The San Francisco call., 1896-04-07
Belief That the Bridge Advo-
Gates Will Agree to a
Compromise.
HARRISON STREET FAVORED.
No Alameda Opposition to a Single
Bridge if the Approaches Are
Not Changed.

A petition, signed by the Webster street
property and business men and
by many members OF that locality, will be
presented TO Colonel Suter, the Govern
ment engineer, to-day, asking that no
change be made in the location of the
bridge uniting Oakl and and Alameda.
The petition reciteS that the abandonment
of the Webster-street bridge and the estab-
hshment OF a new highway near the
estuary at the AIice-street line would be
great detriment to the business and prop
erty interests of the western portion of
Alameda, and that such change would
be an unjust and arbitrary interference
with the rights attached 10 the natural
order of Alameda's growth.
The petition has several hundred sigma
lures. 1t is stated, and if the petition
have no effect the petitioners propose to
take the matter into the courts.
On account of the opposition to the Alice
and Mcpherson street route it is believed
that the plans suggested week ago may
be modified so that Webster street may re-
main the highway between Oakland and
Alameda, as at present.
- From Santa Clara avenue in Alameda the
roadway swerves away to the westward
in order to meet the Webster-street bridge.
The main portion. of Webster street in
Alameda Is almost on a line with Alice
street, Oakland, or as nearly. in line with
the latter street as with the Oakland Web
ster street. Consequently, the West End
residents of Alameda insist that if there is
TO be union bridge at Alice street the
connecting highway in Alameda should
still be Webster street
Then, they say, the Southern Pacific
narrow-gauge line could run to the Alice
street bridge without crossing the main
thOroughfare. With Webster street. Ala.
media, ending at the Alice-street bridge
the carrow-gauge tracks could be extended
10 Alice street without being any more in
the way than they are now in reaching the
Webster bridge. The broad-gauge road
would approach the bridge from the east
ern side and there would be no trouble
with the crossings at all.
Such plan as that is spoken of with
favor by representatives, of all the inter
ests that center at the bridge. The Web
ster-street people, however, would still
prefer TO have the new bridge placed on
the site of the county's present structure.
a com promise on Harrison street, midway
between the Webster-street and Alice
street bridges, is spoken of.
D. L. Shead, an Alameda grocer at 1919
Webster street, Alameda, said yesterday
when asked about the opposition to the
proposed Alice-street bridge:
81 have signed the petition objecting to
the change from the present route because
the change brings hards ship and injustice
10 US who have built up this part of the
city. The change would mean an un-
necessary expense to the city in building
the approaches to the bridge, while in the
present location the roadway to the bridge
is established.
''If they agree to leave the route to Oak
land as it is at present, with the business
part OF Webster street as the highway to a
new bridge at Alice street or Harrison
street, that is another matter. We want a
new bridge, but we want to protect our
own business interests. The Webster
street slough will be hard to fill. and it
might be better to have the street straight
ened so as 10 run to the Alice-street bridge
as it should have been run originally. l
think that Harrison street or Alice street
would be better location for the proposed
bridge. provided that the highway re-
mained at Webster street."
The same views were expressed bv sew
eral other business men of the district.
Among these, Adolph Hecker of 1885 Web
ster street, hardware-dealer, said:
This business region has been built up
in accordance with the route of thorough
fare between Alameda and OAKLAND. This
part OF the city has been built ND by the
enterprise of the West End people. who
expected that the conditions would be
permanent and who believed that they
would be protected in their existing rights.
There ought to be only one bridge, and
that good one. where now there are two
very poor bridges. But if new bridge is
to be built the ronte to Oakland ought to
remain just as it is. We will all favor
new bridge, anywhere from Webster street
to Alice street, provided that the promi-
nence of our business street is not inter-
fered with"
Theo. F. Steinmetz, the West End fur
niture-dealer, said: eff they take our
bridge away that will end this part of
town. But if they give us better bridge
and let Webster street be the approach to
1t, as 1t ought naturally to be the approach
TO Alice-street bridge. then the change will
only be benefit to US. 1t would be
wrong, though, to make radical change
OF the conditions under which the West
End has been built up"
VIC. Curtis, the head of the Southern Pa
CHIC Company's engineering department,
stated to CALL reporter yesterday that
the company is preparing to go ahead and
rebuild It's Alice-street bridge with the
intention OF running the two railroads
over 1t. "The attitude of the county will
have nothing to do with that project. If
the county concludes in favor of an ar
rangement for building bridge that will
answer all the purposes OF the two present
bridges the company is willing to enter
into the negotiations. Mr.. Curtis said that
he thought bridge at Harrison Street
would be as convenient for the railroad as
a bridge at Alice street.
Oakland has taken no definite action vet
in the bridge matter, but the shipping
men in that city are in favor of one less
His Fifth Attempt.
Johu Jackson, q laborer, attempted to commit