New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-28

| litigation arising from any obstruction or
alleged 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 OBJ
struction or bridge touches.
SEC ?. That any bridge built under the
provisions of this act may, at the option Of
the company building the same, be built
either as pivot bridge, with a pivot
or other form of draw, or with IN broken ana
continuous spans; provided, that II the salq
bridge shall be made with unOr0ken ana
continuous spans, it shall not be OF less ele-
walton in any case than fifty feet above
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; ana
the piers of said bridge shall be par
allel with the current of the river and the
main span shall be over the man chan
Eel 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 pivot draw
bridge. the same shall be constructed with
q draw over the main channel of the river
at an accessible and navigabe point, and
with spans of net 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 if the proper location of the draw over
the channel will admit spans Of this width
between it and the shore, and said spans
shall not be less that thirty feet above low
water mark and not less than ten 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 provided also, that
said draw shall be opened promptly, upon
reasonable signal, for the passage Of boats,
and in no case shall unnecessary delay OC-
cur in opening the said draw during or after
the passage of trains.
SEC. 3. That any bridge constructed I'M
der this act, ana according to It's lmta-
tons, shall be lawful structure, aud'shalI
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 or public highways leading to the
said bridge; and the United States shall
have the right of way TOR postal telegraph
/ purposes across said bridge
SEC. !. That all railway companies de-
string TO use the said bridge shan 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 pre-
scribed by the Secretary of War, upon
hearing the allegations and proofs Of the
parties in case they shall not agree.
SEC. ). That the structure herein author
lied shall be built and located under and
subject to such regulations for the security
of navigation of said river as the Secretary
OF War shall prescribe; and to sec uTe that
object the said person or persons, company
, or corporation shall submit to the Secre-
tarv of War, for his examination and APP
provai, design and drawings Of the bridge
and INA ""d a map OF the lqS8Iigu, nv
ing for the space of at least one mile above
and one 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
at all STAGES, and the sOundiugs accurately
showing the bed of the stream, the
location Of any other bridge or bridges,
and shall furnish such other information
as may be required for a full and satsfac-
tory understanding of the subject; and until
the said plan and location Of the bridge are
approved by the Secretary of War, the
bridge shall not be built; and if any change
be made in the plan Of construction of said
bridge during the progress of the work
I thereon, or before the completion Of said
bridge. such change shall be subject to the
dpI1O' al VI tAS HCOl 'I"lJ VI W "i5 "iAt INC
said structure shall be at all times so kept
and managed as to offer reasonable aud
proper means for the passage of vessels
through or under said structure; and the
said structure shall be changed at the cost
and expense Of the owners thereof, from
time to time, as Congress may direct, so as
to preserve the free and convenient uavga~
ton Of said river. And the authority to
erect and continue said bridge shall be sub
iaCt to revocation or modification bV law
whenever the public good shall, in the iudg-
ment Of Congress, 50 require, without any
expense or charge to the United States.
SEC. g. That the right to alter or amend
this act so as to prevent or remove all ma
terial Instructions to the navigation Of sad
river by the construction of bridge, with
out expense to the United States IS hereby
expressly reserved.
Approved May IS. 1872,