The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-19
SHAG ROCK.
More Facts and Figures About
Its Value.

New and interesting facts keep floating
to the surface almost daily in relation to the
Shag Rock steal, but the latest and most
authentic are by far the most interesting
of all.
Property-owners and others interested in
knowing the truth about this infamous job
have tried to see the report that was made
in relation to the rock by City and County
Surveyor Smith, and read by the Clerk of
the Board of Supervisors two weeks ago
when the order making the purchase was
finally passed. Curiously enough the report
cannot he found. Clerk Russell has ran
sacked his papers through and through
since that meeting without finding even a
trace of the paper. The irresistible infer
ence is that it has had help in making its
disappearance.
Not even suspecting that the report had
surreptitiously disappeared. the same par
ties applied to the City and County Surveyor
for the information it contained. and were
SURPRISED at me citing almost a refusal from
him to 1mpart the desired knowledge.
His reasons for hesitating were that the
report was made upon the private instruc-
lions of the owner of the rock, A. w. Won
Schmidt, and paid for by him. Under the
circumstances he did not know that it was
anybody else's business what the report con-
tanned.
On maturer thought, however, Mr.. Smith
furnished the data contained IN his paper.
1t sets forth substantially that the present
surface of the rock is COCO square feet, but
that ii graded down to a level of the sea-
wall it would contain 600 square feel, or
about quarter of an acre. He estimates that
to give the site an area of one and a half
acres would necesSitate 10000 cubic yards of
hlllng. which he puts at twenty cents yard,
or $4,000. The piling for bukhead he puts
at S11ss. planking. $7OO; nails. ETC., $50.
Total, $6184 80.
These data were taken to the Street De-
partment and an estimate of the experienced
engineers there asked for They say that
at the very least it will take 10000 cubic
feet TO Go the necessary filling, and that it
cannot be done for less than 40 cents, or
$4,000. The lowest possible cost of piling,
even at ten feet apart, would be S25I0, and
the necessary lumber for proper bulkhead-
ing would cost $3.50; nails, etc, $780, Total
$17,7SS. which the Street Department de-
clares would be the very lowest cost, and
the probabilities are it would 60 much above
that.
The rocks nearest point to the main land
Is 2l00 feet, but this point Is high rock
point for bridge without great expense.
The nearest feasible point for a bridge is
$500 feet, and the lowest figure that it could
be built for is $4,000.
Hence, to prepare Shag Rock for build
ing site the following splendid array of
Sost OF rocK ....-.-. .$lo,OOO
tdu ny duu MI li,l16
&c MAKE accessible l2,OO0
Total. SALTS
The City and County Surveyor estimates
the average depth of the water surrounding
the rock as three and four feet The real
depth. ascertained by actual measurement is
iron five 10 seventeen feet within the area
where filling would be necessary.
1t will be interesting to know that while
the whole block on which Shag Rock is
situated is only assessed at S275 and Mr..
Won Schmidts taxes are S4 80 there is now
letter on file with the Clerk of the Board
of Supervisors written by Mr.. Won Schmidt
in which he earnestly declares that $4,000
Is reasonable valuation for the rock.
Such being the case, it is proposed, by in
terested parties, that this letter shall be
submitted to Assessor-elect Siebe when the
next assessment-roll is about to be made
up, and its value put upon the records
at Mr. Won Scbmidts own figures.
There is not shadow of doubt that the
Mayor will veto the order making the pur-
chase to-day, and it is pretty well under
stood that some other means will be adopted
to prevent the Solid Nine from passing the
measure over the Mayors head.