Chapter 100. Authorizing the Secretary of War to grant the use of the Fort McHenry Military Reservation, in the State of Maryland, to the mayor and city council of Baltimore, a municipal corporation of the State of Maryland, making certain provisions in connection therewith, providing access to and from the site
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CHAP. 100.— An Act Authorizing the Secretary of War to grant the use of the Fort McHenry Military Reservation, in the State of Maryland, to the mayor and city council of Baltimore, a municipal corporation of the State of Maryland, making certain provisions in connection therewith, providing access to and from the site of the new immigration station heretofore set aside.May 26, 1914.[[H. R. 12806](/us/bill/63/hr/12806).][[Public, No. 108](/us/pl/63/108).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Baltimore, Md.Granted part of Fort McHenry grounds as public park.That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to grant permission to the mayor and city council of Baltimore, a municipal corporation of the State of Maryland, to occupy and use the military reservation of Fort McHenry, Maryland, except that part mentioned in section three hereof, and that part now in use by the Department of Commerce for a light and fog signal station under revocable license from the War Department, with the maintenance of the electric lines thereto, as a public park upon the agreement of said corporation to repair, maintain, and protect the reservation and the public property thereof *Provisos*.Conditions.during the continuance of its occupancy at its own expense: *Provided*, That the said permission shall be subject to such conditions, restrictions, rules, and regulations as the Secretary of War may from Termination.time to time prescribe: *Provided further*, That the Secretary of War may terminate the said permission to use said grounds whenever and at such time as he may deem it expedient to do so.
Sec. 2. Improvements etc., subject to approval by Secretary of War.That any and all repairs, improvements, changes, and alterations in the grounds, buildings, and other appurtenances to the reservation, made by the mayor and city council of Baltimore, shall be made only according to detailed plans submitted to, and approved by, the Secretary of War in each case, prior to the commencement of any work under such plans, and that all such repairs, improvements, changes, or alterations, made by said corporation, shall be made without expense to the United States, and in the event of the withdrawal of said permission, such improvements as the Secretary of War may deem valuable to the military service shall become the Removal of structures, etc.property of the United States without cost to the Government; and structures as may have been placed upon the reservation by said corporation, which are directed to be removed therefrom by the Secretary of War, shall be removed forthwith and the grounds placed in a condition entirely satisfactory to him, at the expense of the mayor and city council of Baltimore, and no claim of any character whatever incident to the occupation by the city of said reservation shall ever be made by said corporation against the United States.
Sec. 3. Right of way for immigrant station reserved.That permission is hereby granted the Secretary of the Treasury to use permanently a strip of land sixty feet wide belonging to said fort grounds, beginning at the north corner of the present grounds of the fort and extending south sixty-three degrees thirty minutes east, six hundred and fifty feet to the south corner of the site set aside for the immigration station at Baltimore, said strip of land being located along the northwest boundary of the land ceded to the Baltimore Dry Dock Company and the land of the said immigration station, the same to be used, if so desired, in lieu of acquiring, by purchase or condemnation, any of the lands of the dry dock company, so that the Secretary of the Treasury may, in connection with land to be acquired from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, have access to and from said immigration station and grounds over the right of way so acquired to the city streets and railroads beyond, the Secretary of the Treasury to have the same power to construct, contract Vol. 37, p. 889.for, and arrange for railroad and other facilities upon said outlet as fully as provided in the Act approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and thirteen, setting aside a site for an immigration station *Proviso*.
Use of easement by War Department.and providing for an outlet therefrom: *Provided, however*, That if the Secretary of the Treasury accepts and makes use of said strip of land for the purposes aforesaid, the War Department shall have equal use 383 of the railroad track and other roads constructed over which to reach the city streets and railroads beyond from the other parts of the fort grounds. Approved, May 26, 1914.