the city of domes-第2章

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Headquarters　were　established　in　Washington。　Presently　serious　opposition　developed。　Emissaries　went　from　San　Francisco　to　Washington　singly　and　in　delegations。　Stress　was　laid　on　San　Francisco's　purpose　not　to　ask　for　an　appropriation　from　the　national　government。　There　were　several　cities　in　competition　…　Boston；　Washington；　Baltimore　and　New　Orleans。　New　Orleans　proved　the　most　formidable　rival。　It　relied　on　the　strength　of　of　a　united　Democracy　and　of　the　solid　South。

In　the　hearings　before　the　Congressional　Committee　it　was　made　plain　that　the　decision　would　go　to　the　city　with　the　best　financial　showing。　As　soon　as　the　decision　was　announced　New　Orleans　entered　into　generous　cooperation　with　San　Francisco。

The　Exposition　was　on　the　way。



Naming　the　President。



The　offer　of　the　presidency　of　the　Exposition　Company　was　made　to　a　well…known　business　man　of　San　Francisco；　C。　C。　Moore。　Besides　being　able　and　energetic；　he　was　agreeable　to　the　factions　created　by　the　graft　prosecution　of　a　half　dozen　years　before。　Like　the　board　of　directors；　he　was　to　serve　without　salary。　He　stipulated　that　in　the　conduct　of　the　work　there　should　be　no　patronage。　With　the　directors　he　entered　into　an　a　agreement　that　all　appointments　should　be　made　for　merit　alone。



Choosing　the　Site



The　choice　of　site　was　difficult。　The　sites　most　favored　were　Lake　Merced；　Golden　Gate　Park　and　Harbor　View。　Lake　Merced　was　opposed　as　inaccessible　for　the　transportation　both　of　building　materials　and　of　people；　and；　through　its　inland　position；　as　an　unwise　choice　for　an　Exposition　on　the　Pacific　Coast；　in　its　nature　supposed　to　be　maritime。　The　use　of　the　park；　it　was　argued；　would　desecrate　the　peoples　recreation　ground　and　entail　a　heavy　cost　in　leveling　and　in　restoring。

Harbor　View　and　the　Presidio　had　several　advantages。　It　was　level。　It　was　within　two　miles　or　walking　distance　of　nearly　half　the　city's　inhabitants。　It　stood　on　the　bay；　close　to　the　Golden　Gate；　facing　one　of　the　most　beautiful　harbors　in　the　world；　looking　across　to　Mount　Tamalpias　and　backed　by　the　highest　San　Francisco　hills。　Of　all　the　proposed　sites；　it　was　the　most　convenient　for　landing　material　by　water；　for　arranging　the　buildings　and　for　maintaining　sanitary　conditions。

After　a　somewhat　bitter　public　controversy　the　Exposition　directors；　in　July；　1911；　announced　a　decision。　It　caused　general　surprise。　There　should　be　three　sites：　Harbor　View　and　a　strip　of　the　adjoining　Presidio；　Golden　Gate　Park　and　Lincoln　Park；　connected　by　a　boulevard；　specially　constructed　to　skirt　the　bay　from　the　ferry　to　the　ocean。

That　plan　proved　to　be　somewhat　romantic。　The　boulevard　alone；　it　was　estimated；　would　cost　eighteen　million　dollars。

Harris　D。　H。　Connick；　the　assistant　city　engineer　was　called　on　as　a　representative　of　the　Board　of　Public　Works；　and　asked　to　make　a　preliminary　survey　of　Harbor　View。　He　showed　that；　of　the　proposed　sites；　Harbor　View　would　be　the　most　economical。　The　cost　of　transporting　lumber　would　be　greatly　reduced　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　leveling　the　ground　at　the　park。

A　few　weeks　later　Harbor　View　and　the　Presidia　was　definitely　decided　on　as　the　site；　and　the　only　site。

For　months　agents　had　been　at　work　securing　options　on　leases　of　property　in　Harbor　View；　covering　a　little　more　than　three　hundred　acres；　the　leases　to　run　into　December　1915。　Reasonable　terms　were　offered　and　in　one　instance　only　was　there　resort　to　condemnation。　The　suit　that　followed　forced　the　property　owner；　who　had　refused　fifteen　hundred　dollars；　to　take　nine　hundred　dollars。　President　Moore　was　tempted　to　pay　the　fifteen　hundred　dollars；　but　he　decided　that　this　course　would　only　encourage　other　property　owners　to　be　extortionate。　Some　trouble　was　experienced　with　the　Vanderbilt　properties；　part　of　which　happened　to　be　under　water。　After　considerable　negotiating　and　appeals　to　the　public　spirit　of　the　owners；　it　was　adjusted。　About　seven　hundred　thousand　dollars　was　paid　for　leases　and　about　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　for　property　bought　outright。



