Mo. Rev. Stat. § 351.045
In case it may become necessary for any corporation formed for the purposes stated in section 351.040 hereof to take or appropriate any lands or easements, including easements of light and air of persons or corporations for approaches, viaduct, and bridge structures and approaches thereto, road, foot or wagon ways of such bridge corporation, and the owners of said property cannot agree with said corporation upon the proper compensation to be paid; or in case the owner is incapable of contracting, unknown or a nonresident of the state, then the said property may be taken by said bridge corporation in the same manner that is provided for by law in relation to the appropriation and valuation of lands taken for telegraph, macadamized, graded, plank and railroad purposes.
§ 351.045, RSMo
RSMo 1939 § 5382, A.L. 1943 p. 410 § 166