The San Francisco call., 1895-07-17
Southern Heights Improve
ment Club Prepares a
Petition.
ADVANTAGES TO BE GAINED.
The Board of Supervisors Will Be
Asked to Take Some Action
Next Monday.

the movement on the Portrero for the
opening of Eighth street from Division
(Channel) street to Sixteenth street. was
taken last night, when the Southern
Heights Improvement Club met in Antoine
Raymond's Hall, corner of Twentieth and
Wisconsin streets.
President R. Pengelly brought the mat
ter up. II. Whiteley, as the representa-
tive of the Real Estate and Development
Company, demonstrated with map the
great advantages to be gained by having
Eighth street opened. Said he:
1t would give residents of the Potrero and
Southern Heights the shortest and most direct
route to the City Hall-in fact, the only direct
route. There is only one interest in the way
and that is that of the San Francisco Candle
Works, which runs the big brick building-its
factory-standlng right on the line OF the pro-
posed thoroughfare Beyond the candle works
there is not an improvement of any kind that
would be at all affected.
To have a right-of-way condemned through
there for Eighth street would not work the
slightest hardship on the San Francisco Candle
Company, because the City would have to fully
remunerate that company for any damage the
opening of the street might cause to it.
The opening of Eighth street would enhance
every foot OF property here and result in in
calculable benefit to future home-bui]ders.
There is movement on foot to have the other
end of Eighth street paved with bitumen from
Folsom street to Market, and while / know no
more of the future than any other man feel
that / can say with some assurance that If
Eighth street be opened through 1t is only
question of time for this to be made one of the
best boulevards in this City.
You all understand the reason of the protest
OF the few wealthy property-owners against
the resolution of the Board of Supervisors for
the grading of Eighth street. They claim it
is not public property because it is part of the
tidelands. The fact is the water line is lower
down than Eighth street, and the City's right
OF eminent domain can be exercised in con-
domination proceedings II the necessity OF this
street is fully appreciated. The channel ter
inmates at Eighth street, consequently we
would have such access to the business center
OF town as we cannot possibly enjoy by any
other route.
In the opinions of Messrs. Antoine Ray
mond, James Dickie. c. M. Hawes, Fred
erick Schultz and others the opening of
Eighth street was very desirable. Accord
ingly. the following petition was signed by
all those present after resolution was
adopted favoring the project:
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors, City and
Countv of San Francisco, State 6 of California
GENTLEMEN: Your petitioners, being property
owners and residents of Southern Heights, re-
spectfully represent:
That their only means of access to the City is
by detours which would be almost wholly
avoided if Eighth street were opened from Six
teenth to Channel.
The drawbridges on Fourth and Sixth streets
constantly interfere with travel Fifth street
was closed about two years ago by your body,
and Seventh street has a steam railway, which
renders travel dangerous if not impossible.
A few weeks since your honorable board
passed resolution to have Eighth street, as
commonly shown on the City maps, graded
from Division street to Sixteenth.
Your petitioners are informed that Eighth
street does not exist between these points for
the reason that it was not laid out by compe-
tent authority.
Wherefore your petitioners pray that your
honorable board will. by condemnation prO-
ceedings or otherwise, open this street for pub
lie travel.
The petition will now be circulated for
signatures all over the Potrero, and at the
Western Sugar Refinery, Union Iron
Works, Pacific Rolling Mills and other
big concerns where large numbers OF prop
erty-owners are employed. 1t is the inten-
ton to present the petition to the Board of
Supervisors next Monday.
Another meeting will be held by the club
at the same place week from tonight, at
which the water question will be taken up.
Messrs. Pengelly, Raymond and James I.
Hamilton say the water service is very in
adequate, and does not extend beyond
Napa street. In case of fire they would be
helpless.
Some water is at present supplied by Mr..
Raymond's tank. 1t is his belief that
water could be served from the Lake
Honda reservoir, the present source, the
College Hill reservoir, $50 feet, being not
high enough.
Mr.. Hamiltons idea is to have an eighty
foot tank constructed on the highest point
say, about Connecticut and Nevada
streets, which is about $50 feet above base
and have it filled by means of small
pumping station. 'sFor two or three weeks
at time" said Mr.. Hamilton, 1--WE have
been without even enough water to drink. I"