The　Director　of　Works



While　President　Moore　was　looking　for　the　man　he　wanted　to　appoint　as　head　of　the　board　of　construction；　Harris　D。　H。　Connick　called　to　suggest　and　to　recommend　another　man。　Later　the　president　offered　Connick　the　position　as　director　of　works。

Connick　had　exactly　the　qualifications　needed：　experience；　youth；　energy；　skill　and　executive　ability。　He　hesitated　for　the　reason　that　he　happened　to　be　engaged　in　public　work　that　he　wished　to　finish。　But　he　was　made　to　see　that　the　new　work　was　more　important。　He　removed　all　the　buildings　at　Harbor　View；　about　150；　and　he　filled　in　the　ponds；　using　two　million　cubic　yards　of　mud　and　sand；　and　building　an　elaborate　system　of　sewers。　The　filling　in　took　about　six　months。　On　the　last　day　mules　were　at　work　on　the　new　land。　And　within　a　year　the　ground　work　and　the　underground　work　was　finished。



The　Architects



Meanwhile；　President　Moore　asked　for　a　meeting　of　the　San　Francisco　Chapter　of　the　American　Institute　of　Architects；　with　more　than　250　members。　He　explained　that　his　purpose　was　to　have　them；　select　twelve　representatives　from　whom　he　should　himself　appoint　five　to　act　as　an　architectural　board。　When　the　board　was　formed　with　Willis　Polk　at　its　head；　it　included　John　Galen　Howard；　Albert　Pissis；　William　Curlett；　and　Clarence　R。　Ward。　This　board　was　dissolved　and　an　executive　council　composed　of　Polk；　Ward　and　W。　B。　Faville　was　put　in　charge。　Later　it　gave　way　to　a　commission　consisting　of　W。　B。　Faville；　Arthur　Brown；　George　W。　Kelham；　Louis　Christian　Mullgardt；　and　Clarence　R。　Ward；　of　San　Francisco；　Robert　Farquhar；　of　Los　Angeles；　Carrere　&　Hastings；　McKim；　Mead　&　White；　and　Henry　Bacon；　of　New　York；　When　it　had　completed　the　preliminary　plans　the　board　discontinued　its　meetings　and　G。　W。　Kelham　was　appointed　Chief　of　Architecture。



The　Block　Plan



At　the　first　meeting　President　Moore　explained　that；　at　the　St。　Louis　Exposition；　according　to　wide…expressed　opinions；　the　buildings　had　been　too　far　apart。　He　favored　maximum　of　space　with　minimum　of　distance。　The　architects　first　considered　the　conditions　they　had　to　meet；　climate　and　physical　surroundings。　They　were　mainly　influenced　by　wind；　cold　and　rain。

The　result　was　that　for　the　Protection　of　visitors；　they　agreed　to　follow　what　was　later　to　be　generally　known；　as　the　block　plan；　the　buildings　arranged　in；　four　blocks；　joined　by　covered　corridors　and　surrounded　by　a　wall；　with　three　central　courts　and　two　half…courts　in　the　south　wall。　It　had　been　developed　in　many　talks　among　the　architects。　Valuable　suggestions　came　from　Willis　Polk　and　from　E。　H。　Bennett；　of　Chicago；　active　in　the　earlier　consultations。　The　plan　finally　accepted　was　the　joint　work　of　the　entire　commission。

Twelve　buildings　were　put　under　contract；　each　designed　to　illustrate　an　epoch　of　architecture；　ranging　from　the　severity　of　the　early　classic　to　the　ornate　French　renaissance　of　to…day。



The　Architecture



　From　the　start　it　was　realized　that；　vast　as　the　Exposition　was　to　be；　representing　styles　of　architecture　almost　sensationally　different；　it　must　nevertheless　suggest　that　it　was　all　of　a　piece。　The　relation　of　San　Francisco　to　the　Orient　provided　the　clue。　It　was　fitting　that　on　the　shores　of　San　Francisco　Bay；　where　ships　to　and　from　the　Orient　were　continually　plying；　there　should　rise　an　Oriental　city。　The　idea　had　a　special　appeal　in　providing　a　reason　for　extensive　color　effects。　The　bay；　in　spite　of　the　California　sunshine；　somewhat　bleak；　needed　to　be　helped　out　with　color。　The　use　of　color　by　the　Orientals　had　abundantly　justified　itself　as　an　integral　part　of　architecture。　The　Greeks　and　the　Romans　had　accepted　it　and　applied　it　even　in　their　statuary。　It　was；　moreover；　associated　with　those　Spanish　and　Mexican　buildings　characteristic　of　the　early　days　of　California　history。



The　General　Arrangement



The　general　arrangement　of　the　Exposition　presented　no　great　di