Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-01-30
A BILL
To Authorize the Construction Of
Bridge Across the Monongahela River
at Morgantown, in the State of West
Virginia.


Be at enacted By the Senate and
House Of Representatives. OF the
United States of Imerica IN Con
gress assembled,
That the assent of the United
States of America is hereby given to
the county court of Monongalia
County, West Virginia, corporation
under the laws of said State, to con-
struct and maintain a bridge over the
MoDongahela River at Morgantown,
In said State.
SEC. 2. That the bridge shall be
so constructed that free and unob-
structed passage may be secured to all
vessels and other water craft naviga-
ting said river: and any bridge con-
structed under this Act shall be
located and built under and subject
to such regulations for the securing of
navigation of said river as the Secre-
tary of War shall prescribe; and to
secure that object the said county
court shall submit to the Secretary of
War, for his examination and APP
prevail the designs and drawings Of
the bridge, piers, and approaches, and
map of the location, giving, 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, and the direction and strength
Of the current at all stages, and the
soundings, accurately showing the
bed OF Tie stream, and the location Of
other bridge or bridges, wharfs, land
ings, or ferries, and shall furnish such
other information as shall be required
for full and satisfactory understand
ing of the subject; and until said plan
and location of the bridge are approx
ed by the Secretary of War the bridge
shall not be commenced or built; and
after such approval by the Secretary
of War the approved plans and designs
for the bridge shall not be deyiated
from or added to, either during the
construction or after the compile ion
of the bridge, until the proposed
change shall have been submitted to
the Secretary of War and received his
approval; and the SAID bridge shall be
at ali times So kept and managed dis
to offer reasonable and proper means
for the passage of vessels under said
bridge; and if at any time the nayiga-
ton of said river shall in any manner
be INSTRUCTED or impaired by the
bridge authorized by this Act To be
constructed, the Secretary of War
shall have authority, and it shall be
his duty to require said company to
alter and change said bridge at its
own expense in such manner as may
be proper to secure free and complete
navigation without impeachment; and
if upon reasonable notice to said
county court to make such change or
improvements the said county court
fails to do SO the Secretary of War
shall have authority to make the
same, and shall thereupon institute
proceedings in the circuit court Of the
United States in and for the district
in which said bridge is located for the
recovery Of the cost thereof: Provid-
ed, That nothing in this Act shall
be SO construed as TO repeal or modify
any Of the provisions of the law now
existing in reference to the protection
of the navigation of rivers, or to ex-
empt this bridge from the operation
of the same.
SEC. 3 That any bridge built un-
der this Act and subject to its limi-
tations shall be lawful structure and
shall be recognized and known as a
post route, upon which also no higher
charge shall be made for the trans
mission over the same of the mail,
the troops and munitions of war of
the United States than the rate per
mile paid for the transportation over
the public highways leading to said
bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights
and privileges of other post roads Of
the United States: and equal privi-
leges in the use Of said bridge shall be
granted to all telegraph and telephone
companies, and the United States
shall have the right of way across
said bridge and its approaches for
said postal-telegraph purposes.
SEC. 4. That this Act shall be
null and void if actual construction Of
the bridge herein authorized be not
commenced within two years and
completed within three years from
the date hereof.