TREASURE ISLAND
1939 - I94o
-%- -
34
THE MAGIC CITY
In the Court of the Seven Seas rhythm of tremendous scale was obtained by the equal spacing of sixteen sixty-foot pylons along its sides. Crowning these pylons were perched prows of galleons, each graced with a wringed figure representing the Spirit of Adventure, the work of P. O. Tognelli. "Creation," a group by Haig Patigian, was in the center of this court.
High up on the walls, between these major motifs, were spaced a trilogy of sculptural panels by Tognelli depicting "Ex- ploration," "Trade" and "Commerce." Other bas-relief work by Tognelli in this court included "Discovery," "Flying Cloud" at the side entrances, and "Treasure of the Seven Seas." Edstrom's "Florence Nightingale" stood before the Hall of Science.
At the northern terminus of the Fair's main axis was the Court of Pacifica, designed by Timothy L. Pflueger. An out- standing artistic achievement in this court was a huge bold relief mural, "The Peacemakers," done by Margaret, Helen and Esther Bruton, emphasizing the Fair's underlying motif, Pacific peace and unity.
The great panel was 144 feet long and 57 feet in height, and
was done in 270 separate panels, each four by eight feet. The entire mural covered a space of more than 8,000 square feet.
The mural was an artistic hybrid
— a cross between sculpture and painting. Color was used, but only in large, simple areas. The Brutons used bold relief technique because it gave a strong light and dark pat- tern without destroying the feeling of the wall.
The central figures of "The Peacemakers" were a great Buddha
— calm, pacific — and an Occidental woman, kneeling, swathed in a white cowled robe. Friezes of mov-
Sunlit pool hi upper reaches of beautiful Lagoon of Nations
35
ing figures on either side represented the Orient and the Occi- dent, respectively.
A shimmering, scintillating "prayer curtain" of metal hung as a back-drop behind Ralph Stackpole's "Pacifica." Approxi- mately 100 feet high and 48 feet wide, the curtain, like the metal- lic curtains in Oriental temples, gave off melodious sounds as it fluttered gently in the breeze.
One of the loveliest fountains of the Exposition was located in this Court, to the east of the Western Gateway (Architect, Ernest E. Weihe) , the entrance opposite the main ferry termi- nal with its elephants and howdahs designed by Donald Macky.
Surrounding the sunken basin of this fountain, on the foun- tain itself, were pieces of sculpture fashioned by well known artists. Here, expressing the broad Pacific theme of the Exposi- tion, were Jacques Schnier's male and female figures, "The Orient," symbolizing the quiet, inward-looking spirit of India; Brents Carleton's Polynesian group; Adaline Kent's group sym- bolic of the islands of the South Pacific, young girls in the sun listening to a young man improvising music; Sargent Johnson's happy Inca Indians playing the Pipes of Pan; Carl George's Ameri- can Indian and Modern Women; a North American group by Ruth Cravath Wakefield — Alaskan Boy Spearing a Fish, American Woman, and Mexican Boy; a South Ameri- can group by Cecilia Graham of a Primitive Woman Making Farina, A South American Fisherman, and a Young Native Riding an Alliga- tor; and a group of Chinese Musi- cians by Helen Phillips.
Movement and life predominated here. From the base of the towering figure of Pacifica a cascade of water flowed into the fountain. Colored
Splendor of Tower of the Sun as seen from East-West axis
From the collection of the
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Prefinger library
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San Francisco, California 2006
BttMONT ABBEY COLLEGE LIBRARY BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA
, «'
TREASURE ISLAND
1939-1940
TREASURE ISLAND
rr rr i
1 h
e Hlacjic
THE STORY OF THE
GOLDEN GATE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION By JACK JAMES and EARLE WELLER
PISANI PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
4A
COPYRIGHT 1941
by PISANI PRINTING AND PUBLISHING Co.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
DEDICATION
To THE FORGOTTEN MAN OR WOMAN (we tried to remember all) ... to the overlooked event or day (there were so very many) . . . to the few who conceived, the scores who planned, the hundreds who administered, the thousands who executed, the millions who made the Magic City on Treasure Island ... to memories of light and laughter ... beauty transcending imagination . . . singing strings and flowers nodding in the sunshine . . . the editors humbly dedicate this book.
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness:
JOHN KEATS (1795-1821)
FOREWORD
THE INSPIRATION of this book is obvious. It springs from memo- ries of breath-taking beauty that can never die.
