As you know and probably have seen, or at least will see, the United States transport docks are located here at the old, abandoned Fort Mason. The Government still owns the location, but it is used for other purposes than fortifications. The transport docks are located here. A few years back they used a part of our dock system, but now they have their own system, at the northern point of Fort Mason. There they were isolated from the railroad systems of the country, so that it was very desirable to connect them up with the railroad systems directly. In order to do that the present harbor board got an act of the State legislature that authorized us to extend the Belt Line through there, and under an act of Congress that gave us authority we put the tunnel under Fort Mason and brought the Belt Line out to this point, as indicated on this map, and switched back into the transport docks. In connection with the building of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, which was located in this area here, tracks were laid for the delivery of exhibits, and so on, and on the completion of that exposition, the harbor commission bought their tracks out here along the north shore to the Government reservation, the Presidio, and by permission of the Government the Army authorities bought the tracks inside the military reservation, and there are those tracks to-day, and, as I say, it is a going, operating concern, at this moment, and with a slight extension, could be made available all the way to Hunters Point Dry Dock. With regard to the charges involved, in which you are interested, I want to point out that the switching charges are very moderate, and are about 50 per cent of what is usually charged by railroad companies in general. The switching charge for switching a car in the district south of Market Street is $2.50 per car, and in the district north of Market Street is $2.50 per car, and for the entire trip, crossing Market, is $5 per car. Under an arrangement that we have with the United States Government, which was made to encourage the building of the tunnel and justify the building of it, a tunnel charge of $10 a car is charged for cars going through the tunnel, and under that arrangement and agreement, as soon as the earnings pay for the cost of the tunnel, the tunnel charge will be wiped out entirely. The general switching charge by the private railroads may be said to be $5 a car, so our charges are about one-half theirs. one. That, in general, gentlemen, and briefly, is an outline of what we regard as one of our most valuable assets. I do not mean to say that no other city in the country has a belt line switching service. But, as you know, New York City is without New Orleans has one, but it is situated on a city street behind the wharves they have bulkhead wharves there, and not the pier system, and they have no facili-. ties for running the tracks alongside the ships, the Mississippi being too deep for the pier system. But we have the pier system, and practically every ship that comes into our harbor and ties up to one of our 36 wharves will be able to deliver supplies right from the side of the ship into a railroad freight car that can go right into the supply station at Hunters Point, if is is so desired. Supervisor KORTICK. With your permission, Admiral Helm, I next desire to present to you Mr. Samuel G. Buckbee, president of the San Francisco Real Estate Board, who, in conjunction with this committee, has worked very hard upon the details of this subject from the real estate standpoint, and particularly as to real estate values. ADDRESS BY SAMUEL G. BUCKBEE, PRESIDENT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO REAL ESTATE BOARD. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the commission, it is customary for real estate men, wherever located, to boast of their individual communities, and I presume that we, in this instance, and the members of other real estate associations who will address you or have addressed you, may be pardoned, perhaps, for setting forth the attractions of their particular portions of the country. You are not here, however, to listen to that sort of thing, nor are we here to indulge in it. We are here to present to you, so far as we can, facts which you may seriously consider. And I believe that, in this matter, all sections of the Pacific coast should sink their sectional differences, if any they have, and look toward the national welfare. For if I am in any sense correct in my understanding of the purpose of the establishment of a Pacific coast naval base, it is designed as a measure of national defense, not local and not entirely a Pacific coast venture. And, viewing the subject from that point, which may or may not be correct, it seems to me that, if I had any doubt about where the naval base ought to be placed, it was resolved in favor of San Francisco Bay by what I consider a very able presentation of facts by his honor the mayor of San Francisco. If there was anything left, or any shred of doubt, Harbor Commission Dwyer has dissolved that in favor of Hunters Point entirely to my satisfaction. There are two points which I would like to make clear to the commission. In the first place, I desire, on behalf of the real estate interests of San Francisco, representing all the active men in the business, so-called brokers and agents, and the property owners, which we also include, to assure you that we stand behind the mayor in the guaranties which he has this morning given to you, and will see that those guaranties are absolutely made good. The San Francisco Real Estate Board will aid this commission, or any future commission, or anybody or set of men selected by the Government to undertake the acquisition of this site, or any other site, so far as that is concerned, on the bay. Our second point is that we feel that this bay is the logical place for this naval base, and I trust that I am not oversanguine in my feeling that the future deliberations of the commission will be more or less formal, and that the matter is already settled. However, I want to assure you that, wherever the base goes, and we hope it will be on San Francisco Bay, San Francisco is behind it. We desire, however, to set forth to you, and in as logical