Chapter 409. to authorize the building of a bridge at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. across tile Arkansas River
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CHAP. 409.— An Act to authorize the building of a bridge at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. across tile Arkansas River.June 10, 1890. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Cable City Bridge Construction Com nan y may bridge Arkansas River at Pine Bluff, Ark. That the Cable City Bridge Construction Company, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Missouri, its successors and assigns, be. and are hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a pontoon bridge and approaches thereto across the Arkansas River in front of Pine Bluff, at a point at least one mile from any other bridge, whichLocation. shall not be detrimental to the interest of navigation or of any river improvement.
Said bridge shall be constructed so as to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, animals, and footWagon and foot bridge.Tolls. passengers, and for all road travel, for such reasonable rates of toll as may be fixed by the county court of Jefferson County, Arkansas, and under such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by said corporation, its successors or assigns, and to be approved from time to time by the Secretary of War. Sec. 2. That any bridge built under this act and subject to its limitationsLawful structure and post-route. shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known 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 the munitions of war of the United States than is charged other parties for like privileges; and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads in the United States, and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal telegraph purposes.
And equal rights as to constructingPostal telegraph.Use by telegraph, etc., companies. and maintaining their lines over said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies desiring to use the same. Sec. 3. That said bridge shall be constructed as a pontoon draw-spanPonton draw-span. bridge, and shall contain a pontoon draw-span of not less than three hundred feet in length, which said draw-span shall be maintained on the main channel of the river at an accessible and navigable point; and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with, and the bridge itself at right angles to, the current of the river: *Provided, also*,*Provisos*.Opening of draw.
That said draw shall be opened promptly by the said company upon a reasonable signal for the passage of boats and rafts; and said company or corporation shall maintain, at their own expense, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals on such bridgeLights, etc. as the Light-House Board shall prescribe, No bridge shall be constructed or maintained under the authority of this act which shall at any time substantially or materially obstruct the free navigationUnobstructed navigation. of said river; and if any bridge erected under said authority shall, in the opinion of the Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized to cause such change qr alteration of saidChanges, etc. bridge to be made as will effectually obviate such obstruction; and all such alterations shall be made and all such obstructions be removed at the expense of the owner or owners of said bridge; and in case of any litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstructionLitigation.Protection of navigation. to the free navigation of said river, caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, suit may be brought in the district court of the United States of the eastern district of the State of Arkansas, to remove or remedy the same: *Provided further*, 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 exempt this bridge from the operation of the same.
Sec. 4. That any bridge authorized to be constructed under thisSecretary of War to approve plans, etc. act 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: and to secure that object the said company or corporation shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawings of the said bridge, and a map of 144FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. I. Chs. 409, 410. 1890. the location, giving, for the space of one-half mile below the proposed location, the topography of the banks of the river, the shorelines 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 Change in plan.satisfactory understanding of the subject; but should any change be made in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War.
Sec. 5. Amendment.Changes, etc. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved, and the right to require any changes in the said structure or its entire removal at the expense of the owners thereof, whenever the Secretary of War shall decide that the public interest so requires, is also expressly reserved. Sec. 6. Commencement and completion. That this act shall be null and void if actual construction of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date thereof.
Approved, June 10, 1890.