Chapter 333. To provide for laying a single electric street-railway track across the Aqueduct Bridge, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes
1,402 words·~6 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-32/chapter-333-3492522·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 333.— An Act To provide for laying a single electric street-railway track across the Aqueduct Bridge, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. January 29, 1903.[[Public, No. 36](/us/pl/57/36).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That upon deposit of theDistrict of Columbia.Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company.May use Aqueduct Bridge for electric street railway.Changes in bridge. amounts hereinafter stated by the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company, a corporation of the State of Virginia, the Com-missioners of the District of Columbia are hereby authorized and directed to change or rebuild, according to such plans as they may approve, the superstructure of the Aqueduct Bridge across the Potomac River so as to permit the placing thereon of a single electric streetrailway track for the accommodation of electric street cars operating and to operate across said bridge.
Sec. 2. That within thirty days after theDeposit for expenditures. approval of this Act the said Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company shall deposit with the collector of taxes of the District of Columbia the sum of one thousand dollars, and the said company shall, before the work provided for in the first section hereof shall be begun, deposit with said collector the additional sum of twenty-four thousand dollars, the aggregate amount of said sums being the estimated cost of such change or alteration in said bridge necessary for the purpose of accommodating *Provisos.*Forfeit.such electric street-railway traffic across same: *Provided, *That if the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars shall not have been deposited by said railroad company within three months after the pas-sage of this Act the said company shall forfeit to the said District of Columbia the said sum of one thousand dollars, Forfeiture on failure to deposit.hereinbefore required to be deposited, and all rights under this Act: *Provided further,* That if the said Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company shall fail 782to make said deposit of one thousand dollars within the said thirty days or the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars within the said ninety days, then that all rights of the Great Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway Company may obtain rights if forfeited.Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company under this Act shall be forfeited.
In which event, the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church Railway Company may, within ten days from the default made by the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company, make the said deposit or deposits, and have and enjoy all the rights, privileges and franchises granted by this Act to the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company. Sec. 3. Rebuilding bridge.That within sixty days after the sum of twentytive thousand dollars shall have been deposited by said company, as herein-before required, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall, as promptly as possible, proceed with the work of changing or rebuilding the superstructure of the said Aqueduct Bridge, charging the cost of said work to said deposit, *Proviso*,Increase of deposit.and shall continue same until said work is completed: *Provided*, That if said sum is found at any time during the prosecution of said work to be insufficient to complete the same, in the opinion of said Commissioners, the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company shall deposit with the collector of taxes of said District such additional sum or sums, not to exceed ten thousand dollars, as the Commissioners of the District of Columbia may deem necessary.
Sec. 4. Time limit for track laying.That within ninety days after the completion of the work of changing or rebuilding said bridge, or during the progress of said work, as may be directed by the said Commissioners, the Great. Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company is hereby authorized and directed, under such regulations and upon such plans as may be approved by said Commissioners, to lay upon said Location.bridge and across M street and in Thirty-sixth street to such point south of Prospect street, in the city of Washington, as may be approved by said Commissioners, a single electric-railway track, with necessary switches and turn-outs; that the said Great halls and Old Dominion Railroad Company is hereby authorized to connect its tracks to be constructed over its right of way in Alexandria County, Virginia, with the track hereby authorized to be constructed upon the said Aqueduct Bridge, and to operate its cars thereon.
Sec. 5. Use by other roads. Compensation.Repairs.That, any other electric street-railway company desiring to use said track for the purpose of crossing said bridge and securing connection into the city of Washington may be permitted to do so by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia upon satisfying said Commissioners that it has refunded to said Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad Company such proportional part of the sum deposited by said company, as herein required, as may be agreed upon between said companies as a fair and equitable compensation for said privilege, and in the event that the said companies shall fail to agree upon the amount to be so refunded, either or any of them may apply by petition to the supreme court of the District of Columbia, which shall immediately provide for proper notice to and hearing of all parties interested, and shall have power to determine the amount to be so refunded for the use of said track.
Sec. 6. That the company or companies using said track shall at all times keep the bridge floor and the pavement between the rails of said track and for a distance of two feet outside thereof in repair to the satisfaction of said Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and in the event that the said railway company or companies neglect or refuse to keep said floor and pavement in repair to the satisfaction of said Commissioners, the Commissioners are hereby authorized to make such repairs and collect the cost of the same from such railroad company or companies in such manner as is now provided by law in cases where street pavements adjacent to street-railway tracks are repaired by said District; and if the cost of said repairs is not paid by said 783railroad company or companies within ninety days from the rendition of bills for the same, the said Commissioners are hereby authorized to prevent the operation of said cars by the exercise of their police authority until such time as said bills are paid.
Sec. 7. That no car shall be operated upon saidSteam power prohibited. bridge by steam power, nor shall any company operating steam cars within such distance from the south end of the said bridge as to interfere with vehicle traffic thereon be permitted to operate electric street ears upon said bridge. Sec. 8. That the Commissioners of the District ofUnderground or overhead trolly optional. Columbia are hereby authorized to permit the cars of said railroad company or companies using said track across said bridge and in M and Thirty-sixth streets to be operated by the underground electric Restrictions.system or by overhead trolly, as they may deem desirable: and in case the overhead trolly is used each car shall be equipped with a double trolly, and a return wire shall be provided for the electric current equal in capacity to the feed system upon this portion of the line and similarly situated, and no pole of any dynamo furnishing power for the operation of said cars shall be in any manner connected with the earth.
Sec. 9. That the operation of the cars upon theRegulations. track herein authorized shall be under the direction and control of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, who are hereby authorized to make such regulations in regard to speed, character, and weight of ears, time of operation, and fare to be charged as they may deem necessary or desirable; and any company violating any regulations ofPenalty. said Commissioners made under the authority of this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars for each and every offense, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction at the suit of said Commissioners, and in default of the payment of such fine the Com-missioners are hereby authorized to exercise their police authority to prevent the operation of the cars of the company so defaulting.
Sec. 10. That Congress reserves the right toAmendment. alter, amend, or repeal this Act. Approved, January 29, 1903.