The San Francisco call., 1910-08-27

Probably no other association has
ever had set before it such a discourag-
ing task as that which confronted the
Downtown association at its inception
The fire of April 1906, blotted out
entirely the downtown district. Mer-
chants f1ocked to Fillmore street and
TO Van Ness avenue. The downtown
district was deserted. Gradually the
merchants one by one returned to the
hardships of isolation.
Upon the 31st day of December, 1907,
this little bunch of merchants assem-
bled at the ST. Francis hotel, there TO
rejoice at the passing of the old year
and the advent of the new year. From
this assemblags sprang forth the Down
town association. The pioneers of the
new and greater San Francisco strug-
gled valiantly during the ensuing year,
and when, on December 81, 1908, they
opened wide their doors and invited
San Francisco TO rejoice with them in
Market street, the world was aston
ished at the marvellous progress that
had been made.
The stampede for the burned district
began Immediately. and it has contin-
ued ever since. until now this district
is a solid mass of magnificent struc-
lures.
ORGANIZATION AND TERRITORY
w. d. Fennimore was the first pres
ident of the association. The boundary
of the associations territory extended
along Market street from the ferry TO
Powell street. 1t also included the ter
ritory north of Market street, inclosed
by Sutter, Powell and Market streets.
I,ot O enlarged X
tend as far as Tenth street in Market.
1t is estimated that the property within
this district is today worth $500. 900, 900.
The great fire left all the streets in
this district torn up and impossible.
To assist in putting them in shape was
a task for the association. BY persist
ent efforts the association succeeded
in having these streets put into splen-
did shape.
The association has stood strongly
behind both the Stockton street and the
Twin peaks tunnel projects.
In a district containing a large por-
tion of the merchandise of the city it
was of prime Importance that there
should be adequate protection from fire.
The fire and earthquake had de-
stroyed the water mains the fire alarm
system, the firehouseS and the fire els
terms.
The association has concentrated it's
attention very largely upon these mat
ters.
FIRE PROTECTION GOOD
The result is that this district now
has larger, better and more frehouses
than ever before. The equipment is
more modern. The district is fully
equipped with fifty of the best non
interfering successive fire alarm boxes.
Before the fire there were only II boxes
and these were of the old antigua ted
interfering type. All the fire. hydrants
in the district have been restored. They
are now in service and in fine condI-
tion.
Otto Schiller, the engineer of the as
sociation, reported that there were
erected between 1850 and 1906 81 els
terms. each containing approximately
10000 gallons of water, or a total OF
about 2,500,000 gallons.
The Downtown association immedi-
ateIy set to work locating these lost
and forgotten cisterns. 1t was the only
association that applied itself toward
this great and important work. Thirty
eight of these cisterns were found TO
be filled with Debris. sand and stone.
dumped in by contractors or public
service corporations. ALI of the els
terms were constructed of brick and
cement, and all of the walls and bot