Chapter 27. To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Red River of the North, at Drayton, North Dakota
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CHAP. 27.— An Act To authorize the construction of a bridge across the Red River of the North, at Drayton, North Dakota. February 28, 1900. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Drayton, N. Dak., may bridge Red River of the North at Drayton. That the council of the city of Drayton, county of Pembina, State of North Dakota, be, and are hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a pontoon bridge and approaches thereto across the Red River of the North, between the State of North Dakota and the State of Minnesota, extending from the foot of Almeron or Grant streets in said town of Drayton to a point Transit, toll, etc. opposite, in the State of Minnesota.
Said bridge shall be constructed so as to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, animals, and foot passengers, and for all road travel, for such reasonable rates of toll and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by said council and approved from time to time by the Secretary of War. Sec. 2. To be lawful structure and post route. That any bridge built under this Act and subject to its 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 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 Telephone, etc., companies. purposes.
And equal rights as to constructing and maintaining their lines over said bridge shall be granted to all telephone and telegraph companies desiring to use the same. Sec. 3. Draw, etc. That said bridge shall be constructed as a pontoon drawspan bridge, and shall contain a pontoon drawspan of such dimensions as the Secretary of War shall prescribe, which said drawspan 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 *Provisos*. the bridge itself at right angles to, the current of the river: *Provided*, —opening of.
That said draw shall be opened promptly, upon reasonable signal, for Lights. the passage of boats and rafts; and said council of the city of Drayton shall maintain, at the expense of the said city, from sunset to sunrise, such lights or other signals on said bridge as the Light-House Board Not to obstruct navigation. 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 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 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 said city of —litigation.
Drayton; and in case of 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, suit may be brought in any circuit court of the United States for the circuit in which said bridge or any part thereof is located to remove or remedy the same: *Provided further*, Existing law unaffected. That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to repeal or modify any of the provisions of law now existing in reference to the pro-35tection of the navigation of rivers, or to exempt this bridge from the operations of the same.
Sec. 4. That any bridge authorized to be constructed under this Secretary of War to approve plans, changes, etc. 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 shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said city or council shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawings of the said bridge, and a map of the location, giving, for the space of one-half mile above and one-half mile below the proposed location, the high and low water lines upon the banks of the river, the direction and strength of the currents at all stages, with the soundings accurately showing the bed of the stream, and the location of any other bridge or bridges, such map to be sufficiently in detail to enable the Secretary of War to judge of the proper location of said bridge, and shall furnish such other information as may be required for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject; and until such plan 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 said bridge during the progress of construction or after completion, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War.
Sec. 5. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby Amendment. expressly reserved. Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction Commencement and completion. of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date of the approval of this Act. Approved, February 28, 1900.