38 Wis. 449 | Wis. | 1875
For the purposes of this case it may he assumed that the road known as the old pinery road, down the ravine and across Bridge Creek at the ford, had become a public highway by user or prescription. It may also be conceded that the road across the crown of the hill, which turned back into the main track, and which the evidence showed - had been traveled over for more than ten years, was likewise a highway by user. But still the town rests its defense upon the ground that the bridge where the accident occurred was no part of either of these highways, and that it was under no obligation to keep it in suitable repair. Whether, under the circumstances, it was the duty of the town to keep the bridge in sufficient repair, or, if not, whether it should have employed some means to warn persons of its dangerous condition, are questions presented on the record and ably discussed on the argument.
The bridge in question was built in December, 1869, by persons living in the adjoining town of Lincoln, as it appears, for their own accommodation in crossing the creek an that point. There is no evidence that the authorities of the defendant town have ever adopted the bridge as belonging to the town, nor have they exercised any control over it, or treated it as constituting a part of any highwa}r of the town. The bridge is ten rods distant from the nearest point in the highway leading oyer the crown of the hill, and seventeen rods distant from the nearest approach of the old pinery road. The ford which was and is the usual crossing of the old pinery road, is up the creek from the bridge over forty rods by a direct line. No travel ever crossed the creek where this bridge, called the Murphy bridge, was erected, except for less than "two and one-half years while it existed; and after its destruction the travel all re
The first question to be considered is, Was it the duty of the defendant to keep the Murphy bridge, built in the manner indicated, in a safe condition for the passage of the public travel over it, and is it liable for an injury which occurred in consequence of its being out of repair? The statute imposes upon a town the duty of keeping all public highways and bridges within its limits in proper repair, and makes it liable for any damages which shall happen to any person, or to his property, by reason of their insufficiency. Sec. 120, ch. 19, R. S. This statute obviously refers to the public highways of the town in fact, or highways which have become such in some
The case of Requa v. City of Rochester, 45 N. Y., 130, is no authority for holding the town bound to repair this bridge upon the facts disclosed in the evidence. In that case an excavation was made in a street by the authorities • of the city, so as to cause an abrupt descent from a public alley to the street, and rendered egress from the alley inconvenient and dangerous. This excavation had been bridged by a volunteer, and the city had allowed the bridge to remain there for years. The court held, upon the facts of the case, that this bridge became the property of the city, and, as it was the duty of the city to keep its streets and public alleys in a condition for safe passage over them, it was bound to keep this bridge in suitable repair.
The cases of Cobb v. Inhabitants of Standish, 14 Me., 198, and Savage v. Bangor, 40 id., 176, are not at all analogous to the one before us. In those cases the defects were within the limits of the highways.
The fact that the main travel passed over the bridge after its erection, without objection from the authorities of the town, cannot render the town responsible for the repair of the bridge, unless the structure was situated on and constituted a part of a public highway. The injury was occasioned by defects in a private bridge, and not by defects in a public bridge. Por the bridge was so far distant from any public highway, that in no sense did it constitute any portion or part of a highway of the town. Uor do we well see what right the authorities of the town had to object to persons crossing this bridge who might be willing to take the risk of doing so.
But again it is said the town was negligent in not using some means to warn travelers off the way on which the bridge was situated, and to prevent them from incurring danger in crossing it. The evidence shows very clearly that the plaintiff was well acquainted with this bridge, having crossed it but three days before the accident, while going to Eau Claire. A notice to him of its obvious defects and insufficiency would afford no information which he did not already possess. He was perfectly familiar with the bridge, and. doubtless had as much knowledge of its condition as any one. But, under the circumstances of the case, we cannot assent to the proposition that it was the duty of the defendant town to place barriers across the way leading from the highway over the hill to this bridge; or to post notices informing the public that the bridge did not belong to the town, or that it was out of repair. It is apparent that if barriers were placed or notices posted any
By the Court. — The judgment of the the circuit court is reversed, and a new trial ordered.