The morning call., 1895-02-02
BUILD IT SOUTH.
Engineer Holmes Is All Against the Northern
Extension,

Engineer Holmes Is All Against the Northern
Extension.
The office of the Harbor Commissioners
is all alive with the prospect of reaching a
consummation so long and devoutly wished
for The only fear seems to be that the
real work which seems about to be entered
upon will be hindered by an attempt to
overdo it. Said Engineer Holmes of the
commission yesterday:
"The seawall should be extended south
from its present south end near the foot of
Howard street to the docks of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, at the foot of
First and Townse nd streets. But there is
an urgent need of this improvement for
the thousand feet extending from the Pa
cific Mail Steamship Company's dock to
Steuart street.
''There is immense traffic by teams from
the docks all along that distance, which is
carried on over a wooden roadway built
upon piles, and which is in constant need
of repairs and is as constantly out of re-
pair and dangerous to the life and limbs of
horse and men. Rincon Hill, as you
know, present a sharp activity at that
point clear out to the front almost, and
there is only this single roadway to reach
the lower grades at Steuart and Spear
streets on the north and Brannan and
Townsend streets on the south. A wagon
driven south from Spear street is forced
out upon the piling, which is State prop
erty, to Beale street. There it finds firm
ground again for little distance, but at
the terminus of the street is compelled to
find the piling again and keep to it all the
way to First street.
1.-THE seawall would not only bring ex-
cellent roadways to this district, but it
would give to the city quantity of valu-
able land through the retaining process.
A block of land would be found between
Main, Bryant and Beale streets and the
bay; between Fremont, Brannan and
First streets and the bay, and between
Townsend street and the bay, all of which
are now the bay itself"
''And how about the extension north ?''
at is simply an unnecessary expense at
this time The wall now extends to the
foot of Taylor street, two blocks north OF
Meiggs wharf. There is comparatively no
revenue from Meiggs wharf and literally
none at all beyond it. Indeed, there is
very little revenue from sections 1, and
3, this side of Meiggs wharf.
''The proposed extension of 5000 feet fur
ther north to Van Ness avenue would be
of no practical value for years if at all, as
it carries round to the unprotected open
roadway. 1t would be a great improve
ment TO the property of the Fair estate to
be sure, at the public expense, but that is
all. They introduce as an argument in its
behalf that old chestnut about the ships
lying there in '49, but things are different
now. AT that time the ships came UP to
Montgomery street and lay under the pro-
lection of the hill. The land has been
pushed out since then until the relations
of wind and water are entirely changed. :"
Professor Davidson, Chief of the Geodetic
Survey, laid the original harbor lines as
one of an advisory board with the commits
sion, the other members being Major Rod
gers and Colonel Mendell. He said: "If
we didn't think the harbor should ex-
tend north as well as south we would not
have so recommended: To be sure, the
north end is not as well protected as the
south, and the wharves built there would
have to meet conditions easily satisfied