St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-22
THE NEW BRIDGE.
That is to Span the Mississippi River
at st. Paul.

That is to Span the Mississippi River
at st. Paul.
The following is a full text of the bill passed
by congress and approved by the president, July
5, for the construction Of bridge across the
Mississippi river at st. Paul:
An act to authorize foot and carriage or rail
road bridges across the Mississippi river at Saint
Paul, in the state of Minnesota.
BE it enacted, ETC., That the common council
of the city of Saint Paul, in the state of Mime
sofa, and its successors, are hereby authorized
ard empowered to erect, establish, and maintain,
or authorize the erection, establishment, and
maintenance, of one or more foot and carriage or
railroad bridges across the Mississippi river, ex-
tending from such point or points to be selected
as lie between the easterly and westerly bound
aries of said city to a point or points on the OPP
posite side of said river, now known as the Sixth
ward of said city; that said bridge or bridges
shall not interfere with the free navigation of
said river beyond what is necessary in order to
carry into effect the rights and privileges hereby
granted, and in case Of any litigation arising
from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to
the free navigation of said river, the cause may
be tried before the Federal court of the United
States in the district in which such bridge or
bridges may be situated.
Sec 2. That any bridge or bridges bnilt under
the provisions of this act may, by direction of
said common council, be built as draw-bridge,
with pivot or other form Of draw, or with I'M
broken or continuous spans: Pr00ided, That if
said bridge or bridges shall be made with I'M
broken and continuous spans, it shall not be of
less elevation in any case than fifty five and one
half feet above extreme high water mark
the main channel of said river, as understood at
the point of location, to the bottom chord of the
bridge, nor shall the spans of said bridge or
bridges give clear width of waterway Of less
a.
said bridge or bridges shall be parallel with the
current of said river, and the main span shall be
over the main channel of the river and give
clear width of waterway of not less than three
hundred feet. And proUided also, That if any
bridge or bridges built under this act shall be
constructed as draw bridge, the same shall be
constructed as pivot draw bridge, with draw
the main channel of the river at accessible
and the best navigable point, and with spans Civ
ing clear width of waterway Of not less than one
hundred and sixty feet on each side of the cen
trail or pivot pier of the draw, and the next ad
joining span or spans to the draw shall give
clear width of waterway of not 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 thigh
water mark, measuring to the bottom chord of
the bridge or bridges, and the piers of said
bridge or bridges shall be parallel with the
rent of the river where said bridge or
bridges may be erected; And pro0idedalso,
That said draw shall be opened promptly upon
reasonable signal for the passage of boats, YES
sells or other craft: ProgSded hoaCeyer, That no
bridge or bridges shall be built under the pro-
visions of this act except there also be built at
the time of the erection of the piers, proper
sheer booms or other proper protection to safely
guide boats, vessels, RATS, and other water
crafts through said spans and at the expense of
the city of St. Paul. or of the persons corpo-
ration constructing, owning, or operating said
bridge.
Sec g. That any bridge or bridges constructed
under this act and according to its provisions and
conditions shall be a lawful structure or struc-
lures, over which may be transmitted the mails,
troops, and the munitions of war of the United
States free of CHARGE and the United States
shall have the right of way for q postal tele-
graph and telephone lines free of charge across
said bridges, and may declare the same to be
postal route.
Sect d. That the structure or structures herein
authorized 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, not however to be in any wise in
consistent with any of the provisions or condi-
tons of this act; and to
cure that object the said common
council shall submit to the secretary of war for
his examination and approval design and draw
ing of said bridge or bridges and other accessory
works provided for in this act and map Of the
location, giving for the 8, re of one mile above
and one mile below the I:oposed 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, and the
soundings, accurately showing the bed of the
stream, the location of any other bridge or
bridges, and shall furnish such other informa-
ton as shall be required for q full and satisfac
tory understanding of the subject; and until the
said plan or location of the bridge bridges and
the accessory works provided for in this act are
approved by the secretary of war the bridge
bridges shall not be built; and should any change
be made in the plan of said bridge or bridges
during the process of construction, such
change shall be subject to the
approval Of the secretary Of war; and the said
structure or structures shall be at all times
kept and managed as to offer reasonable and
proper means for the passage OF vessels through
or under said structure structures; and to Sc,
cure the safe passage of vessels at night there
shall be displayed at said bridge or bridges, from
the hour of sunset to that of sunrise, such lights
as may be prescribed by the secretary of war;
and the said structure or structures shall be
changed at the cost and expense of said city of
St. Paul, from time TO time as congress may di-
rect go as to preserve the free and convenient
navigation of said river: and the authority to
erect and continue said bridge or bridges shall be
subject TO revocation and modification by law
whenever the public good shall, in the judgement
of congress. so require, without any expense
or charge to the United States.
Sec. 5. That it shall be the duty Of the secre-
tary OF war; On satisfactory proof that necessity
exists therefor, to require the company or per-
sons owning said bridge to cause such aids to the
passage of said bridge 10 be constructed placed
and maintained, at their own cost and expense,
in the form of booms dikes, piers or other suit
able and proper structures for combining the flow
of water TO a permanent channel and for the guild
ing of RATS steamboats,, and other water-craft
safely through the draw and raft-spans, as shall
be specified in his order in that behalf; and on
the failure of the company or persons aforesaid
to make and establish such additional
structures within q reasonable time, the said
secretary shall proceed to cause the same to be
built or made at the expense OF the United States,
and shall refer the matter without delay to the
attorney general of the United States, whose
duty it shall be TO institute, in the name of the
United States, proceedings in any circuit court
of the United States in which such bridge, or any
part thereof il located, for the recovery of the
cost thereof; and all moneys accruing from such
proceedings shall be covered into the treasury of
the United States.
Sec. g. That the right to alter, amend, or re-
peal this act is hereby expressly reserved; and
the right to acquire any changes in such struc
ture or its entire removal. at the expense Of the
owners thereof, when ever congress shall decide
that the public interest requires it is also ex-
presslY reserved.
Approved July s. 1884.