Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/128

 76 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 190. 1900. April 12,1900- CHAP. 190.-An Act Toauthorize the Shreveport and Red River Valley Railway "-“_"““—`”" Company to build and maintain a railway bridge across Red River, at or near the town of Alexandria, in the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana. Be it enacted by t/te Senate and House of Representatiees 0 f the [Gated Rifgeggegf; ggelggg States efzlmertea in Omtgress assembled, That the Shreveport and Red may mags use River River Valley Railway Company, a corporation duly incorporated and ‘“ '“'”“‘“d“"* 1*** existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Louisiana, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain, by itself or through its assignees, a railway bridge across Red River at a oint suitable to the interest of navigation, at or near the town of Aidxandria, in the Tr¤¤¤ir.w11S.¤¢c- parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for passage of railway trains, and for transmission of the mails at such legal rates of toll as may be iixed by said railway company, or its transferees, and approved by the Secretary of ¥Var. t T01;¤d1¤\v§¤13p¤¤· Sack?. That said bridge, built under this Act and subject to its uw"` WS r° e` 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 transmission 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 railroad or public highways leading to the said bridge, and shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post- T<21<>g¤wh-¤f¤-»¤¤¤¤- roads in the United States; and equal privileges in the use of said paum brid ·e shall be granted to all telegra h and telephone companies; and the United Stat? shall heave ghe riggt of way acgasts sagddbrgécgge arlid 1’r0€tS*>· _. . its a roac es or posta te e ra ur oses: i oct e, at the Aida to auger bridgldpherein authorized to be gansijtrudtedpshall be so kept and managed by the company owninglor opierating it as to afford proper ways and means for the passage t roug or under it of vessels, barges, or Dm'- rafts at all times, both by day and by night; and if said bridge be con- T structed as a drawbridge, the draw shall be opened romptly u on Lights- reasonable si nal for the assage of boats; and upon wh)atever kind) of bridge is buia there shali) be displayed on said bridge from sunset to sunrise, at the expense of said company, such lights and signals as the Li ht-House Board shall (prescribe. A1¢<>r¤¢1<>¤¤· Sec. 3. That if said bri ge, erected and maintained under the authority of this Act, shall at any time substantially or materially obstruct the free navigation of said river, or shall, in the opinion of the Secretary of War, obstruct such naviglation, he is hereby authorized to cause such change or alteration of said bridge to be made as will etfectuall obviate such obstruction; and such alteration shall be made and all such obstructions be removed at the expense of the owners or operators of L“1g““°“· said brid e; and in case of any litigation arising from the obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free naviglation of said river, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States for the west- Qgggggé lm my ern district of Louisiana: Prozvidecl, That nothing in this Act shall be ehaiigsdmm. 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 said bridge from the operation of same. uS§’*"'°“" “gh‘S ‘° Sec. 4. That all railroad companies desiring to use the said bridge shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of railway trains over the same and the approaches thereto upon the payment of a reasonable compensation for such use, which compensation may be different in case of different railways. In case , of disagreement as to compensation for the use of said bridge, the ditfereuce shall be determined by the Secretary of War upon hearing the allegations and proof of the parties in interest. aggggagggugg of *0 Sec. 5. That the bridge authorized to be constructed under this Act 'shall be built and_ located under and subject to such regulations for the security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of lYar shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said company or corporation