The San Francisco call., 1907-01-28
Great Fleet Of Merchantmen
Headed for San Francisco
With Building Material
LACK OF WHARFAGE
A SERIOUS PROBLEM
Harbor Now Overcrowded
With Craft Seeking Berths
to Unload Needed Cargoes

From all parts of the world feet
of vessels, pointing bows this way, is
bound for this port, loaded with build
ing material to help in the rebuilding
of San Francisco. An argosy the
like of which the world has seldom
seen is spreading sail for the Golden
Gate. According to shipping authori-
ties there is listed the largest number
of vessels chartered for or on the way
to this harbor that has ever been
recorded in the history of the coast
metropolis. According to these same
authorities the problem facing the
city is this: What shall be done with
the vessels when they arrive? Already
the harbor is crowded with ships of
all classes unable to get dockage
whereon to unload the merchandise for
which builders and merchants are inn
patiently clamoring. Contracts for the
erection of great steel structures have
been let, but work has in many cases
not even been begun, for there is not
steel enough, cement enough. nor stone
enough to push the building upward
TO rooted completion. Much of this
material Is in the stream without a
place to be docked from the ships in
which it is loaded.
FROM ALL PARTS Of THE WORLD
San Francisco Bay. which IS the boast
Of the West. has not enough wharves,
say the shippers, 70 take care of the
vessels now in port. The question is
asked: What will be done when the
feet on the way, or about to start, ar
rives7"
According to one shipper. there arc
listed over seventy-fve ships which
have left foreign ports. and more than
that number are chartered for this city.
Antwerp is sending out a fleet of
twenty merchantmen. In this fleet there
are British ships. French, Italian. Nor
wegian and American; New York.
Baltimore. Camden and other United
States ports are sending an equal num-
Der of high tonnage vessels; Calcutta
and Glasgow: Newcastle, Australia and
Newcastle. England. London and Rot
terdam and finally Hamburg are all
contributing to the merchant marine
that is bringing the material that will
help make new San Francisco.
GREAT TONNAGE FOR PORT
An aggregate Of nearly 100000 tons
Of ships is one way of stating the
enormous shipping activity that is .en-
tering to this port. Structural steel.
cement and other building materials
make UP the major portion Of the car
goes carried by these vessels. From
the little Medea, Swedish bark bound
from Gothenburg, weighing 1921 tons.
to the Nitokris 1000 tons, out from
Hamburg, or the giant Texan, $685. tons,
out Of New York, they are all headed
this way, and unless overtaken by dis
aster they will ride through the Golden
Cate looking for a dock at which to
rest while they give up the cargoes
from over seas.
The situation is regarded by water
front authorities as extremely grave.
and Communications are made that
emergency methods be employed to Sc
cure wharfage for these ships, many
Of which are due to arrive any day, as
well as for the vessels that are tug
ging at their chains in the stream,
loaded with steel and iron and other
building materials, which San Francisco
so badly needs at once
The cement might as well be in Ant
werp and London and the steel in New
York as to be in the holds of vessels
swinging in San Francisco Bay with
out oportunity of unloading at this
port say the consignees.