The reason for its preparation is equally clear. It was only fitting and proper that a permanent record of a dream that bur- geoned into glorious fruition should have been created.
The task of research and preparation was delegated to two men in whom the management of the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939 and 1940 had implicit confidence — Jack James, Director of Publicity and Promotion for 1940, and Earle Weller, Manager of the Magazine Division the same year. These two men knew the picture and appreciated it. They had the facts in hand, could secure full check on details. They have done their work, and done it well.
Mr. G. Pisani, head of the Pisani Printing and Publishing Company of San Francisco, had close contact with the 1940 Fair through his interest in one of its outstanding attractions, the Sa- lici Puppets. Mr. Pisani offered to underwrite publication costs of this volume, when the Exposition Company was unable to undertake that responsibility. The caliber of his contribution is apparent. The book speaks for itself.
When it was finally determined to sponsor the publication of this permanent record of Treasure Island, 1939 and 1940, a supervisorial committee was chosen, which included, among others, Leland W. Cutler, President of the 1939 Fair; Marshall Dill, President in 1940 and George Creel, United States Com- missioner for both years. This committee has checked and passed upon all factual data.
The theme of this history of the birth and growth of an idea might be well summarized in the following extracts from the closing addresses of the two Presidents of the Exposition, one on October 29, 1939, and the other on September 29, 1940 —
.
"The Golden Gate International Exposition was the dream of many — states and cities and counties, and boys and girls and men and women. Lights are made by men in beauty and last for just a little while. Memories come from God and live forever. So will our memories of this beauty live until Time's End!"
LELAND W. CUTLER,
President of the 1939 Exposition, in his closing address, October 29, 1939.
"Yesterday's bright version of Treasure Island today becomes an enduring memory. To have added another chapter to San Francisco's prismatic history is something in which we can all take pride. 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness in- creases; it will never Pass into nothingness:' . . . 'The feast is over and the lamps expire!' '
MARSHALL DILL,
President of the 1940 Exposition, in his closing address, September 29, 1940.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
THE EDITORS desire to express their appreciation for the cooperation of the various official agencies in the preparation of this volume; to the Gen- eral Electric Company and E. T. "Buck" Harris, of KGEI, for the use of the color plates of the night lighting made up from photographs by Moulin Studios; to Ted Huggins, of Standard Oil Co., Chairman of the Promotion Committee for factual material; and to Mrs. Alfred McLaughlin and Mrs. Frank Panter for information on the women's events at the Fair; to Leland Cutler, Marshall Dill and George Creel for advice and encouragement.
Authorities consulted for factual material, apart from guide books, catalogues of the Thorne Miniature Rooms and the Art Exhibits of '39 and '40, were as follows:
Robert B. Hoover — Business Aspects of the Preparations for the Golden Gate International Exposition. Master's Thesis. Stanford, 1939.
Eugen Neuhaus — The Art of Treasure Island. University of California Press, 1939.
Stanley Armstrong Hunter, — Temple of Religion and Tower of Peace. San Francisco, 1939, 1940.
University of California — Science in the Service of Man. University of California Press, 1940.
California Commission — Report to Governor Olson, 1941.
U. S. Commission - — Your America. The Story of the United States Gov- ernment Exhibit at the Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939.
International Business Machines Corp. — Contemporary Art of the United States, 1940.
Most of the illustrations included here are from photographs by George Grau, of San Francisco. Others are by Moulin, Bates Creel, Elmer Eckhardt and members of the Exposition photographic staff directed by Carl Wallen.
