The San Francisco call., 1906-09-28
TINE WORN WHARF
GOES TO PIECES.
End of Lombard Street
Pier, Piled With Salmon,
Collapses Under Weight
CONDEMNED LONG AGO

About 100 feet at the end OF the
Lombard-street wharf went into invol-
untary dissolution shortly before mid
night on Wednesday Part of the shed
shared the fate of the wharf. and with
the wreckage about $4,000 worth Of
freight went into the bay. The Harbor
Commissioners disclaim responsibility
on the part of the State for the loss
of the freight. as it was put there at
the owners risk
The rickety condition of Lombard
street wharf has been known since the
days before the Spanish war when the
battleship Oregon was here The blue,
jackets from the Oregon were drilled
on this wharf until one day. a few
weeks before the battleship started on
her famous run to the Atlantic, the
wharf almost collapsed under the
rhythmic strain OF salisthenic exer-
cfse The bluejackets retired IN good
order and the wharf was condemned
The condemnation, however, appears
to have been but a matter of form, for
until a few weeAs before the FIRE OF
Apral Is no step was taken toward re-
building the tottering structure The
wharf has been used right along with
an understanding, however. that In
case il collapsed the state would not
be responsible for damage sustained
CONTRACT TO REBUILD.
Shortly before the fire the contract
for building a new wharf was let to
the Healy-Tibbitts Construction Com
pany. Under this contract the material
In the oil wharf was to become the
property of the contractors.
A few months after the fire South
ern Pacific freight barge bumped into
the end of Lombard-street wharf and
set the teredo-eaten piling at all sorts
of angles. A hundred feet or so. at
the end of the wharf was fenced of
so that 1t would not be used for
freight. AS the Harbor Commissioners
have not yet rebuilt the long stretch
of wharf space destroyed by the fire
and as the business of the port Is now
even greater than it was before the
fire, the demand for wharf space in
duced shippers to continue taking
chances on Lombard-street wharf.
Somebody pulled down the fence and
few days ago the Merchants Ice and
Storage Company piled a lot of barrels
filled with salmon near the end of the
wharf.
This proved the last straw and on
Wednesday night. with a sigh of relief
the overtaxed cripple settled into the
bay.
MENACE TO NAVIGATION.
The wreckage Is a serious menace
sent to the scene yesterday afternoon
to clear away as muL-- of 1t as pos
sible. Chief Engineer Norton reported
the collapse TO the harbor Commission
ers yesterday afternoon and was in
structed TO ask the Healy-Tibbitts
Construction Company for permission
to remove such of the wreckage as
endangered shipping.
Much Of the freight that went into
the bay was recovered Among IL was
shipment of tea The freight con-
sisted principally of barreled salmon.
which will not be seriously damaged
by this post mortem return TO the salt
water.
President Spear said after yester-
days meeting of the Harbor Commits
sion that il had been his intention TO
bring the matter before the board for
some action which would insure an
end to the contractors delay in re-
building this wharf. the contract for
which was let six months ago.
Spear said further that IL the Healy-
Tibbitts people did not care to
carry out their contract. which. In
view of the increased cost of labor
and materials, was not SO attractive
as 1t looked before the fire, he had
another contractor who would take
the job of their hands at the same
figure.