The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-10-17

? cheapest thing to do was to rebuild IL.
This feat was accomplished after much
correspondence, in which merlons.
esplanade, casemate, counterscarp and
other terms OF fertilization were used
literally and with much apparent
relish. The actual work OF building
was done by convicts, both Indians and
Spaniards. and it was the part OF the
garrison to watch them. a task which
they did not seem to take very seri-
ously. as on one occasion IS OF the
conyicts ran away. In this same year
the Preside was also rebuilt.
The fort. when it was completed.
was highly satisfactory to the COM
mandant. and he praised Lieutenant
Gomez. who superintendent the work,
for his skill and energy But the new
structure. also OF wood and adobe, was
not much more substantial than the
building 1t replaced. and periodical re-
pairs had to be made. just as before,
to keep 1t from tumbling >piecemeal
down the hill into the sea. One reason
for this was because Of it's exposed
position, on high ground. Just where
1t would catch the greatest force of
storms and winds coming in from the
Pacific: but the real root Of the trouble
was that it was built upon an insecure
foundation, and of a material (adobe.
or unbaked clay), which is especially
affected by the action OF the weather.
1t became a sort of department habit
to mend Fort San Joaquin at frequent
intervals under the Spanish regime
and 1t continued to be so when Cali
fornia passed under Mexican rule in
1922 and as long as the Mexican fla 2
waved over the old fort. But In spite
OF periodic patching 1t grew more and
more .dilapidated as years passed. and
when in 1876 squad OF United States
soldiers were sent to take possession
of the fort they found it abandoned
and partly ruined. the guns spiked.
the walls crumbling and the tile roof
in many places fallen in. But not
withstanding this desolation the col
diers hoisted the stars and stripes upon
the rampartS. and there they have
waved ever since.
The quaint fancifu1 Spanish days Of
the old fort. the days OF the fie-ceIy
bristling useless old cannon. the speak
ing trumpet. the leather covered cav
airy and happy go lucky soldering
passed away when California became
a part OF the United States. The middle
ages, prolonged in countries under
Spanish rule. came to an end then, and
the intensely modern regime Of the
United States took its place.
1t was to be expected that soon after
the American occupation the rebuild
ing OF the crumD ping OLD IOrI WOuld
be PLANNED. New Notifications at the
point were talked of for several years.
but there were other matters which
required more immediate attention and
nothing was done until 1854 In that
year the structure now standing was
built by the United States government
The present fort was planned at the
time to embody all the niceties OF fort
construction and engineering; yet so
quickly have changes followed one an
other in the methods OF warfare since
then, and so many have been the new
destructive inventions and devices. that
the building at Fort point, in common
with all other forts OF masonry. be-
came out OF date and practically use
less as a fertilization a very short time
after il was completed.
The new fort was built on the exact
lines of Fort Sumter, except for the
fact that 1t had three tiers of guns.
where Sumter had but to. No ex-
pense was spared by the government
to make the buildings as perfect as
possible New Hampshire granite was
sent around the horn in sailing yes
sells for the piers around the central
court and for the floors. The ratings
and pillars are of iroA- E>e brick