The petition shall state the objections to the route designated, shall designate the route to which it is proposed to alter the same, and shall be accompanied with a survey, map and profile of the route designated by the corporation, and of the proposed alteration thereof, and copies thereof shall be served upon the corporation and such owners or occupants with the notice of the application. The justice may, upon the hearing of the application, appoint three disinterested persons, one of whom must be a practical civil engineer, commissioners to examine the route proposed by the corporation, and the route to which it is proposed to alter the same, and after hearing the parties, to affirm the route originally designated, or adopt the proposed alteration thereof, as may be consistent with the just rights of all parties and the public, including the owners or occupants of lands upon the proposed alterations; but no alteration of the route shall be made except by the concurrence of the commissioner who is a practical civil engineer, nor which will cause greater damage or injury to lands or materially greater length of road than the route designated by the corporation, nor which shall substantially change the general line adopted by the corporation.

The commissioners shall, within thirty days after their appointment, make and certify their written determination, which with the petition, map, survey and profile, and any testimony taken before them shall be immediately filed in the office of the county clerk of the county. Within twenty days after such filing, any party may, by written notice to the other, appeal to the general term of the supreme court from the decision of the commissioners, which appeal shall be heard and decided at the next term held in the department in which the lands of the petitioners or any of them are situated, for which the same can be noticed, according to the rules and practice of the court. On the hearing of such appeal, the court may affirm the route proposed by the corporation or may adopt that proposed by the petitioner.

The commissioners shall each be entitled to six dollars per day for their services, and to their reasonable and necessary expenses, to be paid by the persons who applied for their ap

pointment. If the route of the road, as designated by the corporation, is altered by the commissioners, or by the order of the court, the corporation shall refund to the petitioner the amount so paid, unless the decision of the commissioners is reversed upon appeal taken by the corporation. No such corporation shall institute any proceedings for the condemnation of real property in any county until after the expiration of fifteen days from the service by it of the notice required by this section. Every such corporation shall transmit to the board of railroad commissioners the following maps, profiles and drawings exhibiting the characteristics of their road, to wit:

A map or maps showing the length and direction of each straight line; the length and radius of each curve; the point of crossing of each town and county line, and the length of line of each town and county accurately determined by measurements to be taken after the completion of the road.

Whenever any part of the road is completed and used, such maps and profiles of such completed part shall be filed with such board within three months after the completion of any such portion and the commencement of its operation; and when any additional portion of the road shall be completed and used, other maps shall be filed within the same period of time, showing the additional parts so completed. If the route, as located upon the map and profile filed in the office of any county clerk, shall have been changed, it shall also cause a copy of the map and profile filed in the office of the railroad commissioners, so far as it may relate to the location in such county, to be filed in the office of the county clerk.

Thus amended by chap. 676, Laws of 1892.

Acquisition of title to real property; additions, betterments and facilities.

*§ 7. All real property, required by any railroad corporation for the purpose of its incorporation or for any purpose stated in the railroad law, shall be deemed to be required for a public use, and may be acquired by such corporation. If the corpora

tion is unable to agree for the purchase of any such real prop erty, or of any right, interest or easement therein, required for any such purpose, or if the owner thereof shall be incapable of selling the same, or if after diligent search and inquiry the name and residence of any such owner cannot be ascertained, it shall have the right to acquire title thereto by condemnation. Every railroad corporation shall have the power from time to time to make and use upon or in connection with any railroad either owned or operated by it, such additions, betterments and facilities as may be necessary or convenient for the better management, maintenance or operation of any such railroad, and shall have the right by purchase or by condemnation, to acquire any real property required therefor, and it shall also have the right of condemnation in the following additional cases:

1. Where title to real property has been acquired, or attempted to be acquired, and has been found to be invalid or defective.

2. Where its railroad shall be lawfully in possession of a lessee, mortgagee, trustee or receiver, and additional real property shall be required for the purpose of running or operating such railroad.

