Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12

hams plans, in part, as follows:
THE core of the new San Francisco
is to be the civic center located at and
about the geographical center of the
city-the junction of Van Ness avenue,
the principal boulevard, running north
and south, and Market street, the
city's main artery, extending east and
west. About the civic center, within
a radius of dozen square blocks, Will
be housed the administrative and in
tellectual life of the city, including:
the postoffice, a new $2,500,000 build
ing just completed; the city hall, the
grounds of which will be enlarged and
coordinated with the scheme, and the
public library. The site has already
been purchased-a square block on
Van Ness avenue near Market street.
A million-dollar building will be start.
ed next year. This with part of the
money provided by the recent $1S,000,-
900 bond issue. The proposed build
ings for the civic center are: the OPP
era house, the concert hall, the Mu-
nicipal theatre, the Academy of Art,
the Museum of Art, chronological
and industrial school, the Museum OF
Natural History, the Academy of Mu-
sic, an exhibition hall, and an assem-
bly, hall. Says Mr.. Burnham: These
buildings, composed in esthetic and
economical relation, should face on the
avenue forming the perimeter of dis
tribution and on the radial arteries
within, and in particular on the public
places formed by their intersection,
and should have on all sides extensive
settings, contributing to public rest
and recreation and adapted to celebra-
tons, etc."
The country at large seems to pin its
faith to buildings constructed on steel
skeletons. Builders and contractors
are sending their engineers and archi-
tects to San Francisco to make a close
study of the effects of the disaster
upon steel buildings. AS the Philadel-
phia Inquirer observes, nothing that
man makes can withstand the ravages
of time, but the steel structure seems
to come nearest it, From the adj
vance reports it seems likely, thinks
the Chicago News, that the experts
observation will tend to confirm the
superior value of steel-skeleton con-
struction as the strongest and most
secure" The Pittsburg Dispatch
warns San Francisco against sky
scrapers, for twenty-five stories can
make even the falling of brick-and-
mortar coating q menace to life. The
New York Times suggests REINFORCED
concrete as a safe material. Above
ALL urges the Philadelphia Press, avoid
those brick houses, such as Philadel
phia has miles of. Better wooden
buildings than brick. Nobody recalls,
however, that in the past San Fran
cisco was much given to copying Phil
adelphia.
Many papers urge a suspension OF
the tariff on building materials for the
benefit of San Francisco. The Indian
apolis News cites the case of Chicag
after the fire, when Congress admit
ted building material free" 1t should
do so in San Francisco's case, urges
The News, and the New York Amer
lean says
THE markets of the world should
be open to the Californians for the
purchase of steel, lumber, cement
every article that goes into the con-
struction of a building. This is no
time for tariff juggling, no time to fat
ten the steel octopus on the life-blood
of American cities.
"The American yesterday urged that
steel and lumber intended for use in
,ab,,ilJinn tho xuranlrad citinc Of Coli.