CHAPTER PAGE
Foreword . vii
I. How It Began 3
II. An Island is Built 17
III. The Magic City 25
IV. Beauty and Color 41
V. Let There Be Light! 55
VI. Government on Parade 69
VII. California Presents 81
VIII. Show Window of the States 93
IX. Friends from Abroad 99
X. The Market Place 121
XI. Old Masters and Art in Action 133
XII. Science and Service to Man 143
XIII. The Women's Role 159
XIV. Pageantry and Song 179
XV. Street of the Barkers 209
XVI. Gala Days of '39 . 215
XVII. The Months Between 245
XVIII. The Golden Forties 259
XIX. And the World Came 279
XX. The Curtain Falls 287
Appendix 311
Illustrations in Color
ELEPHANT TOWERS AT NIGHT ON
WESTERN WALLS OF EXPOSITION 187
CADORIN'S "EVENING STAR" IN
COURT OF THE MOON, NIGHT SCENE 153
FLUORESCENT ILLUMINATION OF
THE TOWER OF THE SUN 51
SOUTH TOWER, ENTRANCE TO HOMES AND
GARDENS BUILDING, UNDER FLOOD LIGHTS 255
STACKPOLE'S "PACIFICA"
AND HER COURT, AT NlGHT 221
ARCH OF TRIUMPH AND THE
COURT OF REFLECTIONS 119
NIGHT SCENE, GOLDEN GATE
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION 85
GIRL AND RAINBOW FOUNTAIN,
IN THE COURT OF FLOWERS. , 289
Illustrations in Black and White
OAKLAND-SAN FRANCISCO BAY BRIDGE
AND THE SKYLINE OF SAN FRANCISCO ................ 9
LOOKING DOWN FROM THE TOWER OF THE SUN ON
THE COURT OF THE MOON AND TREASURE GARDEN ..... 27
THE COURT OF PACIFICA, WITH THE "FOUNTAIN
OF WESTERN WATERS" IN THE FOREGROUND .......... 37
THE COURT OF THE MOON AND STARS,
DESIGNED BY THE LATE GEORGE W. KELHAM ......... 43
THE CALIFORNIA AUDITORIUM, HOME OF THE
FOLIES BERGERE, ON THE LAKE OF NATIONS .......... 48
GIRL AND RAINBOW FOUNTAIN
IN THE COURT OF FLOWERS ........................ 57
FEDERAL BUILDING FROM THE TEMPLE
COMPOUND ACROSS THE LAKE OF NATIONS ........... 71
PACIFIC HOUSE, THE THEME
BUILDING OF THE EXPOSITION ..................... 109
THE TOWER OF THE SUN,
DESIGNED BY ARTHUR BROWN, JR ................... 138
THE YERBA BUENA CLUB, WOMEN'S
HEADQUARTERS ON TREASURE ISLAND ............... 159
SCENES FROM A. L. VOLLMAN'S
"CAVALCADE," EXPOSITION THEME SHOW. ... ........ 184
ASCAP STARS ON COLISEUM
STAGE AT 1940 FAIRCMOU//H Photo) .................... 196
CANDID CAMERA SHOTS ON
THE GAYWAY (George Gran Photos) ..................... 212
Jo Jo, THE CLOWN, AND ONE OF His
JUVENILE PERFORMERS(George Gran Photo) .............. 275
CHAPTER I
IN THE BEGINNING there was an idea, an idea to celebrate in some fitting manner the completion of the two San Francisco Bay Bridges, one — the longest single suspension span in the world, and the other — the largest structure of its kind in the history of man. The idea took form in the proposal for an Exposition, a World's Fair in keeping with the magnitude of the projects it was to celebrate.
In February, 1933, the "Pulse of the Public" column of the San Francisco News carried a letter signed by Joseph Dixon, who suggested that a World's Fair be held to commemorate the com- pletion of the two bay spans. A few days later the News pub- lished an editorial cartoon on the subject.
For a time the suggestions were forgotten in the days of financial crisis, but the idea would not die. On May 3, 1933, the newspapers carried a story that the Chamber of Commerce was investigating the feasibility of holding a World's Fair and on May 18, John Shea, of the San Francisco Convention and Tour- ist Bureau, announced that his organization would confer with
4 THE MAGIC CITY
Mayor Rossi to ask the appointment of a citizens' committee to launch a campaign for an Exposition. Even then, Yerba Buena Shoals was mentioned as a possible site. On the following day the Chamber of Commerce began a survey of the proposed plan.
In June, Harmon S. Butler walked into the offices of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and carefully deposited a large bundle on the counter.
"Here it is," he exclaimed, "an Exposition site where San Francisco can tell the world of her progress."
It was a miniature relief map upon which Butler had traced a circular "man-made" island in San Francisco Bay.
"Just another 'crackpot' idea," muttered the skeptical, little dreaming that less than six years later this little map would present a true picture of the area, with the shores of Treasure Island, like a shimmering mirage, rising majestically from the sea.
The Board of Supervisors of San Francisco passed a resolu- tion on July 31, 1933, calling on Mayor Rossi to appoint a group of citizens to investigate the proposal for a Fair. A Bridge Cele- bration Founding Committee was appointed which held its first meeting on October 10, 1933. An Executive Board of twenty- five members and an Advisory Planning Committee of thirty- three were named, the latter to sound out public sentiment, de- termine the scope of the contemplated celebration, discuss the location and the vitally important phase of underwriting the preliminary costs.
