FIFTY-FIFTH GUNGRESS. Sess. II. GH. 118. 1898. 3 53 war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transpor- · tation 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 u e of said bridge shall be hT·>l¤s¤1>h wi me granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and the United P °°° °°""”""°°` States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postaltelegraph purposes: Provided, That the bridge herein author- mum. _ _ ized to be constructed shall be so kept and managed by the company Am *°"“"'g"‘¥°”· owning or operating it as to aiiord such proper ways and means for the passage through or under it of vessels, barges, or rafts at all times, both by day and by night, as may be required by the Secretary of War; and there shall be displayed on said bridge, from sunsetto sunrise, : uch mgmt lights and signals as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. Sec. 3. That if said bridge, erected and maintained under the author- xumrmm with ity of this Act, shall at any time substantially or materially obstruct "°°"“'*€““°”· the free navigation of said bayou, or shall, in the opinion of the Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized to qirmem. cause such change or alteration of said bridge to be made as will effectually obviate such obstruction, and such alterations shall be made and —¤¤v¤¤¤¤ ¤f- all obstructions be removed at the expense of the owner or owners of said bridge; and in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction -—1i¤ig¤¤<>¤. or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said bayou, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States in the State of Louisiana in which any portion of said obstruction or bridge may be . located: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as gfqvigv- I to repeal or modify any of the provisions of law now existing in refer- thjgilifg 3 W “”` ence to the protection of the navigation of baybus or to exempt said bridge from the operation of the same. _ - Sec. 4. That all railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge m§_;g¤¤l¤*s'=*¤*<> mishall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the ' passage of railway trains over the same and over the approaches thereto upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use, or, in case of disagreement, upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties in interest. Sec. 5. That the bridge authorized to be constructed under this Act ,0S°;;°F:j;j,,e°f"m;{‘ shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for um. the security of navigation of said bayou as the Secretary of War shall prescribe, and to secure that obiect the said company or corporation jc nrrrvw 1»¤¤¤¤. shall submit to the Secretary of War, tbr his examination and approval, ° ‘ a design and drawings of said bridge and map of the location, prepared with reference to a known datum plane, upon prescribed scale, furnished by the engineer officer having supervision of said bayou, and giving for the space of two miles above and two miles below the proposed location of the bridge the topography of the banks of the bayou, with shore lines at high and low water, the direction and strength of the currents 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 information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until the said plans and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War the bridge shall not be built; and should any change be made in the plan of the —¤1¤¤¤z¤¤- said bridge during the process of construction, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of \Var, and said structure shall be changed at the cost and expense of the owners thereof from time to time as the Secretary of War may direct, so as to preserve the free and convenient navigation of said bayou. Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction of c0f]?‘°*;¤_;*,j)*;‘°°¤°¤* ml the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and P ` completed within three years from the date hereof Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby ·*"'°'“""°'"· expressly reserved. Approved, April ll, 1898. ` vox. xxx--2:5
