Chapter 1777. Authorizing the construction of a wagon, toll, and electric railway bridge over the Missouri River at Lexington, Missouri
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CHAP. 1777.— An Act Authorizing the construction of a wagon, toll, and electric railway bridge over the Missouri River at Lexington, Missouri. April 28, 1904.[[H. R. 15195](/us/bill/33/hr/15195).][[Public, No. 209](/us/pl/33/209).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Missouri River.Lexington Suburban Railway Company may bridge, at Lexington, Mo.*Post,* p. 715. That the Lexington Suburban Railway Company, duly incorporated under the laws of Missouri, is hereby authorized to construct and maintain a bridge and approaches thereto across the Missouri River, between the city of Lexington, Missouri, and Ray County, Missouri, at a point to be selected consistent Street-car, wagon, and foot bridge.with the interests of navigation.
Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of wagons and vehicles of all kinds, street-railway cars, electric motors, railway cars but not steam loco-motives). animals foot passengers, and for all road travel for such Toll.reasonable rates of toll and under such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the said company, and to be approved from *Provisos. *Aids to navigation.time to time by the Secretary of War: *Provided,* That the said company, or its successors and assigns, shall build and maintain at all times, as accessory works to said bridge, such booms, piers, dikes, guard fences, and similar devices as may be necessary, in the judgment of the Secretary of War, to insure at all times a permanent channel for a sufficient distance above and below the bridge site, and for the guiding of rafts, steamboats, and other water craft safely under said bridge: *Provided Lights, etc.further,* That the said company, or its successors and assigns, shall maintain on said bridge, from sunset to sunrise, such lights and other signals as the Light-House Board shall prescribe: *And provided Use by other roads.further,* That all street-railway companies desiring the use of said bridge shall have and be entitled to equal rights and privileges relative to the passage of cars over the same, and over approaches thereto, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for such use, and, in case of disagreement, upon such terms and conditions as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties in interest.
Sec. 2. Changes.That said bridge shall not be built or commenced until the plan and specifications for its construction have been submitted to the Secretary of War for his approval, nor until he shall approve the plan and location of said bridge and accessory works: and if any change be made in the plan of construction of said bridge and accessory works at any time, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War, and any change in the construction or any alteration of said bridge and accessory works that may be directed at any time by Congress or the Secretary of War shall be made at the cost and expense of the said company or its successors and Secretary of War to approve plans, etc.assigns; that the said bridge shall be constructed without interference with the security and convenience of navigation of said river beyond what is necessary to carry into effect the rights and privileges hereby granted, and in order to secure that object the said company, or its successors and assigns, shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design and drawings of said bridge and accessory works and a map of the proposed location, giving for the space of one mile above and one mile below such proposed location the topography of the banks of the river with shore lines and soundings, and such other information as may be required for a full understanding of the subject; and until the said plan and location of the bridge are approved by the Secretary of War the construction of said bridge shall not be commenced.
Sec. 3. High bridge.That said bridge shall be built as a high bridge with unbroken and continuous spans, all spans over the waterwar to have a clear channel way of not less (han four hundred feet and a clear headroom of not less than fifty feet above high-water mark; and the piers of said bridge shall be parallel with the current of said river, and the bridge itself at right angles thereto. 529 Sec. 4. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed,Notice of approval upon receiving such plan and other information, and upon being satisfied that a bridges so built will conform to the requirements of tills Act, to notify the company authorized to build the same that he approves of the same; and upon receiving such notification the said company may proceed to erect said bridge, conforming strictly to the approved plan and location, and should any changé be made in the plan of the bridge or accessory works during the progress of the work thereon, such change shall be subject likewise to the approval of the Secretary of War.
Sec. 5. That any bridge built under this Act and subject to its limitationsLawful structure and post route,*Post*, p. 716. 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 street railways or public highways leading to the said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post-roads in the United States: and equal privileges in the use of saidTelegraph, etc., rights. bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal-telegraph purposes.
Sec. 6. That this Art shall be null and void if actual constructionTime of construction.*Post,* p. 716.Amendment. of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date thereof, and the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. Approved, April 28, 1904.