The first consideration was the selection of a site. To archi- tects W. P. Day and George W. Kelham was assigned the task of weighing all the advantages and disadvantages of the various locations suggested, which included Golden Gate Park, the Pre- sidio, Lake Merced and many other sites.
Golden Gate Park provided a beautiful setting for an Expo- sition, but the physical changes required, the planting and land- scaping which would be damaged and, in many cases, destroyed, eliminated it from serious consideration. China Basin offered possibilities from the standpoint of a vacant expanse of land, but
HOW IT BEGAN 5
the surroundings did not lend themselves to adequate develop- ment. Similar objections were raised against Candle Stick Point. This location was readily accessible by rail and automobile, but the approaches were through industrial areas and its possibilities, insofar as beauty and charm were concerned, gave rise to grave doubts.
Lake Merced presented an atmosphere of natural beauty and was given a thorough investigation by the engineers. It was easily accessible by automobile and offered an opportunity for excel- lent transportation service through additional car lines. The ex- pense of grading and rilling necessary for buildings was a draw- back and another objection raised was the summer fog which might dampen the spirits of daytime visitors and interfere with the effect of the night lighting. Furthermore, it would not be a constant visible attraction from the city centers and bore no rela- tion whatever to the bay and the bridges. Nevertheless, the engi- neers thought it should be given full consideration and prepared a definite architectural plan showing its possibilities together with a detailed report regarding physical conditions.
The site which stirred the imaginations of Kelham and Day lay in San Francisco bay itself, under the surface of the water on the northwest side of Yerba Buena (Goat) Island, an area known as Yerba Buena Shoals. The shoals extended over approxi- mately 735 acres and were separated from the island by a 900 foot channel. Yerba Buena itself stands in the center of San Francisco bay, midway on the bay bridge, one and three quar- ters miles from the Ferry building and three quarters of a mile from the end of the Key System mole which juts out from the east side of the bay. The island comprises 150 acres, rising 325 feet above sea level, and has been used as a naval receiving sta- tion for many years.
The engineers, in their investigations of the shoals, sought specific information on the character of underlying materials and test borings were made to be sure that foundations might be laid for permanent buildings without danger of disintegration through action of the elements.
A barge, suitably equipped with an outfit for core borings, was rented and several determinations of the depth of water and the bay bed were made on the site. Holes were driven to 50 feet below the mean low water line and the engineers found, in gen- eral, approximately 25 feet of a fine black sand over a dark gray clay. They concluded that it would provide satisfactory founda- tion for a sand fill and that buildings of considerable height could be built without the use of piles.
In the preliminary report of the engineers, construction of a sea wall and the use of dredges and pumps to fill in the basin with sand was suggested. Then the man-made island was to be joined to Yerba Buena and the bridges by means of a viaduct which would be of permanent value as it would provide access to the airport to be created on the island when the Exposition closed.
The shoals offered the possibility of an unusual setting; cli- matic conditions were favorable; accessibility by bus, train, ferry and automobile was an important element. But the outstanding argument was the creation of an airport near the metropolitan
center. In determining the size and shape of the reclaimed area, there- fore, foremost consideration was given to airport requirements and the Public Utilities Commission of the City of San Francisco and quali- fied aviation experts were consulted. "It is possible," the report read, "to design the Exposition in such a way as to make some of the struc- tures of permanent character and available for airport usage in the fu- ture. There also will be available the permanent bridge, road and causeway, water supply to the site, a water distribution system, a storm sewer system, and at least a portion
F.D.R. Smiles u/> at Mayor McCrackcn, Geo. Creel at right
HOW IT BEGAN
of a roadway system. The cost of the permanent improvements for airport purposes would approximate almost three and one- half million dollars, and in addition there would be available on the site ample materials as salvage at a comparatively low price, to be used for additional requirements of the airport.
"The site under consideration offers a unique opportunity from the standpoint of beauty of setting. This point is well ex- emplified in a recent bird's-eye of the bay area and contiguous counties. In addition, aeroplane views of the site, with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the proposed Exposition set in their proper locations, have been made, and are indicative of the great possibilities. From an advertising standpoint, the in- tangible charm of the surroundings is conclusive. The site will be in the direct view of all outgoing and incoming ships, of all visitors to San Francisco from the East and, in fact, of all traffic on the bay. From the hills of San Francisco, a panorama of the Exposition will be visible. . .
