The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-06
COLONEL BARRY'S IDEA,
The Lease Being Signed for
the Site of the New
ArmOry.
Strategic Advantage Of the New
Quarters of the Third
Regiment.

Signatures of the board of officers are
now being obtained by Colonel Thomas F.
Barry to the contract with Charles G..
Hooker, by which the latter is to lease a
piece of land on the south side of Fulton
street, between Van Ness avenue and Polk
street, for site for the new armory of the
Third Regiment. The site is 1871 feet
square, and is in the middle of the block,
the frontage commencing 109 feet from Van
Ness avenue. The lease will cover period
of ten years, and requires building to be
erected which shall cost not less than $25,-
600. AS soon as the lease is signed plans
will be invited from architects.
Colonel Barry in selecting this piece of
land had in mind the advantages of a
strong defense in case of a possible street
attack. OF course it is well understood
that in the event of any disturbance the
National Guard will be more likely to as
sumo an aggressive course than TO stand
on the defensive merely, still, in Colonel
Barry's opinion, any provision strengthen
ing the defensive should not be over
looked, considering that the possibilities
of internecine trouble sometimes take a
curious turn. And, besides, it does not re-
duce the possibilities of aggressive action.
Speaking Of the new armory yesterday aft
ernoon, he explained his views as follows:
In my opinion it is much better to have an
armory in the middle of a block than on q
street corner. It is military axiom that a
soldier always likes to have his rear and flank
well covered, and then his entire attention can
be concentrated upon the front. Where an
armory is located on a street corner it invites
attack from two different directions, but in
our case the sides will be protected by other
buildings. 1t has been said that these build
ings might prove to be obstacles as much in
our own way as in that of the possible assail-
ant but that is not so, for in case OF trouble 1t
is quite probable such buildings would be
vacated for the time being and then we would
have the same advantages of range and defense
as If we were located on the street corner, or
from street TO street on one whole block, with
the addltlonal advantage OF side Notifications
made at no cost TO us.
You see that even if we, after occupying
these buildings as a matter of military ext
gency, should be compelled to abandon them,
ana they were as result destroyed, we would
still have our own armory left. Even then the
debris OF the destroyed buildings would be in
our favor.
Our side walls, therefore, will not need to be
OF more than medium thickness, and consider
ing that Birch avenue has been closed by the
Board OF Supervisors, and, unless INSTRUCTED,
Will be used by US only as rear outlet, our
Should Birch avenue be INSTRUCTED at Van
Ness avenue by some building it will be all
the more protection. This viii give us more
chance of making the front of the building
substantial and ornamental with what money
we have at our disposal
/ think, on the whole, it is most favorable
location. Our proximity to Van Ness avenue
will give us splendid battle-ground.
The rental which the Third Regiment
will pay to Mr.. Hooker is $425 per month.
Should the buildings be completely de-
stroyed by fire at any time, the lease will
then expire.
A new lighthouse will be built on Pin
march Point, off the coast of Brittany, and
will be known as the Eckmuhl Light
house. 1t will contain an electric light of
40, 900, 600 candle-power, casting beam
which can be seen a distance, in clear
weather, of thirty-three miles, and in foggy
weather a distance of twenty-one miles.
The highest order of light now in opera
ton in the United States lighthouse SER
vice can be seen only twenty-one miles in
clear weather.