Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/277

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SAN FRANCISCO 233 SAN FRANCISCO MOUNTAINS city, and Leland Stanford, Jr., Univer- sity is 30 miles S. In the city proper are the College of Physicians and Sur- geans, St. Ignatius College, San Fran- cisco Institute of Art, and many private educational institutions. The technical schools include the California School of Mechanical Arts, the Polytechnic High School, and the Y. M. C. A. Technical School. San Francisco has in recent years be- come one of the most important industrial and commercial cities in the United States. Its harbor is unsurpassed and has an area of 420 square miles with a water frontage on the bay of 10 miles. In 1918 there was a completed sea-wall, 15,000 feet in length, with 39 piers and many open wharves. New docks and wharves are being built by the State. Hunters Point Dock is the largest dry dock on the Pacific coast. There are direct steamboat connections to all ports along the Pacific coast of North and South America, to Japan, China, the Philippines, the Orient, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as ser- vices to the Canal, to Atlantic coast points, and Europe. In 1920 there were over 2,500 factories in San Francisco, giving employment to more than 55,000 wage-earners. Ship- building construction during and follow- ing the World War became one of the most important industries. In 1919 there were launched 53 vessels, of which 50 were steel, 2 wood, and one concrete. At the end of that year there were 31 steel vessels under construction. During 1919 there were launched 49 naval craft, in- cluding one battleship, 4 gunboats, 31 destroyers, 7 submarines, and 6 tugs. At the close of that year there were 61 naval craft under construction. The total ex- ports of the city in 1919 amounted to $235,685,879. The total imports amounted to $238,074,061. The leading industries include the manufacture of boots and shoes, bread and bakery products, cloth- ing, copper, tin and sheet iron products, printing and publishing products, foundry and machine shop products, and flour and grist mill products. There were in the city in 1920, 37 banks, with 19 branches. The bank clear- ings amounted to $7,286,339,237. The resources of the National banks aggre- gated $527,780,951, and the deposits $359,619,941. The assessed valuation of real estate in 1919 was $297,741,765. The total valuation was $794,459,406. The bonded indebtedness was $44,259,600. Pop. (1900) 342,782; (1910) 416,912; (1920) 506,676. History. — As early as 1769 a number of Franciscan fathers established a mis- sion here, and seven years later the Span- iards chose the place for a military post. In 1835 an Englishman erected the first tent on the site of the present city, in Yerba Buena, 3 miles from the mission. A village which soon grew up was united with the mission in 1846. Two years later when gold was discovered adventurers from all parts of the world entered Cali- fornia and by 1850 San Francisco had a population of 25,000. During the latter year a city charter was received, and in 1856 the county and city were consolidated. Owing to corrupt municipal management in 1850-1851 a vigilance committee was organized by the law-abiding citizens who dealt severely with criminals and suc- ceeded in establishing good government. In 1897, after four ineffectual attempts, a city charter was adopted by the people which contains a civil service system, provides for the initiative and referen- dum, and limits taxes to $1 per $100 for municipal purposes. April 18, 1906, the city experienced a very destructive fire with loss of innumerable buildings, esti-. mated 800 lives and $300,000,000 worth of property. The rebuilding of the city was one of the most remarkable examples of civic enterprise ever known. SAN FRANCISCO BAY, a land-locked arm of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of California. It is the finest bay on the W. coast of the United States; i? connected with the Pacific Ocean by a strait called the Golden Gate; extends S. by S. W.; washes the shores of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and reaches from Sonoma co. to Alviso. Including San Pablo at its N. point, it is 55 miles long. It varies in breadth from 3 to 12 miles. The shores of the Golden Gate are bold and rocky, rising on the N. to nearly 200 feet; on the S. the hills are sand-covered, 300 to 400 feet high. The bar has a depth of 30 feet of water at low tide; within it is much deeper. There are several islands, including Alcatraz, 4 miles from the en- trance, Angel, and Yerba Buena, or Goat. The entrance is defended by fortifications on Alcatraz Island and Fort Point S. of the Golden Gate. The bay is connected N. by a strait, 3 miles wide, with San Pablo Bay about 10 miles across, and nearly circular, and this again is con- nected by Carquinez Strait, 1 mile wide, with Suisun Bay, 8 miles long, and 4 miles wide. Both these bays are deep, but Car- quinez Strait has only 16 feet of water at low tide. This bay is large enough to float all the navies of Europe at once. SAN FRANCISCO CAPE, a cape in South America, on the coast of Ecuador. SAN FRANCISCO MOUNTAINS, the loftiest mountain group in Arizona, its highest summit being Humphrey's Peak,