Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 29.djvu/563

 FIFTY·FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 240. 1897. 533 CHAP. 240.-An Act To authorize the construction by the Duluth and North F¤l>1‘¤=¤‘y 17. 1897- Dakota Railroad Company of two brid es across the Red River of the North between :?’"‘* the States of Minnesota and North Dagota. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Duluth and North D]}¤Q:*l¤,_:;¤d .112***** Dakota Railroad Company, a corporation duly created and existing gin; may iii: s gsi under the law of the State of North Dakota, its successors or assigns, NL‘;Q§1f,§_,j‘}{$l€'°"h· be, and it is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a bridge and ` approaches thereto across the Bed River of the North at two points on said river, as follows: One of said bridges shall be located at or near Grand Forks, in the Location. county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota, and the other of said bridges shall be located at or near Acton, in Walsh County, or at or near Drayton, in Pcmbina County, both in North Dakota, or at some convenient point between said town s. Said bridges shall be constructed l***}“¥·°*¤=··l•¤’**l8•· to provide for the passage of railway trains, and, at the option of said corporation, may be so constructed as to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, animals, and foot passengers, for such reasonable rates of toll as may be approved by the Secretary of War. Sec. 2. That the bridges herein authorized shall be built and located l§;‘jfg’_f°;,5:§ m" *° under and in accordance with such regulations for the security of nav-` igation as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said company shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, drawings showing the plan and location of said bridges; said drawings to give 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 current at all stages, soundings accurately showing the bed of the stream, and such other information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until the plan and location of the bridges are approved by the Secretary of 'War the bridges shall not be commenced or built; and any °¤¤¤s••- change in the plans of said bridges, either before or after construction, shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War; and any change in said bridges during or after construction which the Secretary of War may require in the interest of navigation shall be made by the said company at its own expense. Sec. 3. That the said bridges shall at all times be so kept and man- —“‘• °° ¤•"*¤°“°'*· aged as to offer reasonable and proper means for the passage of vessels and other crafts through or under said structures; and if said bridges D”"°· be built as drawbridges the draws shall be opened promptly upon reasonable signal for the passage of boats or other crafts; and whatever kind of bridge is constructed the said company shall maintain at its own expense, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals on mum. M- said bridges as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. Sec. 4. That any bridge built under this Act and subject to its limi- n{;“;,’;lr;tj{;f°*"’° tations 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 transmission over the same of the mails, the troops and munitions of war of the United States, or passengers or freight over said bridge than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the raikoads or public highways leading to said bridge; and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads of the United States; and equal privileges in the use of said bridges shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridges and their approaches for said postal telegraph *"°°*“ *°l°¢”1’“ ur ses. P Sill?}. 5. That all railroad companies desiring the use of said bridges mg;=_1>yr¤i1r¤¤d¤¤¤· and their approaches shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of trains over the same upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use; and in case the owner or C¢¤¤p¤¤ntic¤· owners of said bridges and the several railroad companies, or any of