The San Francisco call., 1897-04-01
LIGHT To Shine
ALONG THE ROADS
Park Commissioners Have
Decided to Erect a
Power House.
It Will Cost $4,000 to Make
the Driveways Bright
as Day.
The Museum Has Sur passed All Others
in the United States in Attend.
ance and Growth.

The Park Commissioners have decided
to light up the Golden Gate Park with
powerful electric arc lamps.
The matter has been discussed for some
time, and the decision was reached on
Saturday aftern oon. Everything is 20 be
arranged both In the most improved and
the most economical way.
The park will have a power-hcuse to
generate the electricity within the grounds.
The plans have been drawn and accepted,
and work will commence in about three
weeks. These plans were furnished by
Commissioner Irving NJ. Scott free of
charge, and thus the first move iii the
Improvement is characterized by economy.
The power house will be situated near
the water-works plant of the park, and it
will have sufficient capacity to light up all
the main driveways. All the important
| machinery will be in duplicate so that in
case Of derangement of one part the other
can instantly be sci to work, and keep the
lights shining. The wires will be laid un-
derground, and everything will be done
in the most modern style. 1t is estimated
that the total cost will be about S35, GOO to
$40, 600.
The details of the number and the loca-
y
cided on, but there will be a capacity in
the power plant much beyond what the
first development Will require. Provision
is thus made for gradual extension of
the illumination. When the plan is fully
carried out horses and bicycles can bs
speeded clear to the ocean beech on MOON
less nights in flood of light that will
make an outing sale and pleasant.
Last Tuesday was the second anniver-
sary of the founding OF the park museum,
and it has made most remarkable rec
| ord. Many people here will perhaps be
| surprised to learn that thu attendance at
| this museum was larger in twelve months
| than at any other in the United States. In
| round numbers the annual attendance
was half million. Even at the Govern
ment museum at Washington the attend
ance fell short OF this by about 200 900.
| In the two years of its existence it has
| exceeded in the value of the treasures ac-
| cumulated the collections of any other
| museum in the country, not merely for
two years, but for ten.
1t is worthy of note that among that
vast crowd OF half million visitors not
one has ever injured any of the articles
| displayed nor misbehaved so as to make
arrest necessary. The curator thinks this
| is a remarkable record for q half million
| people TO make.
very fine addition has just been made
| to the attractions of the museum in a
donation of a collection of rare and valu-
| aple articles from M. H. de Young of San
| Francisco. The first in interest is a mag
nicent silver "Ivanhoe Shield" designed
and modelled by the late G.. B. Birch,
ARA. which has just arrived from Eng
land. 1t is ornamented in Celtic style,
and the center plaque repre- ,ents the
combat between Ivanhoe and Bois Gull
bert. The five small plaques surround
ing it contain the heads of Rowena, Re-
becca Caur de Lion, Cedric and Ivanhoe.
Next IN beauty Is a marble statue
"Ete," by Lauret de Broussei. This is
from Paris. Also from Paris there is a
fauteuil, or arm chair, hand carved and
! gilt, upholstered in crimson velvet, of the
| period of Louis Kill Other articles of
the collection are an antique clock and
some ancient sword guards inlaid with
| gold and silver.