The San Francisco call., 1896-12-31
LEGISLATORS ALL
At SEA FOR POINTS
Taken in Hand by the
Harbor Commissioners
on a Tug.
Legislation to Be Asked to Finish
the Seawall by Issuing
Bonds.
A Footbridge Across East Street
Necessary for Protection of
Passengers.

1t was a good natured party that left on
the tug Fearless yesterday morning from
Mission street pier for cruise around the
water front. The purpose of the trip was
to give members OF the Legislature an
opportunity of becoming familiar with the
harbor.
The party had gathered at the invita-
tion of the Harbor Commissioners, and
the responses were SO numerous that 1t
was decided not to use the State tug 'Gov-
ernor Markham" it being too small to
accommodate the crowd, and the Spreck-
els tug was substituted.
On the excursion were: Senators s.
Braunhart, L. J. Dwyer, E. l. Wolfe, P.
L. Henderson and j. Feeney of San Fran
cisco, Senators Eli S. Denison, f. S. STRAIT
ton and ]. d. Beard of Alameda, Senator
Trout of Santa Cruz, Assemblymen E. F.
Lacy, j. Allen, H. NJ. Kelly, J. Treacy, J..
II. Power, G. B. Godfrey, F. Mahoney, l..
j. Dolan, H. McGrath, H l. Mulcrevy, G.
Pohlman. Leon E. Jones, Sig Bettman,
L. A. Henley, F. Lundquist, E. s. Ryan
and w. III. Gately of San Francisco, ]. A.
Waymire, F. w. Leavitt, H. H. North and
ii. e. Wright of Alameda, S. &. Goodhue
of San Mateo, w. r. Guy of San Diego, z.
G. Damon OF Hum boldt, f. d. Seward of
Sierra, w. M. Sims and S. f. s. Ennis of
Sacramento.
The non-members o. the Legislature
were: Ex-senator TRY L. Ford, E. L.
Colnon, president of the State board of
Harbor Com missioners; Daniel i, Cole
and f. S. Chadbourne, Harbor Commits
sioners; Chief Engineer Holmes, Paris
Kilburne, Charles f. Bassett, ex-presi-
dent of the Board of Harbor Commission
ers, James Gillis of Sacramento, and w.
B. Hamilton.
The necessary refreshments ana the
usual preventives of seasickness were on
board and no casualties peculiar to land
lubbeTs were reported. The tug steamed
around Alcatraz and Angel islands, then
down past Sausalito and out to the
Heads. On the return. beginning at
about the Presidio, the tug hugged the
Works, taking in the entire water front.
On the return to the Mission street pier
the tug kept close to the wharves and af-
forded the legislators an excellent oppor-
tunity for inspection.
The party disem barked at about l
o'clock, much wiser than they had been
when they embarked.
Among the many things needed for the
improvement of this harbor, the necessity
for the speedy completion of the seawall
from its present terminal at the ferry
slips southwesterly along the entire City
front was pointed out by ex-senator Ford,
attorney for the Harbor Commissioners.
This work would improve shipping facih-
ties greatly.
Legislature for permission to issue 81 ,000,-
600 or less of bonds to complete the sea-
wall, the bonds and the interest thereon
to be paid out of the receipts from the
shipping and other harbor dues.
There is also great need OF bridge for
foot passengers from the second floor of
the new Union depot across East street TO
the foot of Sacramento street, where it
empties into Market street at the junction
of East. All the streetcars pass and re-
pass this point and cars and loaded
wagons are continually travelling in the
daytime along East street across this wide
stretch of ground, which passengers are
obliged to cross in going to or returning
from the ferries. No difference of opinion
exists as to the necessity for the bridge
but the obstacle in the way is the fact
that the Commissioners do not own the
ground on which the passengers would
land at the inner terminal of the bridge,
although they have valuable strip of
property fronting ON East street in the
same block,
Under the law of eminent domain the
landing place could be condemned and
purchased at m appraised valuation by
the Harbor Commissioners, but there is
no necessity to purchase land so long as
they have large strip along East street,
a portion of.which could be exchanged for
the desired landing, which would proba-
bly, cost about $40, 900.
Some time before the Commissioners
issued bonds for water front improvement
they began to lay aside fund for the pay
ment of interest on the bonds, as such in
terest would fall due. About $43, 900 had
been laid aside for this purpose before the