The San Francisco call., 1897-04-07
THERE WILL Be
TWO BRIDGES
No Agreement Possible for
Building a Joint
Structure.
Conferences Between the South
ern Pacific and Supervisors
Futile.
General M;nager Kruttschnitt Decides
That Loop" Trains Are
Inexpedient.

1t can now be stated on the authority of
a Southern Pacific official that there will
continue to be two bridges across Oakland
Creek.
When the Treasury Department ordered
that the spans of the bridges now crossing
Oakland Creek at Alice street and Web
ster street be increased from 80 feet to $50,
the Southern Pacific Company at once
prepared plans and specifications for a
new bridge across Alice street, over
which they proposed to run both their
broad and narrow gauge trains. These
were forwarded 10 Washington and in due
time approved. If this plan of using one
br .dge ior all the trains were carried out
by the Southern Pacific Company it would
leave the bridge for vehicles, streetcars
and pedestrians to be built by the county
OF Alameda.
Realizing this fact the Supervisors of
that county asked for conference with
the railroad people for the purpose OF dis
cusslng plan for single Joint brid ge,
the cost OF construction and maintenance
to be shared between the county and the
railroad company. Among the PROPOSE
tions discussed was dou uble-deck bridge
one floor TO be used for trains and the
other for ordinary traffic; another scheme
was TO construct an unusually wide affair
that would afford ample room Tor double
railroad tracks, Tor sIreetcar tracks, tor a
| wagon road and Tor walk. Several con-
ferences were had, but the views OF the
| Two parties were SO far apart tha: no
agreement was possible.
| The railroad people have finally come
| to the conclusion that it will be useless 10
| continue any further negotiations with
the Alameda County Supervisors under
fna nirarl Ncto
at the best the construction of a Joint
bridge would be OF little benefit to any
| one, and would, in all probability only
prove subject of future contentious
| The extension granted by the Wash
| lngton authorities expires in July OF 1898
and 1t Is the desire of the railroad COM
pany to begin work in pie time 10 COM
plete it WITHIN the specified time.
There lave been several suggestions
| made by residents across the bay for
! obviating the necessity of any railroad
bridge across the estuary. These involve
the running OF loop" trains from both
| the broad and narrow gauge moles. 80 as
| TO make the circuit around Oakland Cree K
via Frultvaie from one mole to the other
| General Manager kruttschnitt, when the
| matter was called to his attention, said
the idea had occurred 10 him, but was
| cast aside, as IL would seriously incon-
venience the large number of passengers
VINO no" use the narrow gauge In going
/ 10 oakland from this side and those who
use the broad gauge in going TO Ala eda
This class of passengers is now carried
| direct by way of the bridges across Oak
| land Creek. Under the loop system the
Oakland people would either have 10 wait
| for the broad-gauge trains and ferries or
| would have to be carried around Fruitvale
and be at least fifteen minutes longer on
| their journey than at present, while the
Alameda residents would have toconfine
| their patronage TO the narrow-gauge car
rlers or swing three-quarters around a
circle instead of a quarter or third as
i now.
1t is, under the circumstances, the pur.
| pose OF the Southern Pacific Com pany to
| build new bridge of its own designing z
and for its sole use across Oakland Greek
at Alice street and to continue to operate
its trains and ferries as at present.