Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 16.djvu/219

 FORTY—FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. H. Ch. 195. 1870. 185 CHAP. CXCV. -——A.n Act autharizin the Construction of a Bridge across the Arkansas July 1, 1870. River at Eittle Rock, Arkansas. '"”"";" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America tn. Congress assembled, That it shall be lawful for the Bridge ’·‘~°*`°” Citizens’ Bridge Company, a corporation having authority from the State ;l$e¢`;{;,2Siltt1G of Arkansas, to build a railroad, transit, and wagon bridge across the ltocl€,anthor· Arkansas river at or near the city of Little Rock, in Arkansas; and that, ‘"d‘ when constructed, all trains of all roads terminating at the Arkansas river, All mms of at or near the location of said bridge, shall be allowed to cross said bridge all *0%*% &°· to for a reasonable compensation to be paid to the owners thereof; and in ;;;ll?:;?t° case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river, the cause may be tried before the district court of the United States of any State in which any portion of said obstruction or bridge touches. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That any bridge built under the pro- Question of Visions of this act may, at the option of the company building the same, ?x;;‘;;’E°“b;° be built as a drawbridge, with a pivot or other form of a draw, or with mm; in fgdgyg] unbroken and continuous spans : Provided, That if the said bridge shall ¤<>¤Y§S~ be made with unbroken and continuous spans, it shall not be in any case m£fl€§°g,H$QY of less elevation than fifty feet above extreme high-water mark, as under- Elevation if stood at the point of location, to the bottom chord of the bridge. Nor €“l{;"’“h““' shall the spans be of less than two hundred and fifty feet in length in the Ni_9;;$l)£l,[l·S` clear; and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with the current of spans said river; and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river at low water : And provided also, That if any bridge built under this act If built as a shall be constructed as a drawbridge, the same shall be constructed as a g”*‘“’b"ld%°· *° . . . . . _ e constructed pivot clrawbridge, with a draw over the mam channel of the river at an M a pivot dum accessible and navigable point, and with spans of not less than one hun- bridge. dred and sixty feet in length in the clear, on each side of the central or pivot pier of the draw. And the next adjoining spans to the draw shall Spans. not be less than two hundred and fifty feet; and said spans shall not be less than twenty feet above higlrwater mark, measuring to the bottom chord of the bridge ; and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with the current of the river: And provided also, That said draw shall be Draw to be opened promptly upon reasonable signal, for the passage of boats whose j>J§f¤**d Prompt' construction shall not be such as to admit of their passage under the per~ manent spans of said bridge, except when trains are passing over the same; but in no case shall unnecessary delay occur in opening the said draw during or after the passage of trains. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That any bridge constructed under Bridge wbé 8- this act and according to its limitations shall be a lawful structure, and £;'éf;L;;;};;'Qlr° shall be recognized and known as a post-route upon which also no higher Qhnrges to the charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the Umm $*5***- troops, and the munitions of war of the United States, than the rate per mile paid for their transportation over the railroads or the public highways leading to the said bridge : And provided also, That said corporation C<>Ft>¤f¤ti¤¤ may execute a mortgage and issue bonds payable, principal and interest, Ezftggggu ° in gold or United States currency. _ Sue. 4. And be it further enacted, That the United States shall have the foF‘%;‘€;i;;Y right of way for postal telegraph purposes across said bridge. gw8h_ Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the bridge company aforesaid, Plansofbridge . · · to be submitted shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his approval,a plan with the ne- to Sammy of cessary drawings of their bridge, conforming to the above requirements; Wai-._ and until the Secretary of War approve the plan and location of said b8];2g‘a_$cY;2;g° bridge, and notify the company of the same in writing, the bridge shall not mm, &c_ be built or commenced ; and should any change be made in the plan of Changes of the bridge during the progress of the work thereon, such change shall be Pla"- subject likewise to the approval of the Secretary of War.