*3. Where it shall require for any railroad owned or operated by it any further rights to lands or the use of lands for addi tional main tracks or for branches, sidings, switches, or turnouts or for connections or for cut-offs or for shortening or straightening or improving the line or grade of its road or any part thereof. Also where it shall require any further rights to lands or the use of lands for filling any structures of its road, or for constructing, widening or completing any of its embankments or roadbeds, by means of which greater safety or permanency may be secured, and such lands shall be contiguous to such railroad and reasonably accessible.

4. Where it shall require any further right to lands or to the use of lands for the flow of water occasioned by railroad embankments or structures now in use, or hereafter rendered necessary, or for any other purpose necessary for the operation

of such railroad, or for any right to take and convey water from any spring, pond, creek or river to such railroad, for the uses and purposes thereof, together with the right to build or lay aqueducts or pipes for the purpose of conveying such water, and to take up, relay and repair the same, or for any right of way required for carrying away or diverting any water, stream or floods from such railroad for the purpose of protecting its road or for the purpose of preventing any embankment, excavation or structure of such railroad from injuring the property of any person who may be rendered liable to injury thereby.

Waters commonly used for domestic, agricultural or manufacturing purposes, shall not be taken by condemnation to such an extent as to injuriously interfere with such use in future. No railroad corporation shall have the right to acquire by condemnation any right or easement in or to any real property owned or occupied by any other railroad corporation, except the right to intersect or cross the tracks and lands owned or held for right of way by such other corporation, without appropriating or affecting any lands owned or held for depots or gravelbeds.

Thus amended by chap. 676, Laws of 1892, and chap. 727, Laws of 1905. *The first paragraph and subdivision 3 of section 7 thus amended by chap. 727, Laws of 1905.

See section 4 of this law.

As to condemnation by street railroads, see section 90 and section 4, and this section of this law.

As to condemning railroad property, see section 3370, Condemnation Law,

ante.

Railroads through public lands.

§ 8. The commissioners of the land office may grant to any domestic railroad corporation land belonging to the people of the state, except the reservation at Niagara and the Concourse lands on Coney Island, which may be required for the purpose of its road on such terms as may be agreed upon by them; or such corporation may acquire title thereto by condemnation; and the county or town officers having charge of any land belonging to any county or town, required for such corporation for the purposes of its road, may grant such land to the corporation for such

compensation as may be agreed upon. In case the land or any right, interest or easement therein, required by such railroad corporation is used for prison purposes the commissioners of the land office may grant such land, or any right, interest or easement there. in, provided the plans of such railroad corporation for the use of such prison lands, or such right, interest or easement therein, have the approval of the superintendent of state prisons.

Thus amended by chap. 313, Laws of 1904.

Railroads through Indian lands.

§ 9. Any railroad corporation may contract with the chiefs of any nation of Indians, over whose lands it may be necessary to construct its railroad, for the right to make such road upon such lands, but such contract shall not vest in the corporation the fee to the land, nor the right to occupy the same for any purposes other than may be necessary for the construction, occupancy and maintenance of such railroad, and such contract shall not be valid or effectual until it shall be ratified by the county court of the county where the land shall be situated.

Railroads through Chautauqua assembly grounds.

§ 10. No railroad corporation shall build, construct or operate any railroad in, upon, over or through the grounds, lands or premises owned by the Chautauqua assembly corporation in the town and county of Chautauqua, without the written consent of a majority of the board of trustees of such assembly corporation.

Intersection of highways additional lands for.

§ 11. No railroad corporation shall erect any bridge or other obstruction across, in or over any stream or lake, navigated by steam or sail boats at the place where it may be proposed to be erected, nor shall it construct its road in, upon or across any street of any city without the assent of the corporation of such city, nor across, upon or along any highway in any town or street in any incorporated village, without the order of the supreme court of the district in which such highway or street is situated,