The San Francisco call., 1909-02-20
OAKLAND PROMISED
PASSENGFRSTATION
General Manager of Southern
Pacific Explains Plans to
Chamber of Commerce
Viaduct From Second Story to
Carry Tracks for Local
Electric Trains

- OAKLAND. Feb 19.-Oakland's
dream Of a magnificent railway termi-
nal passenger station at sixteenth
street. the principal main line entrance
>into the city. is about TO be realized.
b. z. Calvin. general manager of the
Southern Pacific company. made public
this afternoon at a meeting of the
hoard Of directors OF the chamber of
commerce the fact that plans have been
ordered for a large, modern passenger
station. to be erected and completed
within year. at the company's Six
teenth street station for use Of the
heavy main line and local travel at
that point.
The edifce is TO be constructed of
steel. stone and brick. and have a train
arcade more than 800 feet long.
EIADUCT FOR LOCAL TRAINS
Calvin said that the structure would
he a surprise to the people of Oakland
on account Of the elaborate plan upon
which it would be constructed.
Provision viii be made for double
overhead track system. A viaduct from
the second story Of the station viii
he used exclusively for the new electric
train local service between Oakland
mole and Berkeley The surface tracks
viii be used exclusively for the main
line traffic
Calvin also said that the company
would remove the freight switching
tracks now used just east Of the pres
snt station, so that vehicles and pedes-
trians would find no obstacle to easy
and safe ingress and egress at the
new station.
No estimate OF cost was mentioned by
Calvin. but he said that before the final
plans were adopted they would be sub
mitted 10 the chamber OF commerce for
suggestions and comments.
UNION STATION OPPOSED
This important announcement was
the result Of the invitation Of the di-
rectOrs of the chamber Of commerce for
the Southern Pacific officials to discuss
plans for a proposed union railway
passenger station and TO go over some
phases Of the memorandum of agree
ment between the company and the
board OF public works on water front
matters.
General Manager Calvin and William
Hood. chief engineer of the company,
attended the meeting as did Mayor
Mott, City Attorney McEIroy and City
Engineer Turner, also at the boards
special invitation.
Calvin said the union station propo-
sltion was not feasible He explained
10 the satisfaction Of the directors
that union stations were useless at
railway terminals and that they served
only when passengers were to be trans
FfTH
I'm some other direction.
HARBOR CLAIMS DEFINED
Calvin set at rest the questions raised
as 10 two points in the water front
agreement He said that the company
thrOughly understood that the matter
OF franchises for either or both Seventh
street and First street west of the
north arm OF the estuary was not
affected by any part Of the agreement
He also declared that the company pro-
posed under section s Of the agreement
10 Gemolish every vestige of long
wharf 10 point opposite the western
end Of the Oakland broad gauge mole.
Calvin said emphatically that the
Southern Pacific did not and would not
claim any portion of the harbor north
of the broad gauge mole.
ROAD TO DREDGE CHANNEL
The Southern Pacifc's plans for i'm
lrofenenL SouLh OF the mole were ex-
planned and Calvin said that the com
pany agreed to keep oredged to 80
feet depth $50 feet of the 300 feet
allotted for the channel there.
Among the directors who discussed
the plans were former Governor George
C. Pardee who spoke at some length
on this Interpretation Of the agree
ment He said that the views of Cal
win were only those Of any person who
would give the agreement intelligent
reading. Pardee's attitude was favor
able 10 the agreement.
Directors W. s. Mackay. J. Tyrreu.
=. A. Leach Jr. and II. c CapweH also
spoke on the various phases of the
agreement
FORMAL ACTION PROMISED
President J. Harrison Clay presided
~ the session, which lasted nearly
three hours. The other directors pres
ent were. T. W bigger, H c. Capweu.
Henry T. Dalton. ". NJ. Gardiner w f.
Gibson, c. J. Heeseman. r. 5 Kitche-
ner, r. A. Leach Jr. w :. Mackav
Edwin Meese, b. p. Miller. George G |
Pardee. J. Tyrrell and c. NJ. Wood. The
directors win take formal action on
the memorandum at their regular
meeting TUESDAY,