The San Francisco call., 1895-07-28
ABANDONED RIGHT OF WAY.
The Southern Pacific Gives Up
Its Route Through the
POtrero.
SOME OF THE LAND rs SOLD.
New Line to Cross the Dumps and
Go Through Tunnel at
Seventh Street.

The Southern Pacific Company has
abandoned its right OF way through the
Potrero and made radical changes in It's
scheme for bay-shore road out OF San
Francisco.
Instead of building trestles and embank-
ments in q direct line almost due south to
the junction of Islais Creek channel and
Railroad avenue, across indentations of
the bay, the railroad engineers and execu
tive officers have decided to run the new
line further west and tunnel the hills that
rise from the City dumping ground, known
as Mission Bay. Then, too, the problem
of cutting away hills at the Potrero to
reach feasible grade has been dropped.
Very soon the map in that part of town
will have to be changed as a result of these
alterations, which very materially affect
South San Francisco and the thriving
Potrero district. For what has appeared
for many years past on its surface as rail-
way land-one long strip 200 feet wide, or
just one block, beginning at Channel street
and ending at the county Iine-will no
longer remain thereon by right.
AS far back as 1868 the railway COM
pany was granted a charter by the State
Legislature for a free right of way 200 feet
WlQe DetWS6u llllQOlS anu heUIuCky
streets over the water lots. Later on the
Finance and Construction Company,
side issue of the railroad corporation,
bought up all the land between those two
streets above tidewater, and principally
in the Potrero, opposite the Union Iron
Works. Subsequently this property was
transferred to the Pacific Improvement
Company, in whose name it still stands,
excepting large lot sold several days
To nr T Oh fha Of
Kentucky and Napa streets.
AS time wore ON since the railway COM
pany secured its right of way at consider
able trouble and expense from the Legis-
lature, the project of a bay-shore line that
would greatly facilitate operations on the
branch to San Jose began to assume def
mite form. Surveys were made, with the
result that the more southerly portion of
the right of way, from IslaiS Creek to the
county line, nearly all of which is sub
merged, was abandoned. The more re-
cent surveys changed the route from Islais
Greek to Railroad avenue, with tunnels at
Mount st. Josephs and at the county line.
But even then the route from the City
depot was laid through the Potrero, be-
tween Kentucky and Illinois streets.
Another change OF base has been made,
however by which the whole grant of
right of way was rejected.
The Pacific Improvement Company
thereupon determined to place its row of
blocks upon the market and get rid of
them since they were no longer part or
parcel of the Southern Pacifc's future
plans. One sale was made to DR.. Wemple,
who bought the Potrero lot for the pur-
pose of erecting upon it a drugstore, Of
fees and fats. Shortly after the transfer
was recorded, an offer came from saloon
man for another piece of the real estate.
1t was very liberal, even a second voluntary
advance having been made, but it was de-
clined to the complete surprise of the peo-
pie interested. Colonel c. f. Crocker,
president of the Pacific Improvement Com
pany, suddenly withdrew the land from
sale, stating as his reason that the company
would wait until prices are higher and busi-
ness men desire to buy for improvement
When the right Of way was secured the
railway company came into possession of
sixty acres as a State grant for terminal
purposes at the dumps, or Mission Bay.
Added to this are the intervening streets
recently closed by the Supervisors, with
which additional ground the railway has a
clear way across to the junction of Seventh
and Santa Clara streets on the Potrero
hillside. A line drawn from that point to
Fourth and Townsend streets would inter-
sect the railroad track almost diagonalIy,
and it is along such a line that the pro-
posed road will be laid out of San Fran
cisco.
Near the end of Seventh street, between
Pennsylvania avenue and Iowa street,
where the hill rises to height of at least
100 feet, there will be tunnel. This has
been decided on, although the exact loca-
ton has not yet been made known, for
various reasons, since the announcement
might advance land values upon the COM
pany, and all the land needed for this new
line is not yet secured. The low marsh
will be filled with rock and earth from the
adjacent hills, and this tunnel will be run
out to point west of the rope walk on the
southern slope, whence the new route is to
be extended toward the county line lit
tie to the west of the former survey. So
far as could be learned from railroad
officials the Southern Pacific Company is
desirous of beginning work on the road as
soon as possible, but buying land on the
way causes many delays.