Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 29.djvu/545

 FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. CHS. 175, 176. 1897. 515 cnghteen hundred anrl ninety-four, be, and the sumé is hereby, zunended Ti? :?“’¤•*°d '°* s0 as topxtcud the uma for the commencement of the construction of w*%f;g,;Hh1. sand brxdge to one year and its completion to three years from the approval of this Act. Approved, February 8, 1897. 1’I6.—A.u Act T0 authorize the mayor and city council of Monroe, and tho Febuary 8,187]. polxco Jury of the parish of Ouachita, Louisnaua, to construct a traiiic bridge across ·— ·— -~—- the Ouachita River opposite said city. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represmtatives of the United States ofAmcr*ica in Congress assembled, Thad: the mayor and city coun- M¤¤r¤¤ md 0¤¤¤1¤i- cil of the city of Monroe, and the police jury of the parish of Ouachita, {E15? $6 ¤} S? 31E2K in the State of Louisian a., arc hereby authorized and empowered to R*"°*· con tract, operate, and maintain a general traiiic bridge across the Ouachita River, to be located at such point, within or near the corporate limits of said city as shall be approved by the Secretary of War: Pro- T- vidcd, That said bridge shall be constructed as a. drawbridgc, and the  m draw shall be opened promptly, upon reasonable signal, for the passage of boats; and whatever kind of bridge is constructed the owners thereof Lights, m. shall maintain thereon, at their own expense, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals a  the Light-House Board shall prescribe: Provided further, That if the said bridge shall be constructed to provide mgm 0*3 •¤°°* ¤“· for the passage of street-railway cars, all stsrcat-railroad companies m dcsirlu g the usc of the bridge shall have equal privileges in the passage of trains or cars over the same, and over the approaches thereto, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for Such usc; and in case of C°¤P°¤**°**°¤· disagreement in regard to the terms of such use, or the rates to be paid, the matters at 1ssue shall be decided by the Secretary of War. Sec. 2. That any bridge built under the provisions of this Act shall “*a¤'**:* ;j1{c¤°°¤’° be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as a post; w  route, upon which no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, troops, and munitions of war of the United States passing over said bridge than the rata por mile paid for the transportation over the public highways leading to said bridge; and equal privileges in the uso of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies; and the United States shall have the Pum m•p•p». right of way across said bridge and approaches: for postal-telegraph purposes; and said bridge shall be so constructed and operated as not Fran umpem. to interfere with the navigation of said river. 3. That said municipal corporation shall have the right to '1‘¤¤· charge and collect a reasonable rate oftoll, to be approved by the Secretary of War, not exceeding the rata limited by the law of Louisiana. Sec. 4. That the bridge authorized to be constructed under this Act apmgwg g:'°° shall be located and built under and subject to such regulations {hr the security nf the navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and to secure that objcct the said corporation shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination aud approval, a design and drawings of the proposed bridge, and n. map of the location. giving for the space of one-half mile above and one-half mile below the proposed location the topography of the banks of the river, the shore lines at high and low water, the direction and strength of the currents, and the soundiugs, accurately showing the bed of the stream, and shall furnish such other information as may be required for a hull and satis factory understanding of the subject. And until the said plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War, no work upon the bridge shall be commenced: and should any change be made ¤h¤¤z¤¤· in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War.