The San Francisco call., 1897-04-07
SCIENCE AND ART
TOOK THEIR TURN
A New, Imposing, Three
/ Stcry Structure on
Post Street.
Wonderful Electrical Appliances
and Telephone Sys.
tenn.
The San Francisco Gas and Electric
Company Estab ished in Its
New Quarters.

EulSON anu 1ONeE nave
been sold TO a new corporation known as
the San Francisco Gas and Electric Com
pany. The change has been inaugurated
by the construction OF a palatial three
story stone and brick building at 415 Post
street, above Powell.
The offices of the old companies have
been transferred TO the new quarters, and
the business transacted hereafter will be
at the new address.
The president Of the new company is j..
B. Crockett; the secretary, William G..
Barrett. The board OF directors is COM
posed of President ]. B. Crockett, G. w.
Prescott, Adam Grant. Levi Strauss.
Daniel I. Murphy, ]. Downey Harvey, A.
H. Payson, James B. Stetson, w. F.
Whittier, c. E. Green and P. J. Donahue.
The new building of the corporation is
one of which any City might well fee.
| proud. On the principle that 4 diamond
scarfpin may serve a useful purpose as
| well as to adorn, it has been constructed
| in the most masnifcent style of modern
art.
Viewed from the front it looms up as a
| three-stcry stone structure, the two upper
stories being finished i'll buff brick with
| terra-cotta trimmings. The basement
and main foor are in Raymond granite.
! The main floor Is partiIioned off into sep
arate offices for seven bookkeepers, with
| desks for collectors and large office near
the central part Cor the cashiers depart
ment. The entire finish of this floor is in
! Flemish oak, highly polished, with brass
| counter-rails and a mosaic floor.
Opening from the cashiers department
| is the spacious cash vault. In it the books
! OF the concern are kept. So perfect is the
| mechanism that book weighing so pounds
can De hauled forth with t~o fingers.
Above the vault proper is another vault
| II feet long, in which books and records
are kept.
In the front Of the building on the main
| floor and at the right of the entrance is
| the presidents office, fitted in modern
style. with The secretary's in the rear of it
and the stenographer's room adjoining.
The office and lavato-ies are finished in
quartered oak. The wainscoting of the
lower floor is of Tennessee marble.
TheIe is one elevator in tie building q
Fraser. Under the compartment for pas
sengers is one for freight.
On the second floor, and directly over
looking Post street, Is the board of
directors room. This room Is finished in
Flemish oak, handsomely carpeted, v ith
large portraits OF past officers adorning the
walls.
AT the eastern end is fireplace. built to
give Greek temple effect. 1t reaches TO
| the ceiling. The capitals of the columns
are Ionic. Midway between the floor and
ceiling is French-plate mirror. Pendant
| from the ceiling in tie center of the room
| is beautiful Chandelier.
Engineer Jones room is on the north
! west corner OF the second floor. 1t is a
well-equipped engineers Office, finished
| in whIle cedar. and ornamented also with
beautiful carpet and chandelier.
| Back of the engineers office is the room
| for the use Of the engineers clerks, in
.>l Ill Is
| of gas are kept. In room to the rear are
| kept the maps of the City containing the
| location OF street mains and lamp posts
| and a card catalogue OF all the meters in
use. The street-lamp burners are tested
| in this room to insure their burning the
| proper amount OF gas.
| The electric-lisht part of the esta bli.h-
| ment is in the rear OF the second story
and under the charge of MIR. Green. Con-
nected with it are the rooL:s of his corps
| OF assistants and clerks. At the extreme
rear is small room, handsomely fur
nished, for the use Of the president when
| he desires to be al leisure or indulge In
! thought undisturbed.
On the third floor. over the room re-
served for the use of the board of direct
ors is large room extending the whole
| length OF the building. 1t is reserved for
use only on special occasions. Directly
| back OF this apartment and to the west
side OF the structure is the room of the en-.
gineer's assistants and draughtsmen.
To the rear Of it is the bookeoom, which
will be finished with cases containing
books and stationery arranged in regular
order. Next to this is the room occupied
by the hill clerks of the gas department.
Adjoining it is a small room for the use o
the. bill clerks at luncheon.
In the basement is the gas stove depart
| ment. Here are kept samples of every
known appliance for heating and cookins
with gas. 1t is reached by steps directly
| from Post street, and is under charge of 8
manager who will be pleased to extend
every courtesy to those wishing TO inspec
| the samples.
The company attempts to make no pro
fit on these goods, but keeps them merely
to accommodate patrons and encourage
! the use of gas
The storekeeper's office is also in the
| Easement. The storeroom has all the spe.
ciel fittings for gas and electric appliances
such as stoves, heaters anu supplies.
In the rear OF the basement Is the meter
| department. in which all complaints, such
as leaks and stoppages, are attended to-
| Near 1t is the teamster's room, where al
orders are attended to by telephone. There
is room enough in the rear of the building
for double team to turn easily.
The whole building is heated with the
Perfection asbestos crate. For very cold
| WSobASA % AihoSo Az tho oooSinSHt, VIII
pipes leading to all the principal offices, i:
| brought into requisition.
One of the most marvellous features o.
the new building is its telephone system
There are ten telephones operated by
what is known as the house system
Thus the president or any officer picks hi.
transmiiter off the hook, and by giving
the appropriate numb Der, such as one OF
ten, can speak with any department In
the building.
Switches can be made to the local O,
the Sunset telephone system at will. BY
q private~system m of underground copper
wires any of tie telephones can be con
nected with the companys buildings al
North Beach and other parts of the City
One small room is devoted to the exclu
sive use OF the telephone girl, who fad.
her time we'll occupied in attending te
| switches.
The officers when in q hurry can sum
mon any of their assistants simply BY
pushing the proper button of series or
| the desk.
Much credit is due Architect Clinton
Day, under whose direction all the inte
rior arrangements were carried out. Bu
TO Presiden. Crockett himself must bt
given the credit for vast deal of the ar
rangemenis and suggestions for labor
saving devices. Much of his time wa,
spent in personal supervision.
The great Mohammedan school at Cairo