The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-17
A MELTING EMINENOE.

That is q singular fate which is over
taking Telegraph Hill-it is slowly going
into ships as ballast to be thus distributed
all over the world. For this striking
eminence, by far the most picturesque of
all the hills in the City, is steadily melting
away under the pick, and in the years to
come will have passed away forever. With
the extension and development of the
northern water front it becomes more and
more barrier to progress, and is shoulder
ing the City out along the level reaches of
Market. When it's removal shall have
been accomplished San Francisco will
have splendid quay stretching from the
military reservation to the Potrero.
In one sense it seems a pity that this
wonderful hill be destroyed, but it is but
right in view of the singular neglect that it
has always received. When the Casino
was erected on the summit some years ago
and cable road ran to the top there were
gay times for awhile, but it was too tempt
ingly convenient to be resisted by the
hardy hill-clim bers of the Barbary Coast,
and when it became their resort it no
longer had charms for the general citizen.
Now it is abandoned and desolate, but none
the less charming for that.
There is no other hill in the City that
has so strange variety of charms. 1t is
the only one that stands wholly isolated
and that has SO sharp a declivity on all
sides Rising thus sharply nearly 800 feet
to peak hardly more than an acre in
extent, it commands a view of extraor-
binary splendor.
Yet this noble eminence is doomed, for
it stands in the highway OF progress, whose
sharp and untiring teeth are gnawing per-
sistently at its eastern flank The attack
upon this sturdy obstruction which is now
proce eding brings to notice the many i'm
portant ways in which the character of the
water front is undergoing vital modifca-
tons. The construction OF the seawall
was the first long step toward the develop
ment OF an adequate sea front. Even this,
extensive though it seems at present, is
only the beginning of the initial and essen
tial Improvement. In time it will be ex-
tended as far south as China Basin, and
still beyond that as the commerce of the City
grows. In doing this it will follow the Off
cial shore line, which in places is far out in
the bay. Thus vast new areas of land will
be formed for warehouses, factories and the
iAhC' ~ ioiiE do I'll 10 territory Is
to be developed as far south as the Potrero
the City will remain in its infancy.
There is a kind of instinct in the move
ment of the City southwark through the
Mission and South San Francisco districts,
for population follows the best facilities
for commerce, and the extensive marshes
about Mission Bay and China Basin will
be filed and populated very quickly after
the construction Of the seawall to those
points.
At the same time the development of the
northern water front is steadily progress
ing. The mooring of ships along the chan
nelcan never be as safe in winter as along
the eastern front, but as there are only
three months in the year when storms may
come the remaining nine months of per-
feet safety will be sufficient to develop an
extensive dockage business in that region.
Between it and the busy quarter already
developed at the foot of Market street is
reared Telegraph Hill, between which and
the bay there is only narrow passage at
its eastern base. 1t is this passage that is
now being steadily widened-not for the
purpose of making room for streets and
houses, but to get material for concrete
and ballast. The streets and houses will
come with the development of the north
ern front, and then the towering hill will
come tumbling down with mighty roar.