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Code · STATUTES-AT-LARGE · Vol. 26 STAT. · September 2, 1890 · Chapter 857

Chapter 857.

1,042 words·~5 min read·/statutes-at-large/vol-26/chapter-857

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CHAP. 857.— An act for the erection of a bridge across the Missouri River between the city of Saint Charles, Missouri, and the county of Saint Louis, Missouri.September 2, 1890. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Saint Charles Ponton Bridge Company may bridge Missouri River near Saint Charles, Mo. That the Saint Charles Ponton Bridge 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 floating ponton bridge, and approaches thereto, across the MissouriFloating ponton.
River between the city of Saint Charles, in the State of Missouri, and Saint Louis County, in the State of Missouri, at some point at least one quarter of a mile from any other bridge, to be selected consistent with the interests of river navigation. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of allWagon and foot bridge. kinds, steam and street cars, animals, foot-passengers, and for all road travel, for such reasonableToll.Rules of travel to be approved by Secretary of War. rates of toll, and under such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by said corporation, its successors and 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 itsLawful structure and post-route. limitations 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 the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroad or public high ways leading to the said bridge, and it 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 granted to all telegraph companies;Use by telegraph companies. and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal-telegraph purposes.Postal-telegraph.Construction.Ponton draw-span.Length.
Sec. 3. That said bridge shall be constructed as a ponton draw-span bridge, and shall contain a ponton draw-span of not less than four hundred feet in length, which draw-span shall be maintained over the main channel of the river at an accessible and navigable 422FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. I. Chs. 857, 871. 1890. point, and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with, and thePiers, etc.*Provisos*.Opening of draw. bridge itself at right angles to, the current of the river: *Provided, also*, That said draw shall be opened promptly by said company, upon reasonable signal, for the passage of boats and rafts, and said company or corporation shall maintain, at its own expense, from Lights, etc.sunset until sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridge as the Light-House Board shall prescribe.
No bridge shall be erected or maintained under the authority of this act which shall at any Security of free navigation.time substantially or materially obstruct the free navigation of said river, and if any bridge erected under such authority shall, in the Obstructed navigation.Changes, etc.opinion of the Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby authorized to cause such change or alteration of said 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 Litigation.any litigation arising from any obstruction, or alleged obstruction, to the free navigation of said river, caused or alleged to be caused by said bridge, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States of the State of Missouri in which any portion of said No repeal, etc., of existing law.obstruction or bridge may be located: *And provided further*, That nothing in this act shall be construed as to repeal or modify any of the provisions of 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 thisSecurity of navigation. act shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for the security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War Secretary of War to approve plans, etc.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 bridge, and a map of 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 information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until the said plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War the bridge Change of plan.shall not be built: and 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, etc.Structural changes, etc. Structure, or its entire removal, at the expense of the owners thereof, whenever the Secretary of War shall decide that the public interests requires it, is also expressly reserved. Sec. 6. That this act shall be null and void if actual constructionCommencement and completion. of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date thereof. Approved, September 2, 1890. Chapter 871: to authorize the construction of two bridges across Bœuf River, Louisiana.
Chapter 871 26 Stat. 422 1890-09-04 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2026-02-21 51 1 public
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