The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-05
A Network of Railways That
Will Converge Toward
San Francisco.
PURE WATER FOR THE CITY.
The Spring Valley Company Will AS.
sist in Tunneling the
Elevations.

REDWOOD CITY, CAL, Jan. &C. P.
Huntington's recent trip through San Ma
| teo County with Charles Webb Howard of
the Spring Valley Water Works may mean
considerable to San Francisco. 1t again
opens up the question of tunneling
through the mountain at point back of
Redwood City, so as to connect the ocean
side with the bay side of San Mateo
county. The result would be that rail
road built up along the coast would escape
the forbidding group of hills terminating
in the San Pedro Mountain, which iuts
out into the ocean just below the San
Francisco County line and blocks the way.
Surveys have been made around over
and through the San Pedro Mountains,
but the obstacles to good railroading are
SAID to be something immense, while the
tunnel referred to would afford means of
crossing over to the bay shore and thence
to San francisco on an almost level grade
Ii railroad tunnel is built, it has been
considered the policy OF the Spring Valley
Water Works to join with the Southern
Pacific Company in It's construction. The
Spring Valley folks have extensive in
terests on the coast side OF San Mateo
County, and control enough water over
there, which is running to waste into the
ocean, to add millions of gallons to San
Franelsco's daily supply. Pescadero
Creek is the principal stream, but there
are several others, and the San Gregorio
and Purissima are very important ones
Water will be taken from each.
At the present time there is no way of
getting the water over the mountains, and
the Spring Valley Company could use the
railroad tunnel to bring a pipeline
through, emptying the water into Crystal
Springs reservoir among the hills back of
San Mateo. Thus, from the head waters
OF the Pescadero to San Francisco, there
would be constant supply OF pure noun
tain water by gravity flow.
If the Southern Pacific goes into the
scheme it is safe to say that enough feed
ers to the main line of railroad will be
operated on the coast side of San Mateo
County to fully occupy or control the
various avenues of approach to San Fran
cisco. These feeders would tap the s'big
basin" vast tract of virgin redwood tim
Der owned by Timothy Hopkins and
others, and lying along the border line of
San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. Pes
cadero, San Gregorio, Purlssima and
Spanishtown would be on the main line.
Such valleys as the San Gregorio and Pr
larcitos ere natural highways between the
mountains, and need only an outlet by
tunnel to command the coast trade.
On one pretext or another the whole
coast side of San Mateo County has been
crossed and recrossed by survey parties,
until every foot of the land and all the
distances and elevations are known and
carefully tabulated. The area of water
shed and record of rainfall have all been
figured out to nicely. The capacity of
the streams to furnish motor-power by the
use of turbine wheels has been inquired
into and the generation, local use and
transmission of electric power to San
Francisco have received the attention of
experts.
1t is believed that with the revival of
business the construction of the proposed
| tunnel would be one of the first moves
made by the Southern Pacific Company in
order to maintain its control over traffic TO
and from San Francisco. at the present
| time there is no sale for bonds and actual
| railroad construction is languishing, vet
the Southern Pacific Company has not
| been idle, but has taken advantage of
every opportunity to strengthen its POSI-
| ton.
When the San Francisco and San Joa-
quin Valley Railway Company was incor-
porated the Southern Pacific Company
hurried along its work in San Mateo
| County. 1t Immediately secured the long
neglected rights of way around the bay
shore, and it looks as though 1t might soon
spring another surprise by bringing a rail-
| road in FROM the coast side as mentioned
| above. 1t is not a new idea. Everything
| is ready. Condemnation proceedings
could be commenced almost at a days
notice.
All the country Immediately affected by
| any such movement was gone over in a
buggy by Mr.. Huntington and Mr.. How
| ard, their route being from San Mateo to
Redwood City, Woodside, Searswille, La
| Honda, Hanson's Mill, San Gregorio, Pu-
rissima, Spanishtown, through Pilarcitos
Valley, past Crystal Springs reservoir and
| back to San Mateo.