New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-01

legged obstruction, TO the free navigation of
said river, the cause may be tried before
the district court of the United States of
any State in which any portion of
said obstruction or bridge touches:
provided, that said bridge shall not
be 80 located or constructed as to
lntertsre in any manner with the approach
es to the railroad bridge now erected at
Clinton, or with the piers of the same, or
SO as to obstruct in any manner the passage
OF said bridge by boats, vessels, or RATS, or
10 render such passage more difficult or
dangerous: Provided, however, That this
clause shall not be construed to prohibit
the crossing of the approaches to said
bridge If such crossing shall be found neces-
sary.
SEC. 2 That any bridge built under the
provisions of this act may, at the option Of
the company building the same, be built as
draw bridge, with pivot or other form
of draw, or with unbrOken or continuous
spans; provided, that if the said bridge shall
be made with unbrOken and continuous
spans, it shall not be of less elevation, in
any case, than fifty feet above extreme
high water mark, as understood at the
point of location, to the bottom chord of
the bridge; nor shall the spans of said
bridge be less than two hundred and fifty
feet in length, and the piers of said bridge
shall be parallel with the current OF the
river, and the main span shall be over the
main channel of the river, and not
less than three hundred feet in length
and provided also, that if any bridge
built under this act shall be constructed as
a draw bridge, the same shall be construct
ed as a pivot draw-bridge, with a draw
over the main channel of the river at an
accessible and navigable point, and with
spans Of not less than one hundred and
sixty feet in length in the clear on each
side of the central or pivot pier OF the draw;
and the next adjoining spans to the draw
shall not be less than two hundred and fifty
feet; and said spans shall not be less than
thirty feet above lOw-water mark, and not
less than ten feet above extreme high-water
mark, measuring to the bottom chord of the
bridge; and the piers of said bridge shall be
PARALLEL with the current of the river,
where said bridge may be erected: And pro-
vided also, That said draw shall be opened
promptly, upen reasonable signal, for the
passage of boats.
SEC g. That any bridge constructed I'M
der this act, and according to its limita-
tiOns shall be a lawful structure, and shall
be known and recognized as 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 their transportation over the
railroads public highways leading to the
said bridge, and the United States shall
have the right of way for postal telegraph
purposes across said bridge.
SEC. 4. THAT all railway companies de-
string to use the said bridge shall have and
be entitled to equal rights and privileges
| in the passage of the same, and in the use
of the machinery and fixtures thereof, and
of all the approaches thereto, under and
| upon such terms and conditions as shall be
prescribed by the Secretary of War, upon
10, Ill nd Of lao
parties in case they shall not agree.
Sec. 5. That the structure herein author
lied shall be built and located under and
subject 10 such regulations for the security
| of navigation OF said river as the Secretary
| of War shall prescribe, and the said struc-
| ture shall be at all times so kept and man.
aged as to offer reasonable and proper
means for the passage of vessels through or
| under said structure; and the said struc-
| ture shall be changed at the cost and
| expense of the owners thereof, from time to
! time as Congress may direct, so as to pre-
| serve the free and convenient navigation of
said river. And the authority to erect and
continue said bridge shall be subject to re-
| vocation or modification by law whenever
the public good shall, in the Judgment Of
| Congress so require, without any expense
| or charge to the United States.
SEC. 6. That the Muscatine Western Rail-
road Company, or their assigns, corpora
! ton existing under the laws of the State of
| Iowa, be, and is hereby, authorized to con-
| struct and maintain bridge across the
| Mississippi river at the city of Muscatine,
| in the State of Iowa. The bridge authorized
/ to be built by this section is hereby declared
i to be post-rOute, and shall have all the
! privileges, and is subject to all the terms,
| restrictions and requirements contained in
the foregoing sections of this act.
] SEC. 7. That a bridge may be constructed
and maintained across the Mississippi river,
at any point they may select, between the
| counties of Carroll and Whitesides, in the
State of Illinois, and the counties of jackson
and Clinton, in the State of Iowa, either by
the Western Union Railroad Company or
the Sabula, Ackley. aud Dakota Railroad
! COMPANY, or both of them. or by either or
both of their successors or assigns, or by
! any person, company, or corporation nav
| ing authority from the States of Illinois
and Iowa. The bridge authorized to be
| built bv this section is hereby declared to
be a post route, and has all the privileges,
and is subject to all the terms, restrictions,
| and requirements contained In the tOFego-
| ing sections of this act.
SEC g. That bridge may be construct
| ed and maintained across the Mississippi
river, at any point they may select, between
| the county of La Crosse, in the State OF
| Wisconsin, and the county Of Houston, In
the State of Minnesota, by the Milwaukee
and Saint Paul Railway Company, their
successors or assigns, or by any person,
company, or corporation having authority
from the States Of Wisconsin and MinnesO-
ia. The bridge authorized to be built by
| this section is hereby declared to be post
route, ard has all the privileges, and is sab
iect to all the terms, restrictions, and re-
auirements contained in the foregoing sec
tiOEs of this act.
SEC 9. That the right to alter or amend
this act, so as to prevent or remove all ma
terial distractions to the navigation OF said
river by the construction of bridges, is here
By expressly reserved.
| SEC 10. That this act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its passage,
without any expense or charge to the
United States.
Approved April ], 1872.