"In view of the foregoing, we unequivocally recommend the Yerba Buena Shoals as the location offering the greatest proba- bility of financial success, consistent with the achievement of the objects of the Exposition."
The suggestion for the reclama- tion of the Yerba Buena Shoals and their use as an aviation field had been first made in 1931 when the Aeronautics Committee of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce was in search of a site for a terminal airport which would serve the grow- ing traffic of the San Francisco Bay area.
Following the recommendation of the shoals as a site for an airport, San Francisco had taken steps to ac- quire title. A bill was introduced in
Press Pass No. 1 for First Lady of Land From Jack James
8 THE MAGIC CITY
the State Legislature and signed by the Governor on June 12, 1933, which transferred the tidelands and submerged shallows to the city.
The Day-Kelham report was submitted to the general com- mittee on July 5, 1934. It was not until February 28, 1935, how- ever, after much argument, that the committee reached a deci- sion and announced its approval of the shoals as a site for the Fair. But more opposition developed and, finally, the question was put to a vote of the people of San Francisco and the decision of the committee was confirmed.
The city-wide organization, which had been named in the earlier stages of discussion, had selected an executive board, and out of this group emerged the San Francisco Bay Exposition Company, headed by Leland W. Cutler, who had served as President of the Chamber of Commerce and as chairman of the Celebration Committee.
On July 24, 1934, the functions of the San Francisco Bay Exposition commenced as a corporation. A Board of Directors, consisting of the outstanding business and professional leaders in the bay area, was created. With Atholl McBean as chairman of the Board, and Leland W. Cutler, President, immediate steps were taken for expansion to accommodate such a vast project. Subsequently, a group of nine, elected by the Board of Directors among its members, was designated as the Executive Commit- tee of the Board, with full power and authority, and later still, the Executive Committee created a Board of Management of four members to which certain duties and responsibilities were delegated. The Executive Committee had as its members: Messrs. Atholl McBean, Alfred J. Cleary, R. B. Hale, R. F. Allen, Col- bert Coldwell, J. W. Mailliard, Jr., Allen L. Chickering, John F. Forbes and B. B. Meek, with President Leland W. Cutler as ex-officio member. The Board of Management, which was created early in 1937, consisted of Messrs. James B. Black, Colbert Cold- well, K. R. Kingsbury and J. W. Mailliard, Jr. In the beginning, the officers of the corporation were: Messrs. Atholl McBean, Chairman of the Board; Leland W. Cutler, President; B. B.
10 THE MAGIC CITY
Meek, Vice President; Kenneth R. Kingsbury, Vice President; George D. Smith, Vice President; John F. Forbes, Treasurer; Allen G. Wright, Secretary and General Counsel; H. C. Bottorff, Executive Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.
Between the formation of the Bay Exposition Company and the start of reclamation work on the shoals, the officers and ex- ecutive committee of the organization were busily occupied. Financing the huge project was the first problem and, in a de- pression period, this was no easy matter. Among the first actions of the Executive Committee was that of requesting the prepara- tion of a master budget and a program of financing. This mam- moth task was delegated to John F. Forbes, Treasurer of the corporation, with H. C. Bottorff, Executive Secretary and As- sistant Treasurer, assisting.
In May, 1935, W. P. Day was appointed Director of Works with an authorization to prepare plans and specifications for reclaiming the underwater site. This preliminary work was es- sential if funds were to be secured from Federal agencies for the airport possibilities of the enterprise. Eight applications were submitted covering the reclamation and sea wall, the water supply, roadways and bridges, horticulture, pavements, ferry slips and architectural and engineering design.
Almost simultaneously with the appointment of Mr. Day as Director of Works, George W. Kelham was appointed Chief of Architecture and it was Mr. Kelham's task to create an architec- tural theme and design of a Magic City upon the magic isle, one which would be an everlasting symbol of beauty in the eyes and memories of its visitors.
Mr. Cutler and George Creel proceeded to Washington where they enlisted the enthusiastic support of the President and, in 1935 and 1936, grants of $5,517,830 were made by the Works Progress Administration. These had to be met by a contribution from the sponsoring agency, the San Francisco Bay Exposition, in the sum of $1,103,566. In addition to the Works Progress Administration grant, the Public Works Administration allo- cated $1,894,324 against a contribution of the Exposition Com-
HOW IT BEGAN 11
pany of approximately $2,315,280. The plans for construction and development of the site, such as horticulture, exterior deco- rating, electrical equipment, etc. required over and above the grants of the Federal Government and the funds provided by the Exposition Company to match the Federal grants, the sum of $8,106,000, making a total budget for construction of approxi- mately $18,937,000.
