The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-19
Merchants Exchange and Board
of Trade Want Ships at
the City's Wharves.
SAY ALAMEDA CAN WAIT.
After the Channel Is Deep Enough
for Use Then the Canal Will Be
Dredged Advantageously.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANo1sco GALL

OIVIAyp OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
90S Broadway, Aug. Is.
The Merchants Exchange and the Board
of Trade of Oakland feel much elated at
the communication of Colonel Suter re-
earding the improvement of Oakland har-
Dor. 1t was feared for a long time that
the opposition of Alameda to the work as
originally proposed would interfere in a
great measure with the system of improve
ment as outlined originally by Colonel
Mendell and later by Colonel Suter. They
now feel assured that what they call "mis-
representation" on the part of the people
on the other side of the estuary will have
no permanent effect, and that it has, in
fact, been already overcome in the United
States Engineers Office ut Washington.
At the present time a deep-water chan
mel exists from Webster-street bridge to
about half way down between the training
wells. About $500, 900 will be required to
complete this channel to deep water in
the bay, and about $4,000 is necessary to
complete the train ing-walls. When this
is done vessels OF any draught that now
enter San Francisco Bay can bring their
cargoes direct to Oakland wharves. At
the present time the greater part of each
cargo consigned to Oakland has to be dis
charged in San Francisco and lightered
over here. 1t is argued by Oakland COM
mercial bodies that the completion of the
Oakland end of the harbor as now outlined
will be as great an advantage to Alameda
as to this City.
1t has been calculated that 81 per head
per annum of all the residents of Alameda
and Oakland represents the loss paid for
additional transportation, which could be
saved were there deep-water channel
direct to this City. This alone represents
about 100000 per year that is paid out of
Oakland pockets for comparatively no
return.
The main argument of the Alameda
people is that if the tidal canal were
dredged through first it would be a sani-
tary measure and would carry the sewage
out to sea that now lies stagnant in the
canal basin. This argument is met by the
Oakland people that the Government has
no right and no power and no desire to
spend any appropriation to further the
sewage schemes of any city. Such money
must be spent solely for this improvement
of Government harbors, for the benefit of
commerce at large and not for any purely
local purpose. There is already shallow
channel dredged from Adams Point
around the water front of East Oakland
that is sufficient at present for the small
vessels to go there. From Webster street
TO ADAMS Point the Channel has also been
dredged to accommodate the new wall re-
Gently built by the Adams estate. After
the completion of the deep-water channel
from the bay work could then be under
taken with advantage at the other end of
the harbor until there was a complete
ship channel into San Loandro Bay if
necessary. The report of Colonel Mendell,
embodied in the Government statistics,
states that no good purpose could be sub
served by beginning at the San Leandro
Bay end of the estuary.
Colonel Suter also says that the argu-
ment of DR.. Mclean of Alameda, that the
mud from the tidal canal and the East
Oakland fats is gradually filing up the
ship channel already dredged. is without
foundation. At the approach to the city
wharves a little bank occasionally forms
on account of the current which sweeps
around there, but in the channel already
dredged it is authoritatively stated that
no portion of it has been filled up, nor is
the depth IN any part diminished, al
though considerable time has elapsed since
some OF the dredging was done.
While Colonel Suffers letter will not
meet with :avor to those who are repre-
sented by DR.. Mclean, it is thought by
those interested in the harbor on this side
that it permanently disposes of the con-
test that has been waged bitterly for over
year.