The San Francisco call., 1909-12-04
LAND IS DEDICATED
FOR NEW CITY PARK
Tract of zoe Acres, Part of Old
City Cemetery, to Be
Improved

San Francisco is about to come into
possession of the most picturesque park
in the world The preliminary steps
have already been taken by tho super
visors. who have dedicated the land for
park uses and provided that it shall be
administered, under the terms of the
charter by the park commissioners.
The tract embraced in the park area
is about 200 acres roughly estimated.
1t includes all of what is known as the
Golden Gate cemetery, or city ceme-
terry, less a portion of about uarter
of the original cemetery tract. which
some years ago was taken over by the
United States government and which
is the site of Fort Miley. Great guns
now stationed on the portion of the
land acquired by the federal govern
ment sweep the sea for many miles
around in all directions, and the fort
which they equipped has strong stra-
tegic position.
The new park lies between Forty
eighth and Thirty-third avenues and
between Clement street on the south
and what would be the line of West
Clay street on the north, if that street
were extended to the ocean. West Clay
is the street next north of Lake street
and its present west end terminus is at
! Twenty seventh avenue.
BOUNDS OF NEW PARK
The boundaries of the new park a
little more in detail are substantially as
follows: The southerly boundary lies
along the north line of Clement street
and the east boundary is on the east
| line of Thirty-third avenue. The north
! line runs to Bakers beach, distance of
| 1850 feet, with a line at right angle
westerly $3.50 feet long. Then an ir-
regular boundary runs southweSterly
to the United states military reserva4
| ton, otherwise known as Fort MiIey.
The line that parallels Clement street is
2,322 feet long. The height of the land
at the corner of Fortieth avenue and
Clement street is BIG feet AS the trend
from that point is upward the average
height of the entire park is something
like $50 feet, as estimated by the city
engineer Of San Francisco.
While the map of the northwestern
part of the city and county of San
francisco shows an arbitrary dividing
line between the present Golden Gate
cemetery and the United States mill
tary reservation, there is nothing in
! that to interfere with considering the
entire tract, including the military res
The practice of the government is to
make large part of all military res
ervations resemble parks by the estab-
llshment and maintenance of lawns
flower beds, tree plantations and SINH
lar adornments. Consequently the en-
tire new park and the United States
military reservation will present the
same general aspect
CEMETERY LONG CLOSED
1t is something like 20 years since
the federal government took posses
sien of the land now known as Fort
Miley AT that time the modern scheme
of fortifying the harbor of San Fran
cisco was comparatively new The
land that the government sought was
unoccupied and the time seemed on.
perfume to acquire it. This was due
largely to the recommendations of
Colonel Mendell, who was then chief of
the United States engineer corps sta
toned in San Francisco. II is only
within a few years that the present
formidable array of guns of large cali
Der has been in position
For some time after the government
established a military reservation at
this point the interment of bodies in
the Golden Gate cemetery continued.
Then an ordinance was adopted fixin %
an arbitrary time beyond which no
more bodies should be Inferred in the
limits of the city and county of San
Francisco. The Golden Gate Cemetery
otherwise known as the city cemeterv
was occupied in part by grounds set
aside for the exclusive plats of various
benevolent organizations and another
part was used as potter's field for the
burial of INDECENT persons.
TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED
The prohibition of interments in this
city cleared the way to devote this
most slightly of all places in San Fran
cisco to park use. AS to its future
adornment the board of park com
missioners will decide. Facilities al
ready exist for reaching the grounds.
One line Of street railway goes around
the northern boundary passing by
Bakers beach and Lands end and
along the beetling cliffs forming the |
northern line of the entrance to the
Golden gate and Point Lobos The |
Clement street line runs near to tie |
eastern boundary of the new park and
then in Point Lobos avenue, ending at /
the Sutro baths above the Cliff house. /
Transportation is therefore provided |