a manner and in as forceful a manner as we can, the advantages of Hunters Point. Our time for the acquisition of facts for you has been somewhat limited. We were not advised that we were expected to do anything in this line until 10 days ago. A very active and expert committee, composed of men thoroughly familiar with the lands in and adjacent to Hunters Point, was promptly selected, and they have given a great deal of their time, practically all of their time for the last 10 days, I may say, to the consideration of this subject. As I understand it, one of the main things which the commission desires to know is the possibility of acquiring land about the water front of any projected or proposed site, and the amount of that land available, together with its approximate value. Considering that there are several thousand owners, separate owners, who have lands in and about this immediate section, you can readily appreciate the physical impossibility of getting into touch with each one of them and getting from them a price upon their various properties. You can also readily appreciate the physical impossibility of actually appraising each separate parcel in the limited time mentioned. We have therefore confined our efforts, and our experts have given their time in that direction, almost exclusively to going over the site physically and determining what its value would be at an outside figure. And if you gentlemen will kindly direct your attention to this map, I think I can make the matter clear. This is a map which we have prepared for the commission, showing the entire water front, running from Harbor View down to the county line. For the purpose of your consideration, we have divided the lands adjacent to Hunters Point dry dock, which you will observe is the white space indicated by Mr. Dunnigan, the site of the present dry docks. You will observe that we have divided the land into zones indicated on the map as A, B, C, D, and E. The acreage of these various zones is here set forth. I assume that the commission would prefer to have this map filed with them than to listen to a long argument concerning the subject. Is that correct, Mr. Chairman? Would you prefer to have the map filed, or do you desire to have me go into detail in the matter? Admiral HELM. We would like to have the map filed, but we would also be pleased to have you tell us something regarding it. Mr. BUCKBEE. Very well, I will do so. It has been divided into five zones, and I will ask Mr. Paschel, who is chairman of that committee, who has personally been into all of the features of it, to explain to you in detail the acreage and character of the land which has been set forth on the map. Mr. Paschel, will you now take the floor? Mr. PHILIP P. PASCHEL. I have here, gentlemen, another map also that shows the railroad facilities, and I think we might file that with you as well-it covers territory that Mr. Dwyer has already mentioned to you. I simply bring these two maps so as to illustrate that we are giving you the very best property possible in San Francisco. These colors on this map will show in zones the property we have investigated. If you will begin at the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, and follow the bay around this way, you will note that we here come to the Southern Pacific property, which is all this property outlined in red. Those are the Southern Pacific yards. The Santa Fe were given this 24 acres, which they have filled in and are using for their terminal. The Southern Pacific track follows down in this direction. This property shown here is the tract of the Union Iron Works. The United States Steel Products Co. control this tract, the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. this tract, and the sugar company is here, and then comes the Western Pacific, and since 1902 and up to 1906 they have acquired some 5,000,000 feet of flat land, some running into the hills back here. Below that comes the Islais Basin, which takes it up to this point here. These 63 blocks are under condemnation at the present time, and the State of California is endeavoring to acquire them. From this point we drop below the India Basin, and we come then to the first of these lettered sections, section A. This is all submerged land, following, as you see, this contour line shown here. That section A is all north of Hunters Point here. This is the dry-dock property, where the dry docks are now being constructed, practically in this position. This zone B is all solid ground, and takes from the ridge of the hill, sloping in this direction. Then this line over here follows the solid ground and sloping to the south of the Hunters Point hill-that is C. Section D is all submerged land, to the southward of Hunters Point, to the South Canal. Section E is all submerged land, to the county line. That gives you a sort of topographic description of the property. There are probably about 1,000 lots in there, and, as Mr. Buckbee has said, it is practically impossible to give any more than an estimate at which we believe this property should be acquired. If you show an interest in acquiring it, there was a suggestion made that we have 18 or 20 members of the real estate board who are usually called as experts in the city in real estate valuation, who will go on record with reference to the valuation of this property in case of condemnation, and saying that they would place a stipulated price on the property. There is some 1,445 acres of this property, and it can be acquired at approximately $2,000 an acre. We have submitted a report which shows the figures, and if there are any other questions, I would be glad to answer them upon that subject. Commander HUSSEY. What determined the line between B and C? On what did you base that? Mr. PASCHEL That is the ridge of the Hunters Point Hill. That follows the contour line. Subdivisions B and C comprise all of the solid ground at Hunters Point; B, the solid ground lying north of the ridge; and C, that lying to the south of it. Admiral ROUSSEAU. Do your figures value the land in each of the five subdivisions separately, or is that an average for the whole of it? Mr. PASCHEL. Valued separately. Admiral ROUSSEAU. So that is all matter of record? Mr. PASCHEL. It is all