Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 27.djvu/450

 424 FIFTY-SECON D CONGRESS. Siass. II. Ch. 47,48. 1893. rum megmpn. other post routes in the United States, and the United States shall have a right of way for postal telegraph across said bridge. Fw by other ¤¤¤¤· Sec. 5. That all railroad companies desiring the use of any bridge ’°°i°°' constructed under this act shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of railway trains or cars over the same and over the approaches thereto upon payment of reasonable 0¤¤¤1>¤¤¤=ti•>¤· compensation for such use; and in case the owner or owners of said bridge and the several railroad companies, or any one of them, desiring · such use shall fail to agree upon the sum or sums to be paid and upon rules and conditions to which each shall conform in using said bridge, all matters at issue between them shall be decided by the Secretary of War upon a hearing of the allegations and proof of the parties. C¤¤;¤;¤i¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ wi SEO. 6. That this act shall be null and void if actual construction of °°""° °°‘ the bridge or bridges herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date of this act. A¤¤¤¤¤=- Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, January 26, 1893. Jam,). 2s_ 1m_ Ri v:8iI;—‘r:n t1<;·authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi Be it enacted by the Senateand House of Representatives of the United m§,,¤:*:¤°’¤;,Ij_¤j_§S:¤:d States of America in Congress assembled, That the Southern Bridge and my image LJ Railway Company, a corporation duly incorporated under the laws of gj§,g§,,_*"I‘jf “° N'"' the State of Louisiana, be, and the same is hereby, authorized and em- ' powered to erect, construct, and maintain a bridge over the Mississippi River, the approach to which, on its left bank, shall be within the upper limits of the city of New Orleans, if practicable, or within tive miles above said city limits, in the State of Louisiana, at such location as may be approved by the Secretary of War. Said bridge shall be constructed for the use and connemtions of the railroads on either side of the river, and for other purposes. ,,,{{“;'0€,‘§1,§:§,Y°°“'° Sec. 2. That any bridge built under this act and subject to its limitations shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as a post route, upon which also no higher charge shall be made for the transportation over the same of the mails, the troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroads or public highways leading to the said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the United States. €¤¤¤¢¤¤·=¤¤¤· Sec. 3. That the said bridge shall be made with three unbroken and continuous spans between the river banks, as defined by a medium Mein *1*** stage of water, and with but two piers in the river. The length of the main channel span shall be at least one thousand feet long, measured between the piers at the surface of the water at low water, and the height of the superstructure above high water shall be fixed and de- · termined by the Secretary of War; and the bridge shall be at right protege. angles to, and its piers parallel with, the ciurent of the river: Pro- Minimum reign:. sided, That the lower chord of the bridge shall be horizontal and the lowest point of the superstructure shall not be less than eightyhve N¤¤·"<> of *¤•¤¤<¤¤><>¤¤- feet above extreme high water: Provided, also, That said Southern Bridge and Railway Company shall have posted in a conspicuous place, on or near the bridge, the clear headroom under the channel span on each day, the iigures expressing this height to be not less than two feet high, and to be readily visible from any point in the channel of the river for a stretch of three thousand feet above and one thousand feet below the bridge. The bridge shall be located lf¤<>\>¤¢¤¤¢¢¤<1 rmi- above the city of New Orleans. No bridge shall be erected or maing“"°"‘ tained under the authority of this act which shall at any time substantially or materially obstruct the navigation of said river, and if