The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-05
The Proposition to Cut Down
Rincon Hill Is Pre-
Sented.
THE sURTO RAILROAD INQUIRY.
Local Manufacturers Say They
Could Supply the Entire
Equipment.

street; the other was the inquiry under
the resolution passed at the last meeting
of the board questioning the right of the
Sutro road to use the 7 rail or to bring any
part of its equipment from the East which
might be manufactured here.
The first figured as the conspicuous fea-
ture OF the morning session, the latter as
that of the afternoon. Ex-Supervisors Dun
don and Denman were before the morning
session (Adolph Spreckels presiding) as
protestants against the paving of Beale
street. The point of the argument of both
was that the grades of this and other
streets in the city must be changed, and
that, therefore, no street should be i'm
proved and accepted by the city until the
grades were readjusted, and that this
should be done as soon as possible, there
being no question but that the streets were
in great need of repair. "But it is des-
tiny that Rincon Hill should come down."
said Mr.. Denman. 'If this board does not
order it some future board will, for the
great business arteries of this city lie south
of Market street. The south harbor is
now the heart of our shipping, and the
protection afforded there viii ever tend to
increase it's Importance. There are the rail-
road freight depots, and there another rail-
road is making arrangements to enter our
city. No other city in the world permits
Hill with impossible grades to stand be-
tween its freight-yards and its merchants
warehouses. So it is destiny that Rincon
Hill must come down. This change of
grades of the streets over there was before
the last board, and Mayor Ellert was on
the committee to act. There was some
technicality which he thought deprived
the board of authority in the matter
hQ tO Rnf 70
has to be done, and will be done. But if
in the meantime these streets are paved
and accepted by the city then the property
owners are out of it and the city must
bear the cost. We have had several such
cases, notably the hump on Jones street.
There was petition before the last board
for cutting it down, and the matter was
under consideration, but it.was discovered
that the street had been accepted, and the
city would, therefore, have to pay the en-
tire cost"
Mr.. Dundon had long petition asking
for this change of grade that would give
proper outlets to the traffic along the water
front south, which was signed, he said, by
every property-owner save few whom he
did not care to name, but who were con-
spicuously absent in every gathering OF
progressive citizens.
Denman said that he himself, owned
some property over there, and he thought
tie cutting down of the hill would improve
it at least 500 per cent, and he was willing
to pay the cost for his own and a share of
those who refused to sign.
Action was deferred for two weeks, and
in the meantime the committee will look
the ground over.
During the afternoon session the Sutro
railroad inquiry was taken up. Colonel
Little was present looking out for the rail-
road, and stenographer took down every
word that was uttered. Supervisor Hughes
presided, and Supervisor Benjamin acted
as interlocutor.
III. T. Scott of the Union Iron Works
was first called, and stated that they were
prepared to build electric motors in COM
petition with the East; they had built
battle-ships successfully in competition
with the whole United States; that they
would take the contract to equip the road on
any terms that any Eastern concern would
take it. In answer to question by Colonel
Little he said that the whole work would
be done here except the wire winding on
the dynamos, which constituted about 20
per cent of the whole. That would be done
in the East.
Patrick Noble, superintendent of the
Pacific Rolling-mills. came next. He said
they were equipped to make fishplates,
spikes, and could within forty days, be in
shape to begin delivering sixty-pound I
rails of the style being laid by the Sutro
road. They would for an order of 900 tons
make the rolls and could deliver them at
the rate of 100 tons day, once started. He
did not think Tin answer to the question:
that T rails were fit to be put down in a
city. The mills are already prepared to
make several other styles of rails, and had
sent samples of these to Mr.. Sutro, but had
never been asked for figures; their price,
he said, would be from Is to 20 per cent
higher than Eastern prices for the same.
They would have been very glad to get the
order; they had furnished nothing for the
Sutro road as yet.
Colonel Little said that he had called at
the Pacific mills before ordering the rails
and had been informed by some one in the
office that they could not make the weight
of rails required, and would not bother
with new rolls unless the order was suff-
cient to warrant them. He thought this
sufficient He asked Mr.. Noble if he
would have taken an order for the rails
without the fishplates.
eyes," said Noble, Tor we would have
taken an order for fishplates without the
rails at which there was general laugh.
II. A. Russell, agent for the Westing
house Airbrake Company of Pittsburg,
stated that he was figuring on the eleetri-
cal equipment of the road. The concern
manufactured nothing here, and had never
found any competitor In the local manu-
Robert Moore of the Risdon Iron Works
said their concern was doing some small
jobs for the Sutro road, such as making
switches, poles and other incidentals to
the driving machinery. These we're trifles.
His company had not been asked to figure
on other things. The concern equipped
most of the electrical roads out here in the
matter of driving machinery, including the
big engines in the power-house. He said
the pipe for the poles for carrying the
overhead wire were made in the East
Before leaving the stand, so to speak,
Mr.. Moore said that he had been delegated
by the Manufacturers Association, re-
Gently organized, and of which he is secre-
tary, to call the attention of the Super
visors to the fact that they had organized
and to ask that in future franchises granted
by the board the stipulation be made that
the work, when possible should be of
home manufacture. He said it was not i'm
agined that legislation could correct all the
business handicap that existed, but it could
doubtless do much. Very much heavy
work that would bring great benefit to any
community that secured it, and which
could be done just as well here as else
where, was sent East. He instanced the
work incidental to the Oakland water
works. He said this could have been done
in San Francisco just as well as in Pitts
H,,kf bof oil