In addition to the funds necessary for the development of the site, there were funds needed for administration promotion, publicity, the selling of exhibit space, concessions, collection of exhibits, art treasures and foreign government participation, representing a budget estimate of $3,250,000.
To meet the budget requirements for construction and over- head in the pre-period, it was necessary to seek sources of reve- nue. It was estimated that receipts accruing from the sale of exhibit space, concession contracts, advance sale of tickets, license fees, utility service, etc., would produce approximately $3,700,- 000 in the pre-period. Underwriting by public subscription in the total sum of $7,500,000 was then undertaken by the Finance Committee under the able leadership of Kenneth Kingsbury. His first move in this direction was to call together representa- tives of sixty of San Francisco's leading financial, industrial and commercial firms. They were asked to donate $15,000 each as a temporary subscription pending the results of a public drive. These subscriptions were either to be repaid from the perma- nent fund, or deducted from later subscriptions of the individual concerns. The appeal was successful and the funds secured through these preliminary subscriptions helped clear the way for actual construction to begin.
The public subscriptions took the form of non-interest bear- ing certificates carrying a promise to the effect the Exposition Company pledged itself to do its utmost to redeem the certifi- cates at par or as near par as the net surplus of the Exposition would permit. The Finance Committee set out to raise the $7,500,000 through pledges of commercial interests in the bay area. A campaign budget was prepared, potential subscriptions
12 THE MAGIC CITY
being based on four items, the proportion of the total subscrip- tion made by the individual concern to the 1915 Fair, the pro- portion of the total subscription to the Chamber of Commerce, the Community Chest and Californians, Inc.
To augment the estimated receipts accruing in the pre- period from public subscriptions, advance sales, etc., in order to meet the actual cash requirements for sponsorship of Federal grants, overhead and Exposition construction costs, the Execu- tive Committee arranged to borrow from two large corporations and six major banks in San Francisco, the sum of $2,750,000, with the understanding this loan would be repaid from operating revenues.
One of the most important committees, one which operated "behind the scenes" and received no public acclaim, was the Insurance Committee. Without insurance there could have been no Exposition. Priceless works of art, valuable books and fabrics, expensive machines ... all these had to be "covered" with ade- quate policies.
Lives of the workmen, guards, cashiers and all who toiled to build and operate the Fair required protection. It was no simple task to estimate the hazards and determine the premiums on the multiplex activities of the Exposition. Realizing the importance of this task, early in 1936 the Executive Committee appointed an Insurance Committee to consider and recommend to the Board the designation of certain insurance brokers who would act in an advisory capacity to the management, representing the casualty and surety groups and the fire groups. The report of the Insurance Committee recommended the appointment of John B. Levison (chairman) , Harry W. Spencer, Charles Nich- ols, George Levison and N. G. Birkholm for the casualtv and surety group, and James M. Ryan (chairman) , Henry Doble and Lloyd Rowley for the fire group. The recommendation of the Committee was approved and the appointments were made official on April 14, 1936.
In an Exposition, one of the major insurable hazards involves the protection and supervision of all personal injuries, both those
HOW IT BEGAN 13
involving members of the public and involving employees. In insurance terminology this is known as workmen's compensation insurance and this form of coverage was immediately procured to protect the responsibility of the Exposition Company to its employees for all injuries arising out of and occurring during the course of employment. By direction of the Exposition man- agement, negotiations for placement of casualty insurance and surety bonds were carried on primarily with B. G. Wills, Vice President of the Fireman's Fund Indemnity Company of San Francisco. The result of negotiations with the Fireman's Fund Indemnity Company was a specially designed policy, which blanketed all personal injury and property damage liability to which the Exposition Company would be exposed. In the writing of this policy, as in all others, provision was made so as to cover the entire construction period, operating period and demolition period. In view of this, when it was determined that the Expo- sition would operate again in 1940, all that was necessary was an extension of the original expiration date.
Special forms of surety bonds were required to meet the pe- culiar circumstances arising out of the inter-relation of responsi- bilities among the Exposition Company, the City and County of San Francisco, and the State of California Toll Bridge Au- thority. These dealt for the most part with the island approaches from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Automobile coverage and many other miscellaneous forms of protection had to be provided long before the Fair became an actuality.
