The San Francisco call., 1908-04-26
The Great HarbOr
of Alameda County

lining the wharves on either side. I'M
ports and exports in great outk ana
value will be delivered by the means
Of least resistance Warehouses Wiii
multiply as a natural outcome or tne
expansion of business on the Oakland
water front Through the agency or
the government depth of water sum
cient to float great modern freight car
riers has been secured and maintained
There is 25 feet of water at low tide
and 81 feet at high tide in the channel
The east end of the channel, from the
Oakland dock and warehouse wharyes,
is 5000 feet in length. The total length
of the channel is $4,000 feet
At tidal basin the channel divides
one portion following the Brooklyn
shore to the tidal canal, with low
tide depth OF eight feet- The other
part of the channel, on. the Oakland
side. at this point has a greater depth
sufficient to float large vessels. The
total pier head lines show frontage
of $4,000 feet, or something ike Il
miles Prior to 1906 the tonnage move
ment in the Oakland harbor was in ex-
cess of 100000 tons year. since
1906 the tonnage has increased largely.
Businessmen who study transportA-
tion problems and the advantages that
are found In juxtaposition OF wharves
and the rail lines transportation discern
in the Oakland harbor a key to an IN
teresting commercial situation on the
Pacific coast. In the bay of San Fran
cisco assemblies the largest OF fleets TO
be gathered at any time on the har-
Dor waters of this coast
Under the terms of the river and mar
Dor bill of 1901 congress provided LOT
a channel 500 feet wide and 70 feet
deep from the bay Of San Francisco to
Chestnut street Oakland. and II feet
deep as far as the tidal basin and Seu
feet wide and IL feet deep around the
basin. In 1905 work had proceeded SO
that a channel 400 feet wide and 20
feet deep at low tide had been pro-
vided as far as Chestnut street; 800
feet wide and II feet deep as far as the
tidal basin: 500 feet wide and IL feet
deep around the tidal basin.
The government originally consid-
cred the improvement of Oakland har-
Dor in 1874. Between then and 1905
the original plans were practically
completed and the sum of S2.643,000
had been expended. Two training walls
were erected at the entrance OF the
harbor. While the work was proceed
ing, slight notifications were made by
the governmental authorities. No one
foresaw in 1874 the full significance OF
the project. The perception Of the
meaning TO Oakland Of the harbor con-
nually. Manufactures have multiplied
and large assessable wealth has been
added to Alameda county.
Opportunities for the investment oi
capital have been created. What value
the harbor will ultimately be to Oak
land will depend, OF course, very large
iy upon the extent to which improve
ments are made on the banks In the
matter of wharf extensions and ware.
houses. The prime thing is that tht
harbor is there and that the govern
ment, having been committed 33 year:
to the policy of caring for it, may bt
counted upon safely to continue tha
which has been constructed in larg,
part
When the termini of transcontinen
tai railways are found at what my b.
justly called an international harbor
when $l6o,00o.0 900 worth of commerc'
is carried on annually in that harbor
and when the sea carriers of commerc
are entering or passing out of tha
harbor constantly, the conditions ar
favorable for the growth of the cit,
at that place when wharf and raj
connection is an accomplished fact
This briefly sums up the case in re
gard to Oakland harbor.