The San Francisco call., 1910-09-29
HARBOR PROJECT
GOES TO BOARD
Army Engineers Will Hear Peti-
ton for Removal of Bulk
head Line

OAKLAND. Sept. -2s.-The San Fran
cisco bay harbor line board. composed
of United States army engineers, will
hear publicly next Tuesday afternoon
at, > O'Clock the petition of the city
Of Oakland, Southern Pacific and Key
Route to have the sbIkhead line in the
west harbor moved 1000 feet west. the
harbor line across San Antonio creek
moved out. and the low tide Of 1852 de-
clared officially as agreed upon by the
city and the corporations.
Upon the findings of the board will
depend the immediate success of the
municipal water front Improvement on
.The bay shore, TO which purpose the
= city and three railroads are devoting
November for harbor work on the west.
and there is now available to begin
+ tfre. construction of wharves about
ssO0ge0o..
HARB0R LINES NEED CHANGE
Engineers employed by the city dis
covered that the harbor lines fixed
years ago by the federal government
viii seriously impede the development
Of the bay shore. If not changed
To secure. the requisite alteration in
hulkhead. low tide and pierhead lines
hsrbor commission, has obtained con-
cessions from the Southern Pacific and
Key Route which were embodied in the
ordinances granting franchises to those
companies.
First. the city and the two corpora
tions agreed upon a location of the dis
puted low tide line of 1852, beyond
which there is no private ownership
of-land This line the city and rail-
roads have agreed shall be approx
mately along the bulkhead OF the pro
posed Key Route I'll. and across the
land approach Of the Southern Pacifc
Oakland mole.
BULKHEAD LINE CHANGE
Removal 1000 feet outward of the
, bulkhead line in the same section Is
the most important of the matters for
which the city petitioned the war de-
partment This line is now almost
i5entical in parts with the low tide
With the Sulkhead line out toward
the end Of the Key Route and Southern
Pacific piers. the city will be able to
rIL the 1000 feet of tidewater space
between the Key Route lands and the
:..pr0posed bulkhead line. This will
create q section of water front land
as tncalculable value, absolutely in
. coatrol Of. the city.
/ -*IBRE AKWATER Is NEEDED
THE board of public works will also
.rr6ba hlv urge upon the harbor lire
board the advisability Of permitting the
- ~ke%. Route TO make a solid fill along
= 81 pier. The city will be compelled
;.:4Q. dredge for its wharves just south
= Of the. -pier. and unless a breakwater is
F. made the silt from the Sacramenton
: river will shoaI the basin every year.
The moving outward of the harbor
. lines across the San Antonio creek or
: north arm Of the estuary is less inn
: pertsnt. Fixed years ago. these lines
qbtrude where filing for industrial
. sites is the only use made of lands at
. present. The board OF works fears
tbat some company may DO such work
: and either narrow or shoal the outlet
fJon Lake Merritt With the harbor
1iaes moved out short distance the
lake channel viii be safe.
g. It is likely that the representatives
of the Southern Pacific company will
Join with the city in petitioning for
al these changes. The Key Route will
favor the removal outward of the
western bulkhead line. and the South
ern Pacific is pledged to aid the city.
. FAVORABLE OUTLOOK FOR CITY
Requests for hearings were made to
the. secretary of war some time ago.
The harbor line board has been directed
10 grant the hearing. which is favor
able indication for the city. The ap-
pointment for the meeting was made
bE q letter TO Mayor Frank K. Mott
which follows
Sir: have the honor TO request that II
l.faetioabie the San Francisco bay harbor line
which 40 hold 4 public hearing in connection
with consideration Of changes in harbor line
the east side Of San Francisco bay. It is de
sired that this hearing be held at O'Clock octo-
.btr T. 1910. Very respectfully.
THOMAS II. JACKSON
e Captain. Corps Of Engineers. L. s. Army
colonel John Biddle. second member
Of the. board has just returned from
che north. HIS absence prevented the
slfeasing being called before.