One of the vital factors in the entire insurance program was exhibitors' and concessionaires' insurance. The Exposition Com- pany had to make certain that all participants carried at least adequate public liability and workmen's compensation policies. To accomplish this, the Exposition Insurance Associates devised a master policy under which certificates would be available to any participant, thereby providing him with the proper public liability insurance. A similar procedure was followed in han- dling participants' workmen's compensation insurance. Each par-
14 THE MAGIC CITY
ticipant was contacted, insurance requirements thoroughly dis- cussed, and adequate evidence of necessary coverage had to be furnished by the participants prior to the opening of the Expo- sition in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Expo- sition Company.
Under the terms of the master liability policy placed with the Fireman's Fund Indemnity Company, provision was made for the furnishing, equipping, and operating of a complete emer- gency hospital, located in the Administration Building. Super- vised by the Exposition Company, the emergency hospital oper- ated successfully during the early construction period and both operating periods of the Exposition. Ambulance service estab- lished in conjunction with the hospital assured prompt medical attention being given to all suffering injuries or illness while on the Island.
With the increased tempo of construction, negotiations for importations of fine arts and other loan exhibits, purchase and rental of equipment, and manifold "hazards" incident to the growing Magic City, the grave responsibility of the Exposition Company for protection grew\ Ample coverage in fire, marine and all-risk insurance was provided. A comprehensive plan of fire protection was laid out, including a separate high pressure system of mains, hydrants, water supply, fire alarm system, both manual and automatic inside the buildings, and a complete "street sys- tem." Special attention was given the permanent hangar building which housed the irreplaceable and valuable art treasures.
An intricate network of "coverage" harboured exhibits and equipment in transit. All-risk insurance was carried on plans, specifications, drawings, models, and designs. Chartered craft plying the bay waters between the Island and the mainland were protected pending accessibility by automobile. Miscellaneous forms of all-risk policies protected property loaned to or owned by the Exposition Company. Contractors' and workmen's equip- ment and materials were covered.
The losses on fire and supplemental coverages, from the start of construction to the termination of insurance protection wrere
HOW IT BEGAN
15
very low. The California Building, destroyed by fire, was the property of the State of California and insurance on this struc- ture was handled by the California Commission.
The total amount of insurance coverage for the Exposition, including Casualty, Fire and All-Risk reached the staggering sum of $21,000,000. Due to the proper organization and plan of procedure laid well in advance, the cost to the Exposition Company in premium was comparatively small in relation to the total coverage. The total fire losses covered by insurance aggre- gated only $5,920.
Meanwhile, out of the shallow sands was rising a man-made island, gigantic dredges were drawing material from the ocean bed to deposit it within a great stone-rimmed cup that loomed like a yawning crater on the north side of Yerba Buena Island, a fleet of barges was plying back and forth bringing tons of earth, rich loam and full-grown trees, and architects and engineers were busy with blue prints and specifications, calculating, sketching and planning the Magic City which was to rise like the palace of Aladdin from the shimmering waters of San Francisco Bay.
View from the air of early building on The Isle of Magic
CHAPTER II
/?« iilcuut )i Built
DON JUAN MANUEL DE AYALA, the first white man to pass through the Golden Gate, discovered Yerba Buena Shoals in 1775. For more than a century it appeared on the charts as a menace to navigation. But in 1936 giant dredges, twice as many as were employed in the construction of the Panama Canal, be- gan to pump black sand from the bottom of the bay and raise the shoals to the dignity of an island.
In February of 1936, when Exposition-airport plans had ad- vanced to the construction point, the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army put to work the first of its fleet of dredges; more and more were added until there were nine of them work- ing at one time. All told, eleven dredges were used, raising
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Treasure Island from its age-old depth of 2 to 26 feet below sea level to an elevation of 13 feet above mean low water. It was to be 5,520 feet long, and 3,400 feet wide, comprising 400 acres.
For eighteen and one half months the pumps of these dredges throbbed in San Francisco Bay, pumping the sand from the bot- tom through discharge pipes a mile in length at the peak rate of 3,000,000 cubic yards a month.
More than black sand spurted from the island ends of these discharge pipes, for the dredge cutters were disturbing quiet depths that had rested inviolate through geological ages. Teeth and tusks of extinct and fearsome mammoths, more than 250,000 and perhaps a million years lost in antiquity, came through. Fossilized vegetable remains, peat . . . fish and shell-fish by the million gushed into the fill; the seagulls made short work of the edibles.
