The San Francisco call., 1910-12-20
BURLESQUE OF
RAILROAD LAID
ON WATERFRONT
Pacific Coast Coal Company
Would Force HarbOr Board
to Grant Permit
Line Wouldn't Support Weight
0f WheeIbarrOw and No
Two Rails Alike

The Pacific Coast coal company has
built comic opera railroad track
along the lower end of Fremont street
for the purpose Of compelling the har-
Dor commissioners to grant a right of
way to the state belt railroad. which
would necessitate the coal company's
track crossing II tracks of the West
ern Pacific railway.
The Western Pacific, more than a
year ago, leased two seawall lots from
the state TO be used for their terminal
yards. They paid a large amount of
the rent in advance, and the lease car
ried with il the right TO lay railroad
tracks connecting with the belt rail-
road. At the time the lease was signed,
plan Of the tracks was filed with the
harbor board and officially approved.
The state property leased by the West
ern Pacific is triangular in shape and
extends in East street from First to
Beale. It is bounded by First and
Brannan streets and is intersected by
Fremont In order to connect its yards
with the belt railroad the Western Pa
ciic must cross Fremont street, and
an application for a franchise is now
before the board Of supervisors.
COAL COMPANY OWNS BLOCK
The Pacific Coast coal company owns
the block bounded by Fremont, Beale,
Brannan and Bryant streets. This block
was formerly on the water front. but
is now. as the result Of the change
in the water front line and the making
of new land, several hundred feet in
land. Incidentally, the improvements
wrought by the state have added ma
terially TO the value Of this property,
and the land that served as coal yard
is now a very choice site for ware
houses or manufacturing plants.
The Pacific Coast coal company ap-
piled 10 the board Of supervisors last
October for a permit to operate a rail-
road down Fremont street from Bryant
to East AS the application stated that
the track was necessary to connect
with the state belt railroad, the super
VisOrs submitted the application to the
harbOr board for their approval
The harbOr board informed the su-
pervisOrs that inasmuch as the coal
company's track would have to cross
II Western Pacific tracks before ii
reached the belt railroad, connection
via Fremont street would be imprac-
ticable.
The harbor commission suggested,
however, that there were two other
places where the coal company's prop
erty could connect with the belt rail-
road without interfering with any
other tracks.
The supervisors. however. granted
the coal company the permit to build
its track in Fremont street.
BUILD a ROCKY ROAD
The Western Pacific notified the har-
Dor board last week Of its intention to
build two of the il proposed tracks
and the permission TO go ahead was
ratified at last Thursdays meeting.
The meeting was held in the morning.
in the afternoon the harbor commits
sion received an application from the
coal company for permission to con-
meet with the belt railroad at East and
Fremont streets. They followed this
application later in the week by build
ing the comic opera track.
IL IS the weirdest bit Of railroad con
struction that ever laid out doors II
is only a short stretch but there are
seven different types of rail in il. There
is not one rail- that would furnish good
support for anything heavier than a
wheelbarrow and although loosely laid
no watchman is necessary to protect
IL from wandering iunkmen. II a real
locomotive could make one trip over
80 there would be little left but two
streaks OF rust II begins suddenly
in front OF a tunbledown grOggery and
ends as abruptly on the westerly edge
of East street
II resent the construction OF that so
called track" said President Stafford
yesterday. AS an attempt TO coerce
this board into granting this permit
We told them where they could con-
meet with The belt railroad and nothing
has happened 10 change our minds"
The next round VIII be fought next
Thursday morning when the harbor
commissioners hold their regular
meeting.