Chapter 120. To authorize the city of Hastings, Minnesota, to construct and maintain a wagon bridge over the Mississippi River
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/statutes-at-large/vol-28/chapter-120-440400·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 120.— An Act To authorize the city of Hastings, Minnesota, to construct and maintain a wagon bridge over the Mississippi River.June 29, 1894. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Hastings, Minn., may bridge Mississippi River. That the city of Hastings, a municipal corporation existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain, at a point suitable to the interest of navigation, a wagon or a combined wagon and foot bridge and approaches thereto across the Mississippi River from a point at or near the foot of Sibley street, in the said city of Hastings, Minnesota, or at such other point in said city as the city council thereof, with the approval of the Secretary of War may direct, on the west bank to a point at or near the graded load nearly opposite on the east bank: *Provided*, That said bridge shall not interfere with the free navigation*Proviso*.Free navigation. of said river, beyond what is necessary to carry into effect the rights and privileges hereby granted; and in case of any litigation arisingLitigation. from any obstruction, or alleged obstruction, to the free navigation of said river, or damage resulting from the same, the cause maybe tried before the circuit court of the United States in and for any district in which any portion of said bridge or obstruction touches.
Sec. 2. That any bridge built under this Act shall be constructed asHigh bridge. n high bridge with a channel span giving a clear width of waterway of not less than three hundred feet and a clear head room of not less than fifty-five feet above high-water mark, and the clear head room under other than channel spans may be reduced to thirty-five feet above high-water mark. Sec. 3. That any bridge constructed under this Act, according to itsLawful structure and post route. limitations, shall be a lawful structure, and shall be known as a post route, and the same is hereby declared to be a post route, upon which no charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States; and thePostal telegraph.
United States shall have the light of way for postal-telegraph purposes across said bridge. For the passage of all kinds of vehicles, for theFree passage. transit of all kinds of animals, and for the passage of foot passengers the said bridge shall be free to the public. Sec. 4. That the structure herein authorized shall be built and locatedSecretary of War to approve plans, etc. 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 city shall submit to the Secretary of War for examination and approval a design and drawing of the bridge and a map of the location, giving the topography of the banks of the river, the shoreline at high and low water, and the soundings, accurately showing the bed of the stream, and shall furnish such other information as shall be 98 required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until the said plan and location of the bridge are decided by the Secretary of War to be such as will not materially affect the interests of Changes.navigation, the bridge shall not be commenced or built.
And should any change be made in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction such changes shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. And the said bridge shall be constructed with such Aids to navigation.aids to the passage of said bridge, in the form of booms, dikes, piers, or other suitable and proper structures for confining the flow of water to a permanent and easily navigated channel, and for the guiding of rafts, steamboats, and other water craft safely under said bridge, as the Secretary of War shall prescribe and at any time order to be constructed and maintained at the expense of the city of Hastings; and the said structure shall be at all times so kept and managed as to offer reasonable and proper means for the passage of vessels and other water craft under said structure; and for the safety of vessels passing Lights, etc.at night there shall be displayed on said bridge, from the hours of sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals as may be prescribed by the Light-House Board.
And the said structure shall be changed or removed at the cost and expense of the said city of Hastings, from time to time, as Congress may direct, so as to preserve the free and convenient navigation of said river; and the authority to erect and continue said bridge shall be subject to revocation and modification by law when the public good shall, in the judgment of Congress, so require, without any expense or charge to the United States. Sec. 5. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is herebyAmendment, etc. expressly reserved.
Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction onCommencement and completion. the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within two years, and completed within three years from date thereof. Approved, June 29, 1894.