The morning call., 1893-10-05
WHY THE PILES WERE DRIVEN.
Fears of Competition May Have In.
duced the Action.

Fears of Competition May Have In
duced the Action.
The reason of the mysterious line of
piles being driven by the Southern Pacific
has been plausibly surmised by the
theorists.
These ingenious analysts of motive have
been confronted by the query: Why has
this action been taken so suddenly? 1t
had been known that the railroad claimed
a much larger section than that which it is
fencing In with piles, but why after n in
terval OF twenty years has the Southern
Pacific now determined to assert posses
sion. as it were?
1t seems that these piles are now being
driven on the five-fathom line and the
com pany's surveys three years ago in
cluded the area between the present mole
and a line drawn from the northwest point
of the freight wharf. north and west Of
the mole. where Sixteenth street crosses
the shore line.
Ali southeast of this line is claimed by
the railroad to the channel of San Lean
dro Bay and beyond Alameda Island, with
the exception of the estuary between the
training walls. The company also claims
all the northern shore of the estuary and
all this property is being inclosed by the
piles.
The reason of this sudden activity is
said TO be fears of further ferry cOmpeti-
tion. The Southern Pacific officials, it is
claimed. lave heard rnmors of ferry
Santa Fe Railroad and King Borax"
Smith have been connected with the
rumors. This move on the part OF the
Southern Pacific Is said to be In the nature
of checkmats OF this possible action.
1t will be remembered that the Southern
De- 70 ko.a1 hxyf
gauge road when that was started twelve
years ago. The opportunity for affording
quicker passenger service was at that time
seized by Senator Fair and A. E. Davis,
the owners of the narrow-gauge road, who
in the middle of one night caused long
line OF piles TO be driven out into the bay
and completed the present pier. Th hat
piece of enterprise ate deeply into the
Southern Pacifc's profits. and the corpora
tion only succeeded in buying off its dan
gerous rival at a cost of S4,000.000. While
protesting strongly against the building of
the narrow-gauge wharf the rail road never
veDtured to take its contention into the
searchlight of the courts.
1t is claimed that the present action Is
to prevent similar competition, as it is
thought that the briStling line ef piles just
driven will put stopper on the passage of
any tugboat bearing piles for a rivals wharf
OF rivals pie-drivers. The line of piles
incloses about three square miles OF land,
but this vast alignment was deemed neces-
sary in order to preclude the most remote
possibility of rivalry. 1t had been ru-
mored that there have been recent at
tempts of late TO buy the northwest corner
of Bay Farm Island from the Morgan Oys-
ter Company. ana Amos Mccartney is re-
ported to have again bonded his much
coveted Alameda Island property.
Borax King Smith is also thought to
have some idea of building a ferry wharf
at some point north of the northern train
ing-wall of the estuary. Other rumors
Of opposition are extant, and all these dis
quieting reports are said TO have had the
e fleet of stimulating the Southern Pacific
to this ple-driving method of self-protec-
tion. Whether or not it will prove ade-
Quate in the long run remains to be seen.