The San Francisco call., 1906-11-24
RAILROAD GIVEN
PERMIT FOR
BRIDGE
Southern Pacific May Cross
Bay at Dumbarton Point,
So Says War Department
CONSTRUCTION WORK
TO BEGIN AT ONCE
Opening of New Route Will
Put San Francisco on the
Mainland Commercially

-
Two important railroad announce
that the War Department had given
permission to the Southern Pacific
Company to build across the bay at
Dumbarton Point. This means that
San Francisco will be placed on the
mainIand commercially.
The other announcement was that
the Southern Pacific, In addition to the
conversion of the Alameda lines from
steam into electric roads, would cleo
trize he line, forty-six miles In length,
from Oakland 10 San Jose via Niles.
Colonel ". H. Heuer. chief Of the
Engineering Corps of the War Depart
ment on this coast. announced that the
department had approved the applica-
ton OF the Southern Pacific for a
drawbridge across Dunbarton Point
The bridge wiz be about 5000 feet
long.
The plans Of the Southern Pacific
for the work are all complete and the
construction OF the bridge, OF which
900 feet viii be on piles with a draw
bridge OF two spans, each OF 12s feet.
and also the new track from Niles
through centervilIe, via Newark. to
connect with the bridge and from the
western terminus Of the bridge across
TO Redwood City will be begun i'm
mediately. The work must be COM
pleted within one years time. accord
ing to the permission given by the
Government.
IMPORTANT TO THIS CITY
This is probably the most important
railway move in its bearing upon the
future Of San Francisco that has been
made since the Southern Pacific first
built into this city.
San Francisco is placed on the main
land commercially with references tc
all transcontinental traffic. This means
that practically all the ferriage across
the bay OF freight cars will cease
The congestion in the West Oakland
yards OF the Southern Pacific will be
relieved and the new trackage Of that
company in Oakland will be available
for commercial use-that is, for manu-
factories and warehouses, instead OF
being available only for freight cars
in transit.
The bridge also means the building
Of a city OF several thousand people
at Visitacion Bay. five miles south Of
San Francisco, where the new shops
and terminals Of the coast line are tc
be located aside from the similar ex.
tensive facilities that are being es-
tablished at San Jose.
Passenger service will undoubtedly
be Installed over the new line. though
the passenger department has not yet
determined what service viii be needed
Almost OF equal Importance is the
announcement that the Southern Pa
cihc made yesterday that the line be-
tween Oakland and San Jose via Niles
IS to be converted into an electric line
GREATER ELECTRIC SYSTEM
This signifies that the Southern Pa
cifc is not only going TO convert its
local systems around the bay into cleo
trio lines, but intends to go into more
extensive fields The Niles route ira
verses fertile section through Sar
Leandro. Haywards. Irvington, Warn
Springs and Milpitas to San Jose, and
viii undoubtedly fill up the eastern
side OF the Santa Clara Valley with &
large population engaged in creating
suburban homes and in extensive cul-
tivstion Of the soil. just as the oppo-
site side OF the Santa Clara Valley is
being developed by the Peninsuiar and
Interurban railways. which it is un-
derstood are allied with the Southern
Pacific Company
All this work will make San Jose the
center Of an electric system almost as
extensive as that OF Los Angeles. and
viii provide great facilities on both
sides Of the bay for extension OF subur.
ban travel
The steam service between Oakland
and San Jose will be maintained by
West San Leandro and over the old
narrow gauge. through Newark and
Alviso. recently converted into broad
gauge line.