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Committee announced that there was plenty of food, beds and rooms here for all who needed help. Hundreds were provided for in Berkeley and Alameda. Every park was filled with the refugees who were supplied with blankets and food. In two days the relief committee at Berkeley raised over $3,000 cash for relief purposes. Churches and lodge rooms were opened every night to the refugees and relief funds were accumulated. From all over the country-the world-came encouraging and cheering messages and as fast as trains could bring it, help of the most substantial character. The various labor organizations were active in the good work. By April 21st the relief committee in Oakland had collected $10,000 cash. On the 20th five persons became so demented by their awful experiences that they were taken in charge by the police. The relief committees secured from the railroads free transportation of the refugees to outside points. Scores of cities to the eastward wired that money and supplies were on the way.

The hospitals were full to overflowing. Many babies were born during the night of the 20th and every woman's society was busy furnishing care and encouragement. Everywhere throughout the county the Native Sons were active day and night to aid the sufferers. Eighteen physicians and an equal number of nurses arrived in Oakland from Oregon to aid the local medical men. The Governor declared April 23d and 24th legal holidays to enable business to get its bearings once more. Among those who escaped with their lives from San Francisco and came to Oakland was Goddaret E. D. Dimond, aged 109 years. He slept on the ground one night in San Francisco and had nothing to eat from Wednesday morning until Friday noon. Though rendered penniless by the fire he announced his intention to start anew by lecturing on his life and the earthquake catastrophe.

The Oakland high school building was seriously damaged by the shock. The plaster in every room was partly thrown down. Much furniture was damaged, pictures particularly. The massive chimneys were thrown down and forced through the slate roof wrecking it completely and creating great havoc below. Several rooms were almost completely wrecked.

An artesian well near San Lorenzo on the day after the earthquake, first spouted salt water, then water containing oil, ink-colored water, milk-white water and then settled down to good clear drinking water.

Late on the 23d another earthquake shook the bay cities. It was severe enough to drive people into the street. Professor Bushhalter said it was the first shake for about thirty hours. It was severer in San Francisco and among the frightened people there caused a considerable panic. On Sunday, April 22d, the churches devoted themselves almost wholly to relief work. Thousands were fed in the auditoriums. "Talk about booms!" said the Enquirer, "The population of Oakland has increased more rapidly within the last week than anything Los Angeles ever experienced." It was estimated on the 23d that the cities and towns of the county were caring for from 100,000 to 150,000 persons made temporarily helpless by the fire. The population of Oakland about doubled. One splendid act of the authorities was that which compelled all selling and dispensing agencies not to increase prices. The Catholic Central Relief Committee organized and did excellent work. Oakland and the surrounding towns, in view of the presence of thousands of refugees, made strenuous efforts to

keep down lawlessness and succeeded. Large numbers of persons were taken into custody on suspicion as an act of prevention. An unknown rancher at Fruitvale, with a wagon full of freshly cooked victuals-macaroni, boiled ham, buttered bread, baked beans, etc., seeing the hungry throng there, called all to come forward and eat heartily without a cent to pay. He did not have to ask a second time. With undisguised satisfaction he saw the wagon-load of eatables disappear, then mounted his wagon and drove home; enjoying the superb sensation which always accompanies a noble act. This feeling, in short, embraced this whole community which offered food and shelter free to all the refugees. As a matter of precaution over 100 special building inspectors were appointed to examine all buildings to see that their chimneys were free from damage from the shock. Rapidly, under the direction of the board of health, the names of the refugees were taken and system was created out of confusion. Twentyfive stenographers were employed to handle the enormous emergency correspondence. Soon every park and open place became a relief camp. Thousands were cared for at Idora park.

In 1907 the banks of the county were as follows: Savings banks: Oakland— Central, Farmers and Merchants, Oakland Savings, State Savings, Union Savings, First National, Italian, Bankers' Trust, California, Security, West Oakland and Union National; Alameda-Citizens Savings, Alameda ; Berkeley-Berkeley Bank and Trust, University, South Berkeley, West Berkeley; Fruitvale-Citizens Savings, Citizens Commercial, Bank of Fruitvale; Claremont-Citizens State; Emeryville Syndicate; San Leandro-San Leandro; Haywards-Haywards Savings, Haywards Commercial, Farmers and Merchants; Livermore-Bank of Livermore, Livermore Savings, Livermore Valley; Pleasanton-Bank of Pleasanton; Niles-Niles State; Centerville-Centerville. The combined deposits amounted to over $54,000,000. National banks, Oakland-First National, Central National— total capital, $1,500,000; deposits $9,018,898.35. In Berkeley-First National, Berkeley National-total capital, $550,000; deposits $3,087,635.86. Other national banks-Alameda National, Citizens National, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Livermore, Emeryville-total capital, $350,000; deposits $1,845,821.84. Total capital of all county banks, $6,939,490; total deposits and circulation $72,006,005.63. There were thus forty-three banks in the county.

In 1908 the grand value of all property in the county was $186,892,225. The total county indebtedness was $119,104.28. Total state and county taxation $1.36 on inside property and $1.76 on outside property. The real estate was valued at $106,901,475.

In 1908, the county board appropriated $1,500 to enable the Oakland free public library upon petition to extend its benefits to the people of the county residing outside of incorporated cities and towns.

