The Washington herald., 1915-02-15

patronage. With the directors he entered into an
agreement that all appointments should be made
for merit alone, plan scrupulously regarded and
one of the means OF building an efficient orsani-
zation.
| The choice OF site difficult. The sites
most favored were Lake MERGED, Golden Gate
| Park and Harbor View. Lake MERGED was op-
posed inaccessible both for the transportation
OF building materials and of people, and, through
| its inland position, as unwise choice for an
exposition the Pacific Coast, in its nature sup
posed to be maritime. The OF the park it was
argued would desecratc the peoples recreation
ground and entail heavy cost in leveling and in
restoring. Harbor View and the Preside had
several advantages. 1t level 1t was within
two miles walking distance OF nearly half the
oity's inhabitants. 1t stood the bay. close to
the Golden Gate, facing of the most beautiful
harbors in the world, looking across to Mount
Tamalpas and backed by the highest San Fran
cisco hills OF all the proposed SITES it was the
most convenient for landing material by water for
arranging the buildings and for maintaining sani-
tary conditions.
After somewhat bitter public controversy the
exposition directors. in July, 1911, announced a
decision. 1t caused general surprise. There should
Golden Gate Park and Lincoln Park, connected
by boulevard, specially constructed to skirt the
bay from the ferry to the ocean.
That plan proved to be somewhat romantic.
The boulevard alone. it estimated, would cost
SIS 100000
Harris D. H. Connick, the assistant city engi-
nccr, called a representative Of the
board of public works. and asked to make pre-
limnary survey of Harbor View. He showed that,
of the proposed SITES Harbor View would be the
most economical. The cost OF Transporting lum-
ber about Soooo,o 900 feet, would be greatly re-
duccd by having it all come through the Golden
Gate and deposited on the Harbor View docks
The expense of filling in the small ponds there
would be slight in comparison with the expense of
lcvcling the ground at the Park. A few weeks
later Harbor View and the Preside was definitely
decided the site, and the only site.
For months agents had been at work securing
options leases OF property in Harbor View,
covering little than 800 acres. the leases to
run till December. 1915. Reasonable terms were
offered and in ono instance only was there resort
TO condemnation. The suit that followed forced
the property owner, who had refused $780, to
take 5000. President Moore was tempted to pay
the $780, but he decided that this course would
only encourage other property to be
tortionatc Some trouble experienced with
the Vanderbilt properties, part OF which happened
to be under water. But after considerable ncgot-
atng and appeals to the public spirit of the
owners, it was adjusted. About $500 600 was paid
for leases and about 100000 for property bought
outside, including the old Fulton Iron Works, then
in bankruptcy.
While President Moore was looking for just the
man he wanted to appoint head of the board OF
construction, Harris D. H. Connick called to sug-
gcst and to recommend another man. Later the
president offered Connick the position. He had
exactly the qualifications: experience, YOUTH en-
ergy, skill and executive ability. He hesitatcd for
the reason that he happened to be engaged in pub
lie work that he wished to finish. But he made !
to believe that the new work was more important |
He removed all the buildings at Harbor View,
about $780, and he filled in the ponds, using 2ooo-
600 cubic yards of mud and sand and building an
elaborate system of sewers. One rain washed out
several of the sewers. The flling-in took about |
six months. On the last day mules at work
on the new land. And within year the ground |
work and the underground work was finished
Meanwhile, President Moore asked for a meet
ing of the San Francisco Chapter of the American
Institute OF Architects with more than $50 men,
bcrs. He explained that his purpose was to have
them select twelve representatives from whom he
should himself appoint six to act as an architect
ural board. The board called in several arch-
tects from outside, McKim, Meade & White;
Carrere & Hastings, and Henry Bacon of New
York, and Robert Farquhar, of Los Angeles.
George w. Kellam, of San Francisco was made
architectural chief
At the first meeting President Moore explained
that at the St. Louis Exposition, according to
widely expressed opinions, the buildings had been
too lar apart. He favored maximum of space with
minimum OF distance. The architects first con-
sidered the conditions they had to meet, climate
and physical surroundings. They were mainly in
Auenced by wind, cold and rain The result was
that for the protection of visitors they agreed to
follow what was later to be called the block sys-
tenn, the buildings joined by covered corridors
Each architect was assigned his share of the work.
Twelve buildings were put under contract, each
designed to illustrate an epoch of architecture
ranging from the severity OF the early classic to
the highly ornate French renaissance Of today.
Women and War.
That call from Amsterdam for an International
congress Of women in neutral state to oppose all