Silliman v. Troy & W. T. Bridge Co.

22 F. Cas. 128, 11 Blatchf. 274, 1873 U.S. App. LEXIS 1710

This text of 22 F. Cas. 128 (Silliman v. Troy & W. T. Bridge Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Silliman v. Troy & W. T. Bridge Co., 22 F. Cas. 128, 11 Blatchf. 274, 1873 U.S. App. LEXIS 1710 (circtndny 1873).

Opinion

HUNT, Circuit Justice.

The bill of complaint in this case was filed in October, 1872. It alleges the passage of an act by the legislature of the state of New York, in April, 1872, authorizing the construction by the defendants of a bridge across the Hudson river, from the foot of Congress street, in the city of Troy, of not less than thirty feet elevation above ordinary tide-water, with a draw of sufficient width to allow of two openings therein, of not less than one hundred feet in width, and sets forth the whole of the act on the subject. It alleges, that the plaintiff is a citizen of the state of New Jersey, and is part owner of the barge St. Nicholas, and of the canal-boat Amelia Curtis; that the barge and the canal-boat are duly enrolled as United States vessels, and licensed to carry on the coasting trade, and are engaged in that trade; that Troy is a port of delivery; that the tide ebbs and flows in the Hudson river above Congress street, and in front of the whole city of Troy; that the bridge company have contracted with the other defendants to build the bridge; and that they intend to erect the same, and are proceeding in the construction thereof. The bill describes the character of the river, its channels and commerce, and the vessels engaged in it, the city of Troy and its surroundings, and charges that the proposed bridge will essentially obstruct the navigation of the river, and will materially hinder the complainant and others from using it as they have been accustomed to do, will interfere with the use of the licenses to the plaintiff, will hinder the subjects of foreign countries in the exercise of their rights of navigation, and will interrupt trade, commerce, and navigation, to the common nuisance and irreparable injury of the complainant and other citizens of the United States. The bill further alleges, that bars and shoals will necessarily be formed by the piers of the bridge, that the United States own extensive and costly [129]*129■works on the Hudson, opposite Troy, and nave expended large sums in improving the navigation of the river, and that there is no public necessity for the bridge, concluding with a prayer that the act authorizing the construction of the bridge may be declared unconstitutional and void, and that the defendants may be restrained from erecting the same, unless placed at a height sufficient, at all stages of the water, to permit the passage of vessels with their masts and chimneys standing, and that a preliminary injunction mav issue.

The answer was verified on the 30th of December, 1872, and served at about the same time? It is not necessary here to detail its contents. Affidavits in support of, and in opposition to, the motion are also read.

The parties differ in their views of the law applicable to this subject. They differ largely as to the effect that it js supposed will be produced by the erection of the bridge. As to the facts as they exist at this time there is no great difference between the parties. They are substantially as follows: At the point in question the Hudson river is G72 feet in width, and the tide rises and falls about two feet. The bridge is to be built upon three piers, all of which cover the space of forty-two feet in width, leaving a clear space of 630 feet. The pivot or draw-pier in the middle of the river is twenty-eight feet in width, and is built in form of the letter Y, with the pointed end up the stream. On each side of this pier there is to be a draw, and an opening 111 feet wide, and the elevation of the entire bridge is to be 32 feet above ordinary tide-water. Considerable progress has been made in the construction of the bridge, and there has been expended in such construction, and in procuring materials intended for such construction, the sum of $150,000. At a distance of about one-half mile above the proposed bridge is the bridge of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Company, on the same river, which is also used as a highway bridge. A short distance further up the stream is the state dam, extending entirely across the river and entirely closing the same to boats and vessels except by the use of a lift-lock at the easterly end thereof. Six miles below, at the city of Albany, are two other bridges across the same stream, used exclusively for railroad purposes, the onb having been in use for eight years and the other for two years. One of these bridges has its two draws of the width of 117 feet each, and the other of 111 feet each, and said bridges have an elevation of 30 feet only above ordinary tide-water. The usual landing place for the passenger steamers between Troy and New York is about nine hundred feet above the proposed bridge. One entrance into the river from the Erie canal is 700 feet above the bridge, and there is another entrance some distance below it.

Troy is a flourishing city of 50,000 inhabitants, connected in commerce and social intercourse with the city of CoSoes, and the villages of West Troy and Lansingburgh and Waterford, and has a commerce upon the river above and below the bridge, by means of steamers, barges, canal-boats and sail vessels. I do not deem it necessary to be more precise as to the extent of this commerce. If this commerce is illegally excluded from the river, or is materially and illegally interfered with, there is enough of it, in any view of the case, to sustain this action and this motion. If this injury is not sustained, or is not occasioned in a manner forbidden by law, it cannot, of course, be important whether it is farge or small.

The plaintiff is a part owner of a barge and a part owner of a canal-boat, both of which are registered and, under licenses from the United States authorities, are engaged in.the navigation and commerce of this river between Troy and points upon the river farther down the stream.

The matters of fact above stated are undisputed. The points of fact in dispute are these: (1) Whether, above or at the intended bridge, the current of the river runs westerly from the Troy bank towards the other shore, thus striking the middle pier upon its broader side, instead of meeting the sharp point of the pier, as intended, and as is alleged to be the fact by the bridge company; and (2) whether bars and shoals will be formed above and below the piers of the bridge, by the existence of such piers, whereby the navigation of the river will be essentially impaired. This is a matter of science or of speculation as to a future occurrence, rather than a dispute as to the existence of a present fact.

On the first point, viz., of the course of the current at a point above the bridge, Luther Eddy, Daniel Hartnett, Lewis D. Deming, Francis Tesón and H. Swartwout testify, in substance, that the current runs diagonally across the river from the eastern to the western shore, and give their opinion that the necessary effect of this current against the pier will be to form shoals and bars. They differ, however, upon the point as to where the current commences to change its course. Hart-nett says, that the change commences below the new bridge, while the most of the others state that the change commences at the bridge. I can not but think that the effect of the change of current at a point at or above the bridge must be different from that occurring at a point below the bridge. In the latter case, the running water would be carried clear of the piers, and the liability to create shoals or bars would not exist, or would be less than where the water should come directly against the piers. The effect of the plaintiff’s affidavits is weakened by this diversity. The statement is also directly denied by the affidavits of Mr. Fuller, an engineer; Mr. Robinson, who is engaged in the transportation business; Mr.

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Related

People v. Rensselaer & Saratoga Rail Road
15 Wend. 113 (New York Supreme Court, 1836)

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Bluebook (online)
22 F. Cas. 128, 11 Blatchf. 274, 1873 U.S. App. LEXIS 1710, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/silliman-v-troy-w-t-bridge-co-circtndny-1873.