The San Francisco call., 1896-04-21
IMPROVING The HEIGHTS.
Sewers, Curbs and Cesspools
Finding Places on New
Streets.
A Reservoir On the Topmost Elevation
to Be Constructed in the
Near Future.

The Southern Heights district, which is
the aristocratic name for the Potrero, is
assuming residence pretensions which
may in the near future compare favorably
| with the Mob Hill section as a choice
elevated site for fancy dwellings.
To the end that these praiseworthy and
| lofty aspirations may be realized the Po-
trero Improvement Company is doing all
it can to place the land in suitable condi-
ton for comfortable if not for fancy home
sites.
The superintendent of the improvement
company put an extra gang of laborers to
work yesterday to level, fill in and grade
Mariposa street, between Pennsylvania
and Mississippi. Besides this the work on
the blocks bounded by Minnesota, Indi-
ana, Napa and Sierra streets is being
pushed as fast as men and money can
force labor in cutting and filling the hills
and hollows in this section.
An extra cable has been put on the grav-
ity road, by which additional cars and
heavier loads may be used in removing e the
rock and clay from the cuttings to the hol-
lows where the earth is dumped.
This work necessitates the raising and
lowering of houses erected on those streets
before the official grade has been ascer-
tanned. In some cases the rise is as much
| as fifteen feet and in others only about five
feet, but in all cases the owners cheerfuIIy
acquiesce IN the extra expense, as they
know that without an official grade, good
streets and proper sewerage the district
! would never improve or become a faYora-
BILE location for residence.
A fourteen-inch sewer is being put down
on Kansas street, between Sixteenth and
Seventeenth, with crossings, culverts and
nn 0lS lr,S Slxro ~ y,
This sewer will be continued up Seven
teenth to Vermont with the proper curb
ing and culverts. This will bring the sec
ton into practical utility as a residence
location and easily accessible to the Six
| teenth-street electrician line.
One of the great drawbacks to the South
ern Heights as suitable residence loca-
ton is the lack of water. In consequence
of the elevation being higher than any of
| the Spring Valley Water Company's reser-
voirs it has been found impossible to get a
supply of water to the dwellings on the
! summit of the heights.
The water which supplies the Potrero
comes from the college reservoir on the
Mission road. The Spring Valley Com
pany has and is now looking for suitable
site at the highest elevation on the South
ern Heights summit upon which to locate
a reservoir.
In speaking with the officers of the en-
l
Water Company yesterday a CALL man
was informed that just as soon as the COM
pany found a suitable location and one
that the owner would sell for its value
reservoir would be built and main run
from it that would supply the highest
point with water. "But," added the off,
cial, 'tne property.owners must first assist
themselves by grading the streets. This
company cannot go to the expense of put
ting pipes in the air nor yet so deep under
ground as to bury them for all time to
come.
Just as soon as people on the Southern
Heights invite us by putting their streets
in proper condition, and will sell us a
proper piece of ground upon which to
erect reservoir, the com pany will respond
and give them all the water necessary for
the next hundred years."
More progressive residents on the Ken
tucky-street line are clamoring for a police
patrol-wagon for that and the South San
Francisco district. An application to this
effect will be presented to the Supervisors
in the near future.