Construction strategy began the fill on the shallower southern portions of Yerba Buena Shoals, which lies just north of the island of the same name — midpoint of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. As black sand poured in, its weight pushed softer mate- rials constantly ahead and out of the area to be filled in.
Thus the towers and palaces of the 1939 World's Fair, and the airport runways that were to succeed them, were to have a firm foundation. As the fill advanced a seawall followed it ... a wall more than three miles long, containing 287,000 tons of quarried rock and rising two feet above the established level of the sand fill. Actual volume of the sand retained within this seawall was 20,000,000 cubic feet; the intentional loss through sluicing softer mud ahead of the firm sand required the dredges to handle 25,000,000 cubic feet in completing the fill.
As areas near the seawall were dredged down to final depth, hopper dredges were brought into action. These sailed the bay to "borrow areas" several miles distant and nearer the Golden Gate Bridge that spans the harbor entrance. There they dredged their material and sailed back to Treasure Island, dumping in stock-piles where pipeline dredges were anchored to give the material its final boost across the rock rampart and into place.
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Leveling was accomplished largely by hydraulic action as the water drained back into the bay; finishing touches for construc- tion purposes, including the Exposition's $17,500,000 building program and the parking lot for 12,000 cars, were accomplished by bulldozers and carriers.
Lt. Col. J. A. Dorst, district engineer, was ranking officer on the reclamation project for the Army Engineers. Exposition par- ticipation was handled under direction of W. P. Day, vice presi- dent and Director of Works, who was in general charge of all phases of construction of the Pageant of the Pacific.
The Army Engineers estimated that it would take them eighteen and a half months to dredge Treasure Island out of San Francisco Bay, and that it would cost $3,803,900. They used eleven dredges; they pulled the last one off the job exactly eighteen months and 15 days after the first one went on, and the job cost $4,100 less than the estimate.
A causeway, 900 feet long and 110 feet wide, was constructed to link with nearby Yerba Buena. On this craggy island the Bay Bridge becomes a tunnel, and at both ends of this bore are the highway laterals that bring Treasure Island within 10 minutes of San Francisco or Oakland. Without a single left turn or grade crossing, traffic was added to and subtracted from the streams crossing the bridge — contributing to the millions of visitors who came to the World's Fair.
Involving 7,600 feet of highway construction, the network of roads between the bridge and Treasure Island was built with two objects in view: six lanes of travel during the Exposition traffic peak, and three lanes as a permanent connection between bridge and airport. Consequently three lanes were of permanent construction; the other three were temporary, constructed par- tially upon timber trestles to reduce excavation quantities, which came to 155,000 cubic yards.
The highways cost $600,000, and because of the permanent airport value of the three-lane link there were Public Works Administration funds in this phase of construction.
Along the western edge of the 400-acre Island was a broad
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automobile highway, diving through an underpass at one point to permit pedestrians — passengers discharged by ferry boats that supplemented the highways in serving the Exposition — - to cross in safety without interrupting traffic flow.
One of the difficult problems which confronted the engineers was the elimination of salt so that trees and flowers could grow.
Two hundred wells were drilled 25 feet into the soil and vacuum pumps drained millions of gallons of brine into the bay. Rains helped to clear the salt away and the pumps were halted when the water level had fallen to eight feet below the surface. Rich loam was brought from the Sacramento river delta and tons of commercial fertilizer were added until tests revealed that the island was ready for its horticultural adornment.
The problem of irrigation was handled, for the most part, by installed sprinkler-heads. Water brought from San Francisco through an ingenious flexing pipeline between the decks of the $77,000,000 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, was pumped into a 3,000,000-gallon reservoir on Yerba Buena Island where it flowed by gravity across the 900-foot causeway connecting the
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two islands, and was delivered to every corner of Treasure Island through a distribution system containing more than 26 miles of pipe.
The theme of the Exposition was "A Pageant of the Pacific" so that plantings indigenous to nearly all the Pacific climates and nations were selected.
Some 800,000 annuals were grown from seed at the Balboa Park nursery of the Exposition, in San Francisco. Perennials numbered more than 400,000, bulbs were planted in their plot- ted locations, in September of 1938, 250,000 tulips, 20,000 iris, 20,000 tuberous begonias, 10,000 hyacinths, and thousands of other varieties.
A daily crew, averaging 350 men in 1937, and 1200 men in 1938, was directed by the Bureau of Horticulture. Under the tutelage of skilled engineers and landscape men, these workmen carried out the transplanting and propagating. Headquarters for more than a year was the 28-acre Balboa Park nursery, equipped with