The San Francisco call., 1907-06-04
OAKLAND TIDE
LAND AREA TO
Be FENCED IN
City Council Will Take Pos
session by Driving a
Line of Piles
VAST TRACT CLAIMED
Stretches From Broad Gauge
Mole to Western Pa
cific's Strip
IMMEDIATE SEIZURE
Municipality's Action Based
Upon Recent Decision
of Circuit Court

OAKLAND, June 3.-By unani-
nous vote tonight the city council
decided to take actual possession of
all the submerged and partly SUBJ
merged land lying between the north
training wall of Oakland harbor and
the broad gauge mole of the Southern
Pacific company, by driving line of
piles extending completely around the
lands. and inclosing space approxi-
mately 1000 feet long and 1900 feet
wide. The city engineer was in
structed to begin the work of driving
the piles at once, the resolution pro-
viding thar all the money now in the
wharf fund be made Immediately avail
able for the work. The resolution pro-
vides for the immediate seizure of vir-
tually all tide lands lying between the
broad gauge mole Of the Southern Pa
cihc company and the partly finished
mole of the Western Pacific railway,
but does not encroach upon them. The
Gould people hold franchise from the
pleted. The lines to be followed under
the councils direction start from the
south end OF Peralta street, extending
to low water mark. This brings the
point of commencement bearing upon
the easterly end of the fill which the
Western Pacific has made along the
north training wall of Oakland harbor.
The council has taken the position
that the land in question belongs to the
city OF Oakland under the decision of
the United States circuit court of ap-
peals in the recent Southern Pacific
Western Pacific fight. The decision de-
clared that the city of Oakland pos
sessed the right to wharf out, and this
that the right to wharf out" carries
with it title to the land necessary in
the construction of wfarves The action
tonight follows the councils call on the
city engineer to prepare plans and es-
Inmates for wharves on this land.
SCENE OF FORMER BATTLE
The land for the seizure OF which
provision is made in the resolution
adopted tonight was the scene Of a
battle between the Southern Pacific
company and the city OF Oakland IA
years ago, when former Governor
George C. Pardee. then mayor of Oak
land. forcibly removed line OF piles
which had been driven by the railroad
company to inclose all the land be-
tween the north training wall and the
broad gauge mole. The action of the
council tonight is the most radical
which has been taken since Pardee
the railroad company and is the first
step by the city toward taking posses
sion of the water front.
Councilman jackson introduced the
resolution providing for the seizure of
the lands and 1t was adopted under
suspension of the rules. Councilman
Jackson said that the proposed line OF
piles did not in any way interfere with
the mole of the Southern Pacific COM
pany or the construction work OF tho
Western Pacific. the resolution providing
simply for the inclosing OF the land be-
tween the two, which abuts on the
westerly portion Of the water front Of
the city.
TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION
The adoption of the resolution was
opposed by Councilman Pendleton on
the ground that the city could take
technical possession of the lands at
much less expense, by driving much
smaller number OF piles. After an ex-
tended debate 1t was decided to adopt
the resolution and proceed with. the
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