Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 28.djvu/78

 FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Sess. Il. Ch. 52. 1894. 49 or either of them, over the said rivers shall be made with unbroken and continuous spans, there shall be at least one span of a height of not less than eighty feet above low water as understood at the point of location, measured to the lowest part of the superstructure of said bridge; and said span shall have a clear opening of at least two hun~ dred feet between the piers, measured at right angles to the current, and shall be over the main channel of the river, and the bridge or bridges shall be at right angles to, and the piers parallel with, the current of the river. And if the bridges, or either of them, over the nmw mage,. said rivers shall be constructed as draw or pivot bridges, the draw or pivot pier shall be over the main channel of the river at an accessible navigable point, and the openings on each side of the pivot pier shall not be less than one hundred feet in the clear, unless otherwise expressly directed by the Secretary of War, and if so directed shall be according to Such direction, and the said openings shall be accessible at all stages of water, and the spans shall be not less than ten feet above extreme high water, as understood at the point of location, to the lowest part of the superstructure of the bridge, and the piers and draw rests shall be parallel with, and the bridge or bridges at right angles to, the current of the river or rivers ; and no riprap or other outside protection for imperfect foundations shall be permitted to approach nearer than four feet to the surface of the water at its extreme low stage, or otherwise to encroach upon the channel ways provided for in this Act; and or¤¤i¤g drewall and each of said draws shall be opened promptly upon reasonable signal for the passing of boats; and whatever kind of bridges shall be constructed said company shall maintain, at its own expense, from sunset till sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridges as the Light- Lights, sm. House Board may prescribe. Sec. 2. That any bridge built under this act, and subject to its limi- “f·,¤*;;*{Ir0;Q;¤;¤*¤”¤ tations, shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known P ` as a post route, upon which also no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroad 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 no bridge shall be erected or maintained under the 8*g’;gb“*"'°'°d ”‘“'*· authority of this Act which shall at any time substantially or materially g ` obstruct the free navigation of said rivers; and if any 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 cn.¤c¤¤· or alteration of said bridge or bridges to be made as will etfectually obviate such obstruction; and all such alterations shall be made and all such obstructions be removed at the expense of the owner or owners of said bridge. And in case of any litigation arising from any obstruc- Lm¢·*i°¤· tion or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river, caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States for the western district of Louisiana, in whose jurisdiction any portion of said obstruction or bridge may be located: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to p,.,..;..]. repeal or modify any of the provisions of law now existing in reference m§jf{·;‘f“g ‘"° ”°* to the protection of the navigation of rivers or to exempt said bridges ' from the operation of the same. · i U b _ th Sec. 4. That all railway companies desiring the use of said bridges, p,,,,?.;, i ° H °°m` or either of them, shall have and be entitled to equal rights and priv~ ileges relative to the passage of railway trains over the same, and over the approaches thereto, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use. Sec. 5. That the bridges authorized tobe constructed under this Act a Szfgmf Wtgw shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for Pp P °' ° the security of navigation of said rivers as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said company or corporation shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and aps'rAT—VOL XXVIH———4