The construction of the Foothills boulevard connecting Oakland, Fruitvale, Elmhurst, Fitchburg, Ashland, San Leandro, Castro Valley and Haywards and covering a distance of twelve miles or more was brought to completion in 1908 and at once became the pride of the people and a crowning act of improvement. by the county board.

The anti-alien or anti-Japanese sentiment claimed prominent attention in this community in 1908-09. The bills in the Legislature on the subject, the attitude of Governor Gillett and President Roosevelt, the formation of anti-Japanese

organizations and the attack on a Japanese student at the university, were sufficient to rouse the people to the impending perils.

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In February, 1911 the county board passed stringent resolutions against the Wolfe bill which planned to dismember Alameda and other counties in order that portions might be annexed to San Francisco. Petitions remonstrating against the passage of the bill were signed by over three thousand residents of Alameda county in February, 1911. The senate bill was finally killed by the vote of twenty-one to nineteen. At this time the county board also set aside the Scenic or Foothills boulevard for the purposed automobile road race.

In 1912 the Metropolitan Municipal Water district was established, to comprise seven cities and unincorporated territory in Oakland. This year the irrigation bond amendment was adopted by the voters of the state. A movement for a children's hospital for the whole county was commenced. A consolidation of various county public offices in order to save expenses was considered by the tax association. The poultry show at Oakland this year was a success, Haywards leading in the poultry industry. The Alameda County Water district was established in 1913-14. The county board gave the Rotary Club $500 with which to advertise the county for 1915, and appropriated $9,000 for a county exhibit at the San Diego fair of 1915.

In October, 1913, the banks of the county were as follows: State banks in Oakland Oakland Bank of Savings, Central Savings, Union Savings, First Trust and Savings, Farmers and Merchants Savings, State Savings, Security Bank and Trust, Bank of Fruitvale, Citizens Bank of Fruitvale, Harbor Bank, Bank of Commerce, West Oakland Bank and Trust, Banco Popolace Italian, Twenty-third avenue, Elmhurst-total capital of all $3,124,440; deposits $43,445,556.55. State banks in Berkeley-Berkeley Bank of Savings, University Savings, Homestead Savings, West Berkeley, South Berkeley--total capital of all $693,400; deposits $5,691.484.07. Elsewhere in the county-Alameda Savings, Bank of San Leandro, Bank of Centerville, Bank of Alameda County, Alvarado, Farmers and Merchants of Haywards, Bank of Haywards, Haywards Bank of Savings, Niles State Bank, Livermore Valley Savings, Livermore Savings, Bank of Pleasanton-total capital $721,650; deposits $6,801,823.96.

At the election held December 30, 1913, to determine whether the Alameda County Water district should be organized, the result was: for the district 884,

against the district 19. The county is not without its commercial minerals. There are coal, pyrites, clay, petroleum, magnesite, building rock, gravel, sand, trap-rock, limestone, concrete rock, sandstone, etc. The annual product is worth about $5,000,000. The assessment rolls of the county for 1913-14 contained 6,000 more names than those of the previous year. The total assessed valuation was $256,363,895.

CHAPTER VII

THE HARBOR, WEBSTER STREET BRIDGE, ETC.

When the harbor improvements were planned in 1873 San Antonio estuary did not receive much drainage and was apparently filling up with surface waste. The upper part became a mud flat at low tide. Other portions were over twenty feet deep at low tide and to a considerable distance from the mouth the current kept a channel open to a depth of twelve feet. About a mile from the shore the current spread out and there a bar was formed within two feet of the surface at low tide. The engineers, G. H. Mendall, C. S. Stewart and B. S. Alexander, concluded that if the tidal flow were confined to jetties or training walls the current would scour out the bottom, the amount of scour being determined by the volume of water flowing out of the estuary. To secure the necessary amount of water it was further concluded that the waters of San Leandro bay should be turned through Oakland harbor. To accomplish this they proposed to dig a canal across a mile and a half of low land separating the head of San Antonio estuary from San Leandro bay and by putting gates at the mouth of the bay within Bay Farm Island and Alameda force the bay to discharge its water through Oakland harbor. It was estimated that the cubical contents of the tidal prism of the estuary were 157,000,000 feet and of the bay 165,000,000 feet. The following order of work was recommended: (1) Build two training walls of stone to control the flow of water out of and into the estuary; (2) dig the San Leandro canal; (3) build the dam on San Leandro bay; (4) excavate the basin at the head of the estuary to give a greater tidal prism. The total cost was first estimated at $1,335,435, which included 10 per cent additional for contingencies. Appropriations were made and expended from 1874 to 1877 when the dispute over the titles to the submerged lands checked appropriations and work until 1881 when labor was again resumed under an adjustment of titles. On several years there were no appropriations, owing to the quibbles or crochets of Congress. By 1899 there was expended about one million eight hundred thousand dollars, with about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars more to be used to complete the work. The current did not scour as expected, which made it necessary to dredge extensively between the training walls. It was only in 1899 that the originally proposed twenty feet depth of water between the training walls was secured-twenty-six years after the work commenced. Work upon the tidal canal was begun about 1890. In 1896 Congress designated $666,000 as the amount to be allowed to complete the work as originally intended. At this time Colonel Suter succeeded Mr. Mendall as engineer in charge. He reported that the tidal canal was not a necessary feature of the improvement and that more money would be needed than designated by Congress to complete the work. This report opened a big controversy between Alameda and Oakland. The former demanded the speedy com

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