The San Francisco call., 1906-05-04
Supply Is Ample Again for Fighting Fire
BASELESS
REPORTS
DENIED!

Several rumors, based in some in
stances upon malice and In others
upon ignorance of the facts. are in
circulation respecting the laying Of
tracks blythe Southern Pacific Company
and the Ocean Shore Railway Com
pany through streets in the burned
districts for the purpose OF removing
debris.
One rumor Is to the effect that the
Southern Pacific Company had taken
advantage of the catastrophe "to
Etighten its grasp on coveted ter
| minals." The other is that the Ocean
Shore Railway Company proposed to
lay rails up Van Ness avenue for a
purpose sinister, II not sinuous.
Investigation shows that there Is not
the slightest basis OF truth in either
Of these reports. Both companies are
acting under permits from Mayor
Schmitz to lay temporary tracks along
certain streets named in the permits
and to construct temporary laterals
wherever necessary for the purpose of
removing debris from the burned dis
trict SO as to facilitate travel and the
rebuilding of the CONNER cial district
The bricks and other rubbish will be
collected by these roads and dumped
upon low lands on the bay shore, thus
adding more stable territory to the
city front.
1t would require an army Of horses,
wagons and men and months OF labor
not to mention the vast expense. to do
this work without the help Of the rail-
roads. The railroad people realized
that their welfare was IL long meas
ure dependent upon the growth and
prosperity of this city and State. and
they felt that the time and money de-
voted to the work would be we'll In
vested In every sense Of the word.
The offer further shows that the
railroad companies have the utmost
confidence In the future of the new
San Francisco, and that they are hand
in hand with the best elements of the
community, not only in the task of
restoring the former status. but OF bet
tering it In manifold ways.
E. E. Calvin, vice president and gen
eral manager OF the Southern Pacific
Company, denounced the report yester-
day as not only false. but malicious.
1.-THE work that we are DOING he
said, 'is being prosecuted by virtue
OF permit issued by Mayor Schmitz
and for the sole purpose of removing
debris from the streets. The permis-
sion is only temporary and is revoca-
Bile at the pleasure Of the Mayor.
There IL no permanent track laying
being done and no thought Of it. We
are willing to do all we can to help
clean up tho city,"
Mr.. Calvin then gave the following
as the route over which the temporary
tracks were to be laid: From Battery
across Market to First; First to How
ard, out Howard to Fourth, down
Fourth to Townsend, from Townsend
up Fourth to Everett and down Ever
ett to Third; thence from the foot of
Battery to Clay or Sacramento. This
route has been selected as the best
adapted for opening up the CONNER
cial district to travel and rebuilding
in the first place. and the track laying
is to be of temporary nature only.
J. Downey Harvey fatty denied the
report that the Dean Shore Railway
Company intended to lay even tenn
porary tracks on Van Ness avenue.
There is nothing on that avenue to
do" he added. "and We have no de-
sire to lay tracks there"
He explained also thar as in the case
Of the Southern Pacific Company. his
company was acting under permit
issued by the Mayor for the temporary
laying Of tracns to clean the business
streets.
The route mentioned in the permit
1, as follows: Twenty-fcurth to Capp
street, along Capp !, Fifteenth, to
Howard, to Spear. to Market. to East,
to the belt line, and thence around on
the belt line to North Beach. Also
from Twenty fourth and Capp along
| Capp to Army to San Bruno road.
,, thence to Islais Creek. Later laterals
Will be run from these different routes
wherever required for tha removal Of
debris.
TT has been said that we had no
rolling stock" resumed Mr.. Harvey.
with a laugh. 1--WE have three engines
ana forty cars already, and that's
some rolling stock, isn't it?"
!! ->--ses.-s----