The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24
BY BARTON w. CURRIE


written and propounded in connection
with the rebuilding of the fre-fattened
area OF San Francisco. In the hours of
eNaliation Immediately following the
greatest calamity that ever befeu a
great city, splendid boasts and prom
1ses were made. Altogether there was
so much promise. theory. view and
eounter-view, that the practical side
or the undertaking (what was actually
oelng done and prepared for), except
In Its relation to temporary construc-
lion, has been almost lost sight of.
% The gradual removal of debris. the
SLOW renovation of gutted structures
ana. the hammering up of shacks of
wood and corrugated iron does not in
splre courage or galvanize hope With
the main thOroughfare of the citv
wearing the aspect OF a busy street in
Nome or Dawson, and the residential
section beginning at the rim of a great
waste, the approaching visitor is stag
Sered at the magnitude of the problem
. tnat San Francisco faces
Inc complexities Of the insurance sit
Uatlon, extra session legislation. the
problem OF caring for the refugees. the
I'd ming or building ordinances and
-olner matters of serious moment have
oraWn away attention from the re-
onllders- Some of the rebuilders are
mere. Contracts for millions of dol
safs worth Of permanent structures are
Delhg let each week. Small armies of
constructors; organized armies of
; oncers and men, who have been trained
aet years TO tackle vast building en-
lerprises are being mustered here from
all over the United States.
Such prominent American contrac-
lots as the Thompson & Starrett Com
pany' Frank b. Gilbreth and the Fuller
company have had their STATS of en-
gineers here for weeks making EXPERT
surveys OF the situation; interviewing
property owners and advising them on
the best types OF buildings for the new
and greater san Francisco: dfscussine
me merits Of steel and brick and re-
1ntorceo concrete: and then as the con-
tracts were awarded. telegraphinr TO
the 1our corners OF the continent for
the engineers, superintendents and
master craftsmen who will come here
them.
The organization of Frank r Gil
oreth Of New York and Boston. who is
president of the Underwriters Engi-
neering and Construction Company and
nan dozen other big concerns that
= loentlned with gigantic under
rakings in this country and Canada
contracted for $1,000. 600 worth of per-
manent work within three DAYS after
Gllbreth's arrival here, and has a force
OF engineers, superintendents and
trained foremen speeding over the rails
70 San Francisco today MANY have
already arrived and others are coming
IN daily.
Great lots are being cleared for these
men OF the building armies. and train
loads OF materials and tools are being
Fusheo over the metals from a dozen
oinerent points thousands of miles
apart A large and trained ONCE force
is being hurried here for permanenr
residence; or at least permanent until
san FRANCISCO is rebuilt. It is the
same sort OF Office force that the Same
organization hurled upon Baltfnoore
and maintained there until its devas-
lated area was again crowned with
splendid buildings: the same SORT of
an once force that was rushed TO Sioux
city, where il is stiu established and
VIII remain for little while longer.
ohpI tnere are no more fat lots TO
cover.
- II is upon such great building enter
prlses as these that San Francisco can
rely Tor the ginger and inspfra ton that
Is put into vast UNDERTAKINGS Such
magnificent machines. one having an
organized staff of 10000 men. are of
comparatively new growth in the
~---~~- A9N~NlSs IL prosperity OF tho
country and its tremendous deveIon-
ment called them into being The great
demand for speed work. such sneed
work as this city will see in its highest
Development before another years cal
enoar is printed, has made them as
much a necessity in the United States
and the Dominion of Canada as are
great factories and combinations of fac
tories directed under one cardinal sys-
tenn.
II remained only for the genius of a
Few men 10 perfect such an orsaniza-
ton, 10 cast and systematic its vari-
Gus parts until each department was A
wheel in the machine. and its ma
chinery could run as smoothly and GER
tainly as the convolute and evolute
mechanism Of a Hoe press; with this
difference, that only an expert me-
chanic can puzzle out the ramifications
OF a press, whereas the layman. with
out any scientific knowledge, can follow
the simple processes OF these building
organizations.
If san Francisco were not going to
rebuild. and rebuild quickly, these or
CARNATIONS would not be here. They
would not be here engaging entire
floors Of big Office buildings by the year
and settling in them with their forces
OF clerks before the scars of the flames
are erased. They would not be here
putting up great barnS Tor their tools
and machinery and providing little
communities of shacks for their regi-
ments of men. Local contractors could
handle the smaller and many of the
larger building enterprises if there
were merely going TO be scattered
building. But when several squa re
miles Of reconstruction operations are
practically within sight the local con-
tractors could no more tackle the job
without outside assistance than our
regular army could undertake war
with Germany without levying another
and greater force of troops.
Among the great building organiza- =
tions OF the country that are confident
enough in San Francisco's future TO
prepare for huge undertakings is one
that among other operations, built a
city in the Maine wilderness in eight
months. Members Of this organization
went into the unpeopled timber land on
snowshoes with a nine-foot fall under
foot. This was in March, 1905. These
builders skinned about on the drifts
and raised their camp on the snow
crust
In eight months they had turned a
dense forest into a manufacturing g
town and had harnessed Spragues Falls