The San Francisco call., 1899-11-23
MERCHANTS ASK
FOR RETIREMENT
Of WATER FRONT
Harbor Commissions
ers May Proceed.

The North Central Improvement Asso-
citation. which represents most OF the
banks and large share OF the wealth of
san Francisco. has addressed cOmmuni-
cation 70 the State Board of Harbor Com
inlssioners adyocating the improvements
an The water 'front.' suggested by Engineer
Holmes. the news concerning which was
published exclusively in The can.
As property owners in this district. /"
so reads the communication IN part.
(which has suffered for many years
thruurh lack ~ attention. and IN which
properly Us steadily decreasing IN value
-. are anxious 40 forward any plan which
MlA icnd 20 bring increased trade whe re
u properly belongs in this wholesale dis
ilgt near tht water front"
The discussion 0f the condition 81 the
water iront BOD relation 10 the prospective
N'lalnt or The commerce ~ Tho MORT in
iAe columns of The tan. which was be-
hlL with au Interview with T. 4 Fried
lander. has evidently set the commercial
'i MUMMY io ihinAlg very hard. a let
ter las been received by the editor OF The
'al. itom the secretary ~ the Chamber
81 commerce, the body OF which is as l0l-
lows.
we are pleased 10 notice 90 The cau Of the
lhrt icN ua}e several articles ln regard % mat.
trie on the water 'front.' particularly the need
't better accommodatlOus Tor the Increased
t.lffing ol .Nr port These are subjects in
which tha chamber 80 a.. fnrnerce has alv-s1-s
saker tha cresfe,f interest," s,,a-isi 80.
f..ffue appointed Tor that purI sc has made a
report 20 the chamber. deyoting special atten-
Ifties. This same committee o. sim az work
NpOn matters pertaining o. the water 'front.'.
Trusting that an ot cur efforts may result IN
f.l.e tafsiole results being Immediately ac-
o1mpiifhel toward ;he end IN view. etc.
The combined membership of the North
central Improvement Association and
The Chamber ~ Commerce represents
about AL Of commercial san Francisco.
'lrrcd up bN these evidences OF pub
ltc interest the Harhor Commissioners
are talking about making move of some
sort ana action lu The next few days is
likely 10 take place. in the meantime
some estimates are gathered from Engi-
iecr Holmes concerning the cost of i'm
proving tlc water front and bringing IL
hp to the standard ~ large ports else
where.
''T0 extend the seawan southwark to
Second street from It's present southerly
point of completion" said Mr. Holmes
would cost approximately $4,000; the
would figure up about $500 ooo. reach this
conclusion nN estimating the cost Of sea-
wall construction az about Si25 per lneal
f.ct The lengths 10 be filled In within
lie boundaries defined are Go00 feet and
-" irei respectively. the greater dis
rance being on the southerly extension
laai would give room for twenty-five ad-
oltloral piers from TAYLOR street To the
FOOT of Polk and fourteen additional piers
between the foot OF Market street and Sec
Nnl. The slips between would he iS0 feet
lf-.l'.- L4lr Nlttr from Dfl To NNl feef long.
Lae COSY ler pier can be figured al about
s. zoos. Exclusive of ferry piers there are
now twenty piers existing. II the sea-
wan We're extended northerly TO Polk
street and sOutherlv 10 Second street and
all The n.crs were built for which room
would thus he provided the total num-
Der ~ piers would be fifty-nine Accom-
nodauOn could he given with that outfit
10 300 ships az once. Tie sum OF $1,000 900
would give us the finest equipped mar
lOr .n the world. OF the twenty existing
wharres seventeen ought 10 be rebuilt
To BRING them up 90 date. That would
cost 1890 600 ir round figures"
These lglrcs VIII be interesting in the
discussion ~ the whole subject of wafer
i1o1i lmproy yement which IS evidently
committee ~ thr Chamber of Commerce
on the water front made these reconl- /
Irerdatprs; A new wharf Immediately /
lt'fnhafu street Ferry slips and changes ]
81 slips mat would be necessary at that
'ini. also the removal of the fishermen (
l' near the ioot of Jones street and the
'Ni IRA ilon of new covered pier
where the fishermen are now. also the
extension ~ The seawall southerly from
3 Us present terminus and the building ~
3 '.eccssary new piers from the southerlv
>Irir On oi me seaWau. The chambers
irfaittee also recommended that piers
mould De sn feet long instead OF 600
; leri. ihat "a large pier or breakwater /
p should De constructed AZ a sufficient dis 4
Iitc" north 10 pier 81 10 give room for /
~ pliers between. The large pier 70 be /
..ni .n solillT and 20 Dee 500 feet ln-,y d
arI H feet wide also The building II
mother great pier an the foot = Harri- /
' ~ hfFlnt street as protection from I
casierlE storms. and also that the +
legislature Pc asked 10 provide for he .
-slance Z 100000 bonds TO raise the .
money needed
Thc chamber adopted the report whicn
'af signed hy John DOlbeer. Robert Dol
r j. Chapman. Edward p. Kentield
uo N. II. Marston.