New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-31

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 so located or constructed as to
interfere in any manner with the approach.
| es to the railroad bridge now erected at
| Clinton, or with the piers of the same, or
l SO as 70 obstruct in any manner the passage
| OF said bridge BY boats, vessels, or RATS, or
! 70 render such passage more difficult or
| dangerous: Provided. however, That this
clause shall not be construed to prOhibit t
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
| q 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 teet 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-
/ yided also, That said draw shall be opened
promptly, upen reasonable signal, for the
passage of boats.
SEC. 3. That any bridge constructed IN
der this act, and according to its 1imita-
lions, 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
hearing the allegations and proofs of the
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 Musoatine Western Rail
road Company, OF their assigns, corpora
ton existing under the laws OF the State of
Iowa, be, and is hereby, authorized to con-
struct and maintain a bridge across the
Mississippi river at the city of Muscatine,
in the State of Iowa. The bridge authorized
to be built by this secti0ni is hereby declared
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. z. That bridge may be constructed
and maintained across the Mississippiriver,
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, and Dakota Railroad
Company, or both of them. or by either or
both of their successors or assigns, or by
any person, company, or corporation hav-
ing authority from the States of Illinois
and Iowa. The bridge authorized to be
built by this section is hereby declared to
be post route, and has all the privileges,
and is subject to all the terms, restrictions,
and requirements contained in the foregO-
ing sections of this act
SEC. 8. That a 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
Uu6 OJdJ6 OI AhIHH6sOJtt, ny InO 4nAAMauh
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, and has all the privileges, and is sub
iect to all the terms, restrictions, and re-
quirements 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.