Chapter 188. To authorize the Pensacola, Alabama and Tennessee Railway Company to erect, maintain, and operate a railway bridge across the Alabama River in Wilcox County, in the State of Alabama
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CHAP. 188.— An Act To authorize the Pensacola, Alabama and Tennessee Railway Company to erect, maintain, and operate a railway bridge across the Alabama River in Wilcox County, in the State of Alabama. January 15, 1903.[[Public, No. 27](/us/pl/57/27).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Alabama River, Ala.Pensacola, Alabama and Tennessee Railway Company may bridge.That the Pensacola, Alabama and Tennessee Railway Company, a railroad corporation organized under the laws of the States of Florida and Alabama, its successors and Location.assigns, are hereby authorized and empowered to erect, establish, maintain, and operate a railway bridge across the Alabama River at such point in Wilcox County, State of Alabama, as may be Unobstructed navigation.by said company selected and approved by the Secretary of War; and if said bridge erected and maintained under the authority of this Act shall at any time unreasonably obstruct the free navigation of said river, or shall, in the opinion of Changes.the Secretary of War, unreasonably 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 such alteration shall be made and all such obstructions be removed at the expense of the owners or operators of said bridge; and in case of any Litigation.litigation arising from any obstruction or alleged obstruction to free navigation of said river by reason of the construction of said bridge, the same shall be instituted and determined in the district court of the United States *Proviso.*Existing laws not affected.for the southern district of Alabama: *Provided*, 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 navigation of rivers, or to exempt this bridge from the operation of the same.
Sec. 2. Secretary of War to approve plans, etc.That the bridge authorized to be constructed under this Act shall be located and built subject to such regulations for security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe; and to secure that object the said company shall submit to the Secretary of War. for his examination and approval, a general design and drawing of said 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 high and low water, soundings showing the bed of the stream, and such other information as the Secretary of War may require for a full and satisfactory understanding of the subject: and until the plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War the construction of said bridge snail not be commenced.
Sec. 3. Lights, etc.That the draw of the bridge herein authorized to be constructed shall be opened promptly upon reasonable signal for the passing of boats, and such lights or signals as the Light-House Board shall prescribe shall be displayed, from sunset until sunrise, on said bridge by the owners thereof at their own expense. Sec. 4. Use by other companies.That all railroad companies desiring the use of said bridge shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of railway trains over the same, and over the Compensation.approaches thereto, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use; and in case of disagreement between the parties in regard to the compensation to be paid, or the conditions to be observed, all matters at issue shall be determined by the Secretary of War.
Sec. 5. Lawful structure and post route.That the bridge to be built under this Act and according to its limitations shall be held to be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as a post route, upon which also no higher charge shall be made for transportation over the same of the mails, troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for their transportation over the railroad leading to such bridge; and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in Telegraph, etc., privileges.the United States; and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal-telegraph pur-773poses; and all telegraph and telephone companies shall have equal right and privileges in constructing and maintaining their lines across said bridge.
Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void ifTime of construction. actual construction 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. Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, orAmendment. repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, January 15, 1903.