matter of record, and I would be very glad to give you the figures of everything on the water-front land. This condemnation suit that has just taken place, we have gotten figures on 23,000,000 square feet of sales of water-front lots, and are very well equipped to give you the figures. Mr. BUCKBEE. Will you give the commission the privately owned acreage on each one of those sections? While their eyes are upon the map I think it would be wise to let them have it. Mr. PASCHEL. There are 178 acres in section A. Mr. BUCKBEE. All submerged? Mr. PASCHEL. All submerged. Of this property, the private property of all these sections, A, B, C, D, and E, is practically about one-half, and the rest of it belongs to the city, in the shape of city streets, which I believe the city and county of San Francisco is willing to donate. So in each case you will be buying, for instance, in the first case, 90 to 95 acres instead of 178, but you would be acquiring 178 acres The streets are all 80 feet running one way and 64 feet the other, and the water front streets run about 150 to 200 feet wide. Admiral CAPPS. Does the figure you have given us include the streets? Admiral ROUSSEAU. Is the price based on that? Mr. PASCHEL. We have given you what the area ought to be acquired for. Mr. PASCHEL. Yes. Section A, then, is 178 acres, and section B, section C, 141 acres. Mr. BUCKBEE. Both B and C being high lands, unsubmerged lands? 135 acres, and Admiral ROUSSEAU. Does the United States or the city have jurisdiction over South Basin and the canal? Mr. PASCHEL. Mr. Dwyer could answer that, but I understand that the State of California has jurisdiction of everything outside of the water-front line, and the water-front line is that outside line delineated on the map. Admiral ROUSSEAU. Those limits are absolutely fixed, then? Mr. DWYER. They are nothing but paper limits designated by the legislature in adopting the report of the board of tide-land commissioners. So far as the position of the line itself is concerned, it is but a bit of printer's ink-simply a part of the bay. Mr. PASCHEL. I understand we are to make a trip there, and I will be very glad to show you the exact delineations of this property on the ground, and any data regarding it that you want-regarding sales that have been made in San Francisco-as I say, we can give you data on 23,000,000 feet of sales, so as to fortify you pretty well on the question of prices. Commander HUSSEY. Mr. Dwyer, you say the limits of this basin have been made by the legislature? Mr. DWYER. Yes. Commander HUSSEY. Could they be readily changed? Mr. DWYER. I have no doubt they could be, consistently with the purpose of this commission, but it would take an act of the legislature to change them. I presume, if the board selected this site as a naval base, that they would locate their docks so as to interfere the least with harbor use, and we have no doubt that, when you came to locate them, it would be entirely possible to locate them so as to take the entire body of the bay, and launch the ships out into the bay, and not take up too much ground laterally. But those basins were put in at that time, under a conception 40 years ago that they would be useful in that particular form. We doubt very much whether that is the best use to be made of that particular body of water now, as shown by developments. For example, there would be nothing to prevent, if higher uses led to that decision, the sea wall from being run along in front of the basin, and build the wharves right out in front. Here is an illustration here of the use to which it is put and ought to be put. The Union Iron Works has a dry dock here to the south of China Basin, and the ships are launched into that area, and it prevents that frontage from being used for any other purpose, whereas if it had been so arranged that the slips would run out into the bay, we would have a great deal more water, and all vessels could be launched out this way. So, if there is a dry dock erected by the Government at this particular point, I would say offhand, and I just state this as the unconsidered judgment of the harbor commission, I do not see why it should not face the main body of the bay, and not occupy so much additional frontage for launching purposes. But if it is desired to close up those basins for any reason whatever of the naval base, I have no doubt it could be done very quickly. Mr. BUCKBEE. For the benefit of the commission, we have laid the land out into zones for two reasons, first, for acreage, not knowing how much land you might desire to acquire, if that site should be selected, and in selecting these five zones and indicating their acreage, it was with the thought that the Government could take as much or as little as was desired. In addition to that, we have given you, and I would like to make this very clear to the commission, what we have considered the very outside value. In other words, we do not wish to put a low price on the land which might not afterwards be confirmed, and we have therefore given you an outside price, but these prices have been made hurriedly, as I have previously stated, and are subject to revision, though that revision would be downward, and we trust considerably, because the citizens will be behind us, and the real estate board is behind this, gentle men. On that map we have also delineated the railroads, the highway, which is now in course of construction, to the Union Iron Works property, and all facts of a general character which we thought might be of service to you in the consideration of this particular site. We desire to file with you six maps and six written estimates, and I hope you will bear in mind, gentlemen, that these estimates have been made along the lines just suggested by me. Mr. Paschel, who has made a study of that section for many years, and may be considered one of our foremost experts on this land, is at the disposal of the commission to go over there and inspect the property. Supervisor KORTICK. Again, with your permission, Admiral Helm, I would like to present to you Mr. M. M. O'Shaughnessy, chief engineer of the city and county of San Francisco, who will discuss the matter from the point of view that will be of interest to you. ADDRESS OF M. M. O'SHAUGHNESSY, CITY ENGINEER OF SAN FRANCISCO. Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen of the commission, I will endeavor to confine myself to the engineering features of the problem that you have before you. First, I will touch upon the character of the ground at Hunters Point. The whole Hunters Point section is of a serpentine rock formation, which caps a chert strata of perhaps 1,000 feet depth, and furnishes an excellent rock strata for foundations. The two completed docks and the third in process of construction indicate the substantial bearing quality of this rock. The detail of this is illustrated in San Francisco Folio, No. 193, of the United States Geologic Atlas, published at Washington, D. C., in 1914, of which I have a copy here. Undoubtedly you gentlemen have all seen it. Observation of charts at the end of this folio will show that the nearest earthquake fault is at San Bruno, 6 miles southeast, which passes along the valley by the cemeteries. Experience along the Pacific coast for 150 years shows that structures on rock foundations this distance remote from fault lines are immune from damage. As you know, the whole Pacific coast, from Alaska down to Mexico, is subject to earthquake movement. Sometimes I believe you have them on the Atlantic coast, as at Charleston, but generally these movements are along fault lines, and the crust of the earth is roughly cut into large sections by faults. There are two or three main ones parallel to the coast, and those are very well delineated on this geological map, and also on the report of the Carnegie Earthquake Commission. This Hunters Point dock location happens to be in the center of a segment between those lines of fault, and nowhere is there any evidence of a fault line within 6 miles of Hunters Point. While I say the fault lines are generally parallel to the coast, northwesterly and southeasterly, there is also a large fault line starting near Mare Island and going easterly to the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. So that Mare Island is the apex of a fault activity. But this section here at Hunters Point is practically immune. I desire to bring to your attention the last publication on this subject. It is volume 6, Nos. 2 and 3, Ninth Bulletin, Seismological Society of America, June and September, 1916. It shows this zone of Hunters Point to be free from faults. This document is published by the Stand University Press, the headquarters of the society, and has accurate data of the whole Pacific coast on this subject. I just received the volume the other day, and I have not copies of it, but I presume they can be easily had. In regard to the San Bruno fault line, that was not our main fault line in 1906, which was out in the Pacific Ocean about 2 miles outside the heads, and from Mussel Rock to San Andreas Lake. The San Bruno fault line is a minor fault to the west of the San Bruno Mountains, down near the cemeteries, and that is the nearest fault line to Hunters Point. The land section is suitable for foundation for the docks and heavier structures, while the adjacent foreshore can be filled in by waste from the hill at 50 cents per cubic yard or by dredging bay silt at 10 cents a cubic yard. There is a great deal to be said in favor of dredging there, because the waters are generally smooth. That The ownership of property there is shown by the map submitted herewith. map is practically a duplicate of the map filed by the real estate board, so it is unnecessary to refer to it further. A series of current observations have been made by the city engineer's office to determine the outfalls of sewers and general average speed of current. Mr. Dwyer states that the average of the bay current is about 5 or 6 knots around the harbor front. It is only about a knot and a half around Hunters Point, which makes it much easier for landing ships and handling vessels. The current is, however, strong enough to prevent the deposition of silt, and for that reason this whole section, from Hunters Point clear around to the water front at the foot of Market Street, has a great depth of water, I believe an average of about 40 feet, and that depth will always be maintained, because the immense tidal basin, the scour of the bay down to San Jose makes the volume of water sufficiently adequate to keep up that scour perpetually, so there will be no dredging necessary in front of the docks at Hunters Point. This is a condition which will not be met at the upper sections of the bay, because the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries are constantly bringing down silt. And while the upper section of the bay would be very desirable for shallow draft ships, I think for the perpetual use of deep draft vessels a site should be selected where deep "raft water will always be maintained. And this undoubtedly can be proven to exist at Hunters Point. As to the weather, during the last four and a half years, since I have been city engineer, I have had occasion to go out three times a week over construction work in all parts of the city and county of San Francisco, and invariably I found the weather clear in the Hunters Point section. During the months of June, July, and August we have considerable fog in San Francisco, which drifts in from the ocean and nearly half the time covers the western portion of the city. But Hunters Point, being about 6 or 7 miles from the ocean, gets very little, practically none, you might say, of this So the weather conditions will be always favorable for good workmanship. POWER. The amount of power available for mechanical and constructive purposes is described in detail in a report which I will file with you. It is a matter of interest to note how cheap power can be obtained in large units, and it can be stated that the city pays only 1 cent per kilowatt hour for direct current to the Pacific Gas & Electric Co., for the operation of its 43 miles of street railways operated by the city. There is considerable competition here in the market of power, there being three or four separate power companies, and no doubt a naval dock or station will be able to get power even at a less rate. But we are now getting current at 1 cent per kilowatt hour for the 43 miles of municipal railway mentioned, |