Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 24.djvu/87

 52 FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. CII. 344. 1886. May 17, 1886. CHAP. 344.-Au act to authorize the coqstmctiou of :1 bridge across the Miqsouri ——--—————-—· River at some accessible point withm ten m11es below nucl five m110s above the exty of Kansas City, Missouri. Bc it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of llw United W¤b¤¤h, S¤·§¤¤ States of America, in Congress assembled, That: the Wabash, Sgxmt Louis IIg'?l“ "“‘1 P‘3"‘£° and Pacific Railway, a, corporation duly org:m1zcd, be, and IS hereby, m:1“;:yb,i3;,, 3; authorized to construct and maintain a bridge, and approaches therepo, Missouri River, over the Missouri River, at some accessible pomt consistent with the m- ¤<>=¤f K¤¤¤¤¤ City, terests of the river navigation within five miles above and ten miles be- M°· low the present railroad bridge across said river at; the c 1ty of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of railway trains, aud, nt; the Wagon and foot option of the corporation by which it may be built, may be used fpr the bridve. passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, for the transxt of z1111ma1s, Tvliis- and for foot-passengers, for such reasonable rates of toll as may be :1 p- proved from time to time by the Secretary of War. To be u lawful SEO. 2. That any bridge built under this act and subject to its lim1t- ¤fr¤<=t¤r¤¤¤d1><>¤*>- ations shall be a. lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known '°“*°· as a. postrroute, upon which also 110 higher charge shallvbc made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States, or for passengers and freight passing over said bridge, than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroad or public highways leading to said bridge; and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post,-roads in the United States. Sec. 3. That if said bridge shall be made with unbroken and continuous Sperm spans, the spans thereof shall not be less than three hundred feet in length in the clear, and the main span shall be over the main channel of the river. The lowest part: of the superstructure of said bridge shall be at least fifty feet above extreme high-water mark, as understood at the point of location, and at least eighty feet above low water, and the bridge shall be at right angles to and its piers parallel p,·,,,,;,,,,_ with the current of the river: Provided, That if the same shall be Draws. constructed as u draw-bridge, it shall have two or more pivot or drawspan openings over the main channel of the river, giving one hundred and sixty feet clear channel-way in each opening, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with and the bridge itself at right angles to the current of the river; also that all fixed spans located between the shore-lines at the medium stage of water shall be three hundred feet or more in length, and that the clear heaul-room under such spans shall not be less than ten feet at highest water: Provided also, That said Lights, em. draw shall be opened promptly, upon reasonable signal, for the passage of boats; and said corporation shall maintain, at its own expense, fiom sunset till sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridge as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. No bridge shall be erected or maintained under the authority of this act which shall at any time sub- _ Fm navigation stantially or materially obstruct the free navigation of said river; and $:3* *° b° °b¤**'¤°*· if amy bridge erected under such authority shall, in the opinion of the ' Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized ’ to cause such change or alteration of said bridge to be made as will effectually obyiate such obstructions; und all such alterations shall bc made and all such obstructions be removed ut the expense of the owner or owners of said bridge; and in case of any litigation arising from any Litigation. obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, the case muy be brought in the district court of the United States of the State of Missouri in which any portion of said obstruction or bridge may be located: Providedfurther, Than nothing in this act; shall be so construed as to repeal or modify any of the provisions of law now existing in reference to the protection of the navigation of rivers, or to exempt this bridge from the other cmupmms operation of the szmlc. to have right of Sm:. 4. That  railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge shall Qay have and be entntled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage