FIFTYJFIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. Il. CHS. 105, 113. 1898. 35] seventy-four, may be relocated and rebuilt by the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railway Company, the present owner of the bridge, in accordance with such plans and at such location as may be approved by the Secretary of War and subject to the same limitations and requirements, except as to the changes in structure approved by the Changes. Secretary of War, as are provided in the Act of Congress approved June sixth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, hereinbetore named: Prorided, That the length of channel spans of the n‘ew structure shall ftevgx- f h I not be less than the length of such spans in the existing bridge. gps3S? ° ° mm? Approved, March 30, 1898. CHAP. 113.-An Act To authorize the Monroe Railway and Construction Com April 4, 1898. pany to construct s bridge across Red River, at or near Grand Ecore, Louisiana. ‘ ""“"°""*‘ / Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Monroe Railway and 3 ]{*d°¤rggns}Q*;j;l§;{ Construction Company be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and Company may pangs maintain a railroad bridge and approaches thereto across Red River at IM R“'°‘"*L°“‘*'“‘"‘· _ or near the town of Grand Ecore, in the parish of Natchitoches, State · of Louisiana. Sec. 2. That said bridge shall be located and built under and subject Secrsgerrgflwerfe to such regulations for the security of navigation as the Secretary of pwsm °r°°“ 2m°°°' VVar may prescribe; and to secure that object the said construction —¢¤ arrwve plans company shall submit for his examination a design and drawing of the °°°° bridge and a map of the location, and until the said plan and location are approved by him the bridge shall not be commenced or built; and —¤¤¤¤s¤¤- should any change be made in said bridge before or after completion, such change shall likewise be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. Sec. 3. That said bridge shall be built with a suitable draw so kept DPW- and managed as to offer safe, reasonable, and proper means for the passage of vessels and other craft through and under same; and for the Lis1¤¤¤· safety of vessels passing at night there shall be displayed on said bridge, from sunset to sunrise, at the expense of the owners thereof, such lights or other signals as the Light—House Board may prescribe; and any changes in said bridge which the Secretary of War may at C¤¤¤S¤¤·•>¤P¢¤¤¤°f· any time deem necessary, and order in the interests of navigation, shall . be made by the owners thereof at their own expense. Sec. 4. That said bridge built under this Act and subject to its limi- mfgu*:*d'°*;{*;S0;*t;“°· tations shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known p° ' as a post-route, upon which also no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroad or public highways leading to the said bridge, and shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads in the United States; and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be T·z1·¤.·;r=p1i.e¤¤-.¤¤¤¤· granted to all telegraph and telephone companies; and the United Pam"' States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches tor postal-telegraph purposes. Sec. 5. That all railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge mfé1j*;};*g**‘*’° ’°”· shall be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage ’ ` of railway trains over the same and the approaches thereto upon pay- ment of a reasonable compensation for such use; or, in case of disagreement, upon such terms and conditions as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of \Var, upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties in interest. Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction w§‘°'j*;Q,;f1°°m°“‘“d of said bridge be not commenced in one year and completed in three P ' years from the approval hereof. Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby #¤·¤¤d¤¤¤¤*· expressly reserved. Approved, April 4, 1898. ‘
