The San Francisco call., 1899-06-20
NEEDS OF THE
C|TY'S HARBOR
AND FRONTAGE
Substantial WharVeS
Should Be Built.
COMMERCIAL MEMS VIEWS.
sEAWALL OUGHT TO BE EX-
TENDED SOUTH AND WEST.
Immediate Need of the State Appro-
priating One Million Dollars
to Accommodate the
Shipping.
SEAWALL OUGHT TO BE EX-
TENDED SOUTH AND WEST.

edge as to the facilities of the harbor
front for handling the commerce, pres
ent and future of San Francisco. To this
end a special committee was appointed to
Investigate harbor front affairs. The COM
mittee consisted of John Dolbeer CHAIR
nam, Robert Dollar, R. j. Chapman,
Edward E. Kentfield and w. H.
Marston. Yesterday the gentlemen made
public their report, which is as follows:
Dear Sirs: The special committee appointed
by your honorable body to investigate matters
pertaining to the harbor and water front
beg to report as follows: We did not suppose
1t intended much now to go into the
past history OF the management of the water
front, inasmuch as that has been quite thor
oughy investigated by the special committee
for the State Senate, and a report made to
particularly into the present status of the IA
ciities afforded TO the shipping interests and
what improvements, il any, could be sug
gested applicable both to the present and fu-
tuTe needs of our commercial interests, We
have had several conferences with members of
the Board of State Harbor Commissioners and
their engineer Mr.. Howard c. Holmes,
well meeting the board in session, to all of
whom we desire to extend our thanks for their
assistance and courtesy. reduction has re-
Gently been made in the expenses of the State
Harbor Commissioners. particularly in reduc-
ing the force employed. The amount thus
saved being not less than $500 per month. this
action is most commendab BILE and one greatly
needed We trust, however, that the same
spirit of economy and retrenchment Will con-
tinue TO prevail and result in much additional
saving. From the accounts presented it ap-
pears that the expenditure for the year end
ing June 30 1895 exceeded the receipts
500, 6S3 % Expenditures include amount 500
572 transferred from San Francisco harbor i'm
provement fund to depot sinking fund, but
not including disbursements paid out of depot
fund; The amount. $55,972. being for interest
fund for their redemption.
Wharfage and Tolls-Owing to the urgent
need of funds, not only to maintain the ef-
ficency of the present structures, but TO pro-
vide means for extending the seawall and
building wharves, we do not suggest any
reduction in the charges made for wharf
age and tolls, believing it more expedient to
have suitable and ample accommodations for
our commerce than to effect small saving on
each cargo In the future when such large
expenditures for maintenance and construc-
tlon may not be necessary, it will then be
time to consider the matter of reducing these
charges. Taking the case OF say Zoo-ton
sailing ship, the charge of lying at the wharf
is about S17 so per day, but should such
a vessel be kept in the stream, unable 70 ma
suitable dockage, il would not be unreasonable
to estimate the cost at 800 per day for the
time OF the vessel
Accommodation find that from time to
time complaint has been made of lack of ac-
commodation for vessels at the wharves. but
upon careful consideration we are satisfied that
IL has been so much for lack OF space
90 FOR want of accountable room convenient to
some particular locality or at a covered wharf,
but admitting this we certainly would recon-
mend that such steps be taken as Will pro
vide sufficient berths of the kind needed. We
find also In some instances berths desirable for
handling general cargo are occupied almost
iNNSiA4AiiNi't
that these should be moved when any vessel
requires the space for loading or discharging
While ii may>b be true also that for the present
number of vessels in the harbor some kind
of accommodation may be found we feel Ger
tain that in the autumn months when the
to speak of such vessels will then come
to load wheat and other products there
will not be enough
New wharves-In order. therefore to help to
some extent TO ohviate this difficulty. which
we believe imminent and which will result in
great loss caused by vessels waiting for berths
we respectfully recommend that new wharf
of the most modern character be built i'm
mediately north of the Fishermens wharf
between 1t and the Lombard-street ferry slips.
In order to do this 1t will he necessary to
No / and making in its place a slip between
No. 2 and Lombard street pier, also extending
the southern side of Slip No. at the proper
angle out to the regular pier line; running
from this end line OF piles to the seawail
Sin No and gaining one side of wharf
and a large back of II for handling cargo
started Immediately; as preliminary steps for
increasing the facilities of the water front
suggest that the Fishermen's wharf be re
moved and extra large covered pier be built
in it's place. In this way two fine wharves
could be moved to the end of Section B of the
sea wall near the foot of Jones street The
sea wall could be partially extended to form
! breakwater which afterward would serve as
foundation for the permanent structure in the
future the space thus closed in between the
breakwater and the present shore line afford
ing protection for the fishing boats
Seawall-The foregoing suggestion naturally
! brings to consideration of the seawail.
In our opinion it is very necessary that this
work be extended southerly from its present
| substantial piers could be built and so ar
ranged that about double the accommodation
afforded between ferry slips ana Pacihc
Mail dock be obtained.
Present condition of wharves-Owing TO the
ia T SeRas and we rallied
that the expenditure of large amounts of
money is necessary to keep the present piers
| in repair and note that the commissioners
have recently let contracts for repairing How
ard-street wharf No. l and No 2. also Harri-
! son-street wharf.
Wharf structure-In this connection we de-
sire to recommend the system of construction
so ably advocated by the Engineer Mr.. H. c.
Holmes and demonstrated in Pier No. and
Pier No u. These structures rest piers
each composed of concrete surrounding a suit
! able number of piles, generally three, and in
| closed in iron boiler casing. We also fully
indorse the plan of making the new wharves
! 100 feet wide more which We understan nd
is recommended by the Commissioners. and
where practicable 500 feet long instead of about
| struction of wharves. the aim should be
| to give much additional covered space as
will be found convenient, such being particu-
larly desirable for discharge of general mer-
chandise cargo AS a further means of afford
ing additional wharf room, we recommend the
suggestion of H. c. Holmes. made in his re-
port, that a large pier or breakwater be con-
structed at a sufficient distance north from
Pier No. q to afford say four wharves be-
tween them. This pier to be filled in solidly
and be 800 feet long and about 800 feet wide
so made that vessels could lie alongside and
afford a of bringing and ship to-
gether by having railroad tracks laid on It,
Being solid II would offer the best method of
carrying a suitable the end into
deep water and offer protection from the
north wind and swell coming in from the
Holmes we would recommend that another
such pier be built at about the foot of Harri-
son or Bryant street, this letter serving as
| a protection TO neighbornS piers from the
damaging effects of southeasterly storms
Funds-As to the funds needed for the i'm
proyement of the water front, are informed
by the Honorable Board of State Harbor Com
missioners that after making the reduction
mentioned of say $500 per month in expendi-
lures they estimate that about Sis, 900 per wear
will be available for new structures after paw
ready built in repair. According to estimates
made this would build two wharves of the best
character complete, such as piers and u
When such structures those built the
large expense needed at present in repairs
would be reduced a minimum, and conse-
auently a considerably increased sum made
available for work AS it is evident that
even this saving will not be sufficient to carry
on the work of making new structures as fast
as we think desirable suggest as a lnea MS
of furnishing the necessary funds for this pl,r-
pose that the Legislature of the State at the
next session be requested to provide for the
issue Of bonds of 1000. 900, the money to be
used in extending the seawall southerly and
building wharves We would also suggest
TO your honorable body the advisability of TAX
ing steps to change the present custom of draw
ing charter parties in which 100 tons is made
the minimum of freight to be discharged per