Chapter 47. For a charter for the Iowa and Nebraska Pontoon Bridge Company
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CHAP. 47.— An Act For a charter for the Iowa and Nebraska Pontoon Bridge Company.March 29, 1894. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Iowa and Nebraska Pontoon Bridge Company may bridge Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa.*Post*.p. 681. That the Iowa and Nebraska Pontoon Bridge Company, a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Iowa, its successors or assigns, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct, erect, and maintain a pontoon wagon and foot bridge across the Missouri River between Iowa and Nebraska in or near the corporate limits of Sioux City, in Woodbury County, and State of Iowa.
Sec. 2. That the owners of said bridge may also have and receive aToll. reasonable compensation or tolls for the transit over said bridge of all street cars, wagons, foot passengers, animals, and for all other uses of said bridge not specially enumerated: *Provided*, That the Secretary of*Proviso*.Regulations, etc. War may at any time prescribe such rules, regulations, and rate of toll for transit and transportation over said bridge as may be deemed proper and reasonable. Sec. 3.
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 the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroads or public highways leading to said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the United States; and an equal privilege in the use of said bridge 46 shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and the Postal telegraph, etc.United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal-telegraph purposes.
Sec. 4. That said bridge shall be constructed with a suitable draw,Draw, etc. giving not less than 400 feet clear channel way for each navigable channel of the, river, and such other openings for the passage of rafts and logs as in the opinion of the Secretary of War may be necessary:*Proviso*.Opening draw. *Provided*, That said draws shall be opened to the full width promptly upon reasonable signal to allow the passage of boats and all floating craft. Sec. 5. That said bridge shall be built and located under and subjectSecretary of War to approve plans, etc. to such regulations for the security of the navigation of said river as the.
Secretary of War shall prescribe: and to secure that object the said parties 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 mile above and one mile below the proposed location, the topography of the banks of the river, the shore lines at low and high 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 shall not be Changes.commenced or built, and should any changes he made in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction or after completion, such changes shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War;
Aids lo navigation.and the said bridge shall lie constructed with such 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 for a distance of not less than one mile above the bridge location, and for the guiding of rafts, steamboats and other water craft safely through the draw and raft spans, as the Secretary of War shall prescribe and order to be constructed and maintained, at the expense of the company owning said bridge; 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 through said structure.
Sec. 6. That, the said parties shall maintain at their own expense, Lights, etc.from sunset till sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridge as the Light-House Board shall prescribe. Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act, or anyAmendment, etc. part thereof, at any time, by the Congress of the United States, is hereby expressly reserved; and any change in the construction or any alteration of said bridge that may be directed at anytime by Congress or the Secretary of War shall be at the expense of the owners of said bridge or the parties operating and controlling the same.
Sec. 8. That if actual construction of the bridge herein authorizedCommencement and completion. shall not be commenced within one year and completed within two years from the date of the approval of this Act the rights and privileges hereby granted shall cease and determine. Sec. 9. All the rights granted by this Act shall cease whenever theRights to cease on opening other bridge. Secretary of War shall determine and give the notice hereinafter Vol. 25, p. 84; Vol. 26. p. 79;
Vol. 27, p. 434.*Ante*, p. 44.*Post*, p. 221.provided, that the high wagon bridge across the Missouri River at or near Sioux City, Iowa, authorized by an Act approved March the second, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, and amended April the thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety, and February the seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, is completed and open for travel. And it Notice of removal.shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to give the owners of said pontoon bridge notice to remove the same within twelve months from the date of said notice, and if the company owning said bridge shall neglect to make such removal within said time, it shall then be his duty to cause the same to be removed at the expense of said company.
Approved, March 29, 1894.