Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/670

 630 FORTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 329. 1873. March3, 1873. CHAP. CCCXXIX.-An Act to authorize the Little Rock, Pine Bluf and Arkadcl- ""__""`" phia Southwestern Railroad Company to construct aBridgc over the Ouachita River at or near Arkadelphia, Arkansas Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Little Rock, States of America in Congress assembled, That the Little Rock, Pine &°·»R*H*'°°d B1u(Y and Arkadelphia Southwestern Railroad Company, a corporation g_$.{{c{°:’{,§(Q’;, organized under the general incorporation laws of the State of Aroverthe Ouachita kansas, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct a bridge over the ‘*"°’· i“A’k““‘ Ouachita river at or near Arkadelphia in the State Arkansas for the m` purpose of terminating the Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Arkadelphin, Southwestern Railroad at Arkadelphia, in said State, and for the purpose of connecting said railroad with any other railroad which may run from said place: Provided, That said company may construct said bridge Purposes Orem for the accommodation of foot passengers, animals, and vehicles of all b*id8¤ kinds over said river, and shall keep up, operate, and maintain said brid e. Bridge may bg Sgc. 2. That said company may build said bridge as a draw-bridge,
 * $l'¤W‘b*jidS°»°! with a pivot or other form of draw, or with unbroken or continuous
 * Ll;g;°°u°“°°s spans: Provided, That if the same shall be made of unbroken or continuifwith continu- ous spans it shall not be of less elevation in any case than fifty feet above

°““ “P'*““¤ high—water mark, as understood at the point of location, to the bottom chord of the bridge. nor shall the spans of said bridge be less than one hundred and fifty feet in length, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with the current of the river, and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river, and not less than one hundred and eighty 5;,, ,, dm,. feet in length. And provided also, That if said bridge shall be built as a b¤'idS°· draw-bridge, the same shall be constructed as a pivot draw-bridge with a draw over the main channel of the river at an accessible and navigable point, and with spans of not less than one hundred and sixty feet on either side of the pivot—pier; and said spans shall not be less than thirty feet above low·water mark, and not less than ten feet above above extreme high-water mark, measuring to the bottom chord of the bridge; and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel to the current of the river, And Draw to be provided also, That said draw shall be opened promptly upon reasonable °P°¤°d P*°mP“Y· notice or signal, for the passage of boats, and in no case shall unnnecessary delay occur in opening the said draw during or after the passage of trains. Bridgetobs a Sec. 3. That said bridge, when constructed under this act, shall be a 1¤v;f¤1 ¤¤'¤°¤¤’° lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as a. post—r0ute, and mC§'a¥;:jr°ut°’ no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for their transportation over the railroads of public highways leadin to said bridge. All railway Sud; 4. That all railway companies desiringa to use the said bridge ¤°¤¤P¤¤i°¤_m¤Y shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges in the passage of 3;,°:,,31igclgxdg° the same, and in the use of the machinery and fixtures thereof, and of all Secretary of the approaches thereto, under and upon such terms and conditions as shall ¥;I;€i€;§SfE;;l’° be ppescribled by the Secretary of Walr, upon hearing the allegations and buildin ,&c.,um proc s of e parties in case the sha not a ree. brigige-g Sec. 5. That the structure heyiein authoriéd shall be built imder and bebing my subject to such regulations for the security of the navigation of said river and lake as the Secretary of War shall prescribe, and the said structure shall be, at all times, so kept and managed as to offer reasonable and proper means for the passage of vessels through and under said struc— ture; and the said structure shall be changed at the cost and expense of the owners thereof, from time to time, as Congress may direct, so as to preserve the free and convenient navigation of said river; and the authority to erect and continue said bridge shall be subject to revocation by law whenever the public good shall, in the judgment of Congress, so require,