The San Francisco call., 1910-10-05
BOARD CONSIDERS
HARBOR PROBLEM
Engineers Hear Arguments for
Municipal Water Front Inn
prOvement Project

rounCl urged upon the army engineers
comprising the san Francisco harhor
line board this afternoon the advisa-
bilitv OF removing the bulkhead line in
The Key Route basin 1000 feet west TO
permit improvements contemplated by
the city. which will cost more than
10000. 600. The meeting was held at
the council chambers in the city hall.
Colonel John Biddle. the army engi-
neer IN charge Of rivers and harbors
of the state. presided at the confer
bnce. Captain Thomas Jackson list
sned with Biddle 20 the arguments Of
the city. Lieutenant Leeds. the third
member of the board. was absent. The
engineers are required to report their
findings TO Secretary OF War Dickin-
son before making their report public
but their attitude was interpreted by
the city officials as favorable TO the
city.
Representatives Of tho city ot Rich
Tnond appeared before the board TO sup
port oakland's claims and to request
a slight alteration in the bulkhead
lire Of the Richmond harbor.
MAYOR PRESENTS CASE
The outcome OF the conference will
he OF tremendous importance 10 this
city as q port, and OF hardly less value
to the entire bay Of San Francisco
Mayor Mott made clear this point when
he addressed the board after Colone
Biddle had read the petition OF the
city The mayor said:
The Key Route basin opens on
deep water al this point. BY rea-
son Of this accessibility TO the deep
waters of san Francisco bay, ii is
deemed advisable by our engineers
70 forward as soon as possible our
section Here we have long
sloping beach. which is silted by
the erosion Of the Sacramento
river There is no tide water along
the present bulkhead line sufficient
TO scOur the basin.
Tn order to use the extensive
water frontage afforded, we must
have I'll 10 project il. and II the
hUlkhead line is left where il now
lies. the dredging will be very
costly II this board gives us per
mission to hll above the basin
along the Key Route pier, and re-
moves the buikhead line outward.
We viii be able TO dredge a cha mel
which VIII not shOal. and 10 place
the Gredgings back of the proposed
oulkhead line 70 make land for
warehouses and manufactures.
The bulkhead really we think
ought TO be placed at the western
eNtremities Of the Key Route and
Southern Pacific piers. but we did
rot deem IT proper to ask the board
for so much As il is now. we are
certain improvements would be
useless unless we have permission
Of the federal government TO pro-
Lect them from shoal basins. There
fore, we have petitioned for the ex-
tension Of the bulkhesd line 1000
feet west of its location. and for
permission to have the Key Route
pier filled solid as a breakWater
against sitting.
The board went into elaborate dis
7usslon with the mayor and City En-
gineer F. Q. Turner Of the effect ot
the proposed changes which, some en-.
Eineers have held would result II
shoals in several parts Of the bay.
Colonel ". H Heuer, formerly IL
charge Of rivers and harbors for tn.
federal government. and now a con
Eulting engineer for the city. dis
y the city's project. He said:
The obstruction made by the
proposed Key Route fill will only
change the current outward and
make II rapid. The silt will be
carried into deep water, instead of
shoaling the shoreline. The ranid
current also will scour the now
shoaled beach, and in time If the
fll is made. the Berkeley and
North Oakland water front will be
brought back 20 the normal condi-
tiOn by erosion. A fault viii be
IF the bulkhead line is removed.
snd the I'll OF the tide fats per-
nlitteo. there viii be absolutely no
Interference with navigation, more
than at present. Without the fill
along the Key Route pier. ii is
evident that the city Of Oakland
can not create a deep basin in the
space south Of the Key Route pier
that viii not refill.
CTTTTS PLANS STATED
IN reply TO questions from BiddIe
Mayor Mott explained the plans of tn
city for wharves on the western wa
ter front He said:
We are asking for no federal
appropriation. We will DO the
work ourselves as a city for the
Improvement Of all Of San Fran
cisco bay. We purpose to make
transportation facilities which will
be to the advantage Of the whole
harbor, not merely Of the east
shore.
We win let the contracts for the
first western shore wharves as soon
rs you have given your decision in
these matters.
We have the money in hand. and
We have our plans prepared. You
realize that we can not proceed
until your board has ruled.
City Engineer Turner peresnted an
other phase OF the problem. He said
The city proposes to spend it's
own money. AS for the effect of
fills on the tidal prism, the area
Of per cent Of the bay area. Sur
Veys now show that at low tide
there is only about foot of water
in the Key Route basin back OF the
proposed bulkhesd line.
SUPPORT FROM RICHMOND
H {. Cutting, representing Richmond
argued IN favor OF the bulkhead re
uaoval while presenting his delega
lions petition for a change in tn
Richmond bulkhead line. With hir
before the board were John II. Cicho
and Il F. Brown, owners Of Richmon
water front property; Lee D. Windren
city attorney OF Richmond, and II. /
Chapman, the city engineer Of Rich
mond All were in favor Of Oakland
plans.
T. ". Searbv, representing th
Berkeley chamber OF commerce an
West Berkeley Manufacturers asso
citation, was also a speaker. He ha
objections which were refuted in par
by Colonel Heuer's statement con
cerning the tidal currents.
The harbor line board will repor
70 the secretary OF war. The repor
VIII take Up the removal OF the bulk
head line: the proposition to I'LL in tn
Key Route pier; the formal declaration
OF the agreed low tide line Of 1852; tn
fixing Of new harbor lines across th
channel to Lake Merritt, and som
minor water front problems