Public Law 50–204

That the city of La Crosse, a municipal corporation in the county of La Crosse, State of Wisconsin, its successors or assigns, may construct and maintain a bridge for the passage of vehicles of all kinds, animals, and foot-passengers across the Mississippi River from some point within the corporate limits of the city of La Crosse to Barron’s Island, opposite the said city of La Crosse, and a bridge or bridges, for a like purpose, across that part of the Mississippi River west of the main channel of said river, from said Barron’s Island to some point in the county of Houston, in the State of Minnesota: Provided, That

Provisos.

it shall not be lawful to construct said bridge or bridges until the Secretary of War, after an examination and report by a board of

Examination, etc.

three United States engineers, and appointed by him, shall certify that the same will not materially obstruct the navigation of said

Unobstructed navigation.

river: And provided further, That the location and plan or manner of constructing said bridge or bridges shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War, and until approved by him the

Secretary of War to approve plans, etc.

bridge or bridges shall not be built; and there shall be submitted to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, a design or drawing of the bridge or bridges, 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 shorelines at high and low water, the direction and strength of the currents at all stages, and the soundings, accurately showing the bed of the stream, the location of any other bridge or bridges, and all other information required.

Sec. 2.

That the said city of La Crosse, its successors or assigns, shall have the right to charge and collect a reasonable rate of toll,

Toll.

not exceeding the amount limited by the laws of Minnesota or Wisconsin, and approved by the Secretary of War.

Sec. 3.

That this act shall be null and void if actual construction of the bridge or bridges herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years from the date of the passage hereof.

Sec. 4.

That any bridge or bridges built under this act and subject to its limitations shall be a lawful structure or structures and shall be recognized and known as a post-road, upon which no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, troops, and the munitions of war of the United States passing over said bridge or bridges than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the railroads or other public highways leading to said bridge: and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph companies, and the United States shall have the right of

Postal telegraph.

way across said bridge and its approaches for postal telegraph purposes.

Sec. 5.

That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved.