34 THE IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS. 



In emergent craft, or raft, or other similar obstruction, sinking or grounding, or being 



ues Secretary 



of War may unnecessarily delayed in any Government canal or lock, or in any navigable 



take i m m c - ' . 



diate posses- waters mentioned in section nineteen, m such manner as to stop, seriously 



nn of and re- . . ... /!*> 



move wrecks, interfere with, or specially endanger navigation, m the opinion of the Secre- 

 tary of War, or any agent of the United States to whom the Secretary may 

 delegate proper authority, the Secretary of War or any such agent shall have 

 the right to take immediate possession of such boat, vessel, or other water 

 craft, or raft, so far as to remove or to destroy it and to clear immediately the 

 canal, lock, or navigable waters aforesaid of the obstruction thereby caused, 

 using his best judgment to prevent any unnecessary injury; and no one shall 

 interfere with or prevent such removal or destruction: Provided, That the 

 officer or agent charged with the removal or destruction of an obstruction 

 under this section may in his discretion give notice in writing to the owners of 

 removTnTto bl anv such obstruction requiring them to remove it: And provided further, 

 a charge against That the expense of removing any such obstruction as aforesaid shall be a 

 cars - charge against such craft and car, r <>; and if the owners thereof fail or refuse 



to reimburse the United States for such expense within thirty days after 

 notification, then the officer or agent aforesaid may sell the craft or cargo, or 

 any part thereof that may not have been destroyed in removal, and the pro- 

 ceeds of such sale shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States. 

 Appropria- Such sum of money as may be necessary to execute this section and the 



turn tor remov- 

 ing wrecks. preceding section of this Act is hereby appropriated out of any money in the 



Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be paid out on the requisition of 

 the Secretary of War. 

 Repeal of That all laws or parts of laws inconsistent with the foregoing sections ten 



previous laws. 



[nine] to twenty, inclusive, of this Act are hereby repealed: Provided, That 

 no action begun, or right of action accrued, prior to the passage of this Act 

 shall be affected by this repeal. 



EXTRACT FROM THE RIVER AND HARBOR %\CT APPROVED JUNE 13, 1903. 



SEC. ii. That section four of the River and Harbor Act of August 

 eighteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-four, be, and is hereby, amended 

 so as to read as follows; 



"SEC. 4. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to pre- 

 scribe such rules and regulations for the use, administration, and naviga- 

 tion of any or all canals and similar works of navigation that now aiv, 

 or that hereafter may be, owned, operated, or maintained by the United 

 States as in his judgment the public necessity may require ; and he is also 

 authorized to prescribe regulations to govern the speed and movement of 

 vessels and other water craft in any public navigable channel which lias 



