestion the mode adopted for several Western bridges, and which at the same time would satisfy the requirements of the Board on this point in Section II of this report. LIGHTS. One circular red light, showing all around the horizon, should be placed over the east draw-pier at an elevation of 15 feet above the top of the bridge. A similar light should be placed over the west draw pier. Three lights should be placed on the draw-span at an elevation of 15 feet or more above the top of the draw, one being over the center pier and one near each end of the draw. They should be inclosed in square boxes with two red panes of glass and two green ones-the green glasses to show in the direction of the length of the draw and the red glasses to be at right angles to the green; the boxes should be firmly fastened in position, the lamps only being movable. The lights being thus placed, when the draw is closed five red lights will be seen from above or from below the bridge; two pairs of lights with a single light between. When the draw is open three green lights will be seen in range between the two fixed red lights on the draw piers, and the position of the rest piers will be shown by the green lights near the ends of the draw. No other lights should be allowed on the bridge except such as may be required for the use of the trains. The Board is further of the opinion that these lights should be lens lights of a power not less than the sixth order light in use in the United States Light House Establishment. JOHN NEWTON, Under the authority conferred by section 2 of the act of March 3, 1883, "to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Thames River, near New London, in the State of Connecticut, and declare it a postroute," the Secretary of War prescribes that lights shall be "displayed on said bridge from the hour of sunset to the hour of sunrise," as recommended by the Board of Army and Navy Officers in the fourth section of their report-these lights to be lens lights of a power not less than the sixth order light in use in the United States Light-House Establishment. WAR DEPARTMENT, July 28, 1883. ROBERT T. LINCOLN, LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK, PROVIDENCE AND BOSTON RAILROAD COMPANY. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, July 28, 1883. SIR: Under the provisions of section 2 of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1883, entitled "An act to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Thames River, near New London, in the State of Connecticut, and declare it a post-route," I beg to advise you that the Board of Army and Navy Officers appointed by virtue of said act have rendered their report approving, with certain modifications, the project for the construction of the bridge across the Thames River at New London, Conn., and that said report has been filed in the office of the Secretary of War. Agreeably to my telegram to you of this date, I beg to inclose herewith a copy of said report, together with a copy of the indorsement thereon by the Secretary of War, prescribing what lights shall be displayed on said bridge from the hour of sunset to that of sunrise, as required by section 2 of the act of Congress above mentioned. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, ROBERT T. LINCOLN, D. S. BABCOCK, Esq., Secretary of War. Vice-President New York, Providence and Boston Railroad Company, 177 West Street, New York, N. Y. DD 2. BRIDGE ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER AT THE CITY OF WHEELING, IN PURSUANCE OF THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF DECEMBER 17, 1872, AND OF THE ACT OF FEBRUARY 14, 1883, SUPPLEMENTARY THERETO. OFFICE OF THE WHEELING AND HARRISBURG RAILWAY COMPANY, Wheeling, W. Va., October 3, 1883. DEAR SIR: In pursuance of the act of Congress approved December 17, 1872, and of the act supplementary thereto, approved February 14, 1883, the Wheeling and Harrisburg Railway Company has the honor herewith to submit for your examination a design and drawings of the bridge and piers which that company proposes to construct across the Ohio River at the city of Wheeling, W. Va., together with maps, as required by said acts. The said Wheeling and Harrisburg Railway Company is incorporated and organized under the laws of the State of West Virginia, with power to construct said bridge with terminal facilities and connections in said city of Wheeling, with a view to afford the necessary transit of said river and connections of various railroads now existing and to be constructed on either side of said river in the vicinity. With special care for the interests of navigation, the site is selected and the plans are projected with special reference to the recommenda tions made by the Board of Egineers convened by you in February, 1882, under the application for a bridge made by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company. Unforeseen events and circumstances have delayed and practically forbade, and may do so indefinitely, any progress by that company in the construction of said bridge, and all its interests now are that the bridge may be built by this company on substantially the site and within the limits allowed to that company, and it is under its practical abandonment, and with its knowledge, sanction, and co-operation, as evidenced by papers recently forwarded by it for file in your Department that this application is made. The channel and other spans over the water-way of the river are longer and largely more favorable to navigation and commerce than in the former plans, as will be seen by comparison. The location of the proposed bridge shall be as nearly as may be on a line defined by two points, one point being on the West Virginia side 250 feet up stream measured at right angles from a line (which line "if prolonged westwardly would intersect the west line of First street, Martin's Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio, at a point 165 feet south of the south line of Madison street, and which if prolonged east wardly would strike the southwest corner of the warehouse of the Wheeling Iron and Nail Company in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia") at a point on said line 360 feet from the southwest corner of the warehouse of the Wheeling Iron and Nail Company, in Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia; and the other point being 430 feet up-stream, measured at right angles from the line just before mentioned in parenthesis, at a point 187 feet from the west line of First street, in Martin's Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio. THE WHEELING AND HARRISBURG RAILWAY COMPANY, [SEAL.] Attest: President. JOEL WOOD, Secretary Wheeling and Harrisburg Railway Company. Hon. ROBERT T. LINCOLN, LETTER OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C., October 9, 1883. SIR: I have the honor to return herewith the letter of the 29th ultimo, from the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company, transmitting copy of a resolution adopted by that company, giving authority to the Wheeling and Harrisburg Railroad Company to construct a bridge over the Ohio River at Wheeling, W. Va., which authority was granted the former company by the honorable the Secretary of War, with certain conditions, and accepted by the company April 4, 1882, the bridge to be constructed in accordance with the provisions of "An act to authorize the construction of bridges across the Ohio River, and to prescribe the dimensions of the same," approved December 17, 1872, and also to return the letter of the 3d instant, from the Wheeling and Harrisburg Railway Company, by its president, George Baird, esq., submitting plan of proposed bridge to be built at the point and upon the conditions above recited. A full statement of all matters pertaining to the erection of the bridge in question is given in Appendix B B, of the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 18-2, copy herewith. There appears to be no objection to the construction of the bridge by the Wheeling and Harrisburg Railway Company for and in the place of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Company, inasmuch as the latter company does not propose to transfer any of its rights in the matter, and it is recommended that the plans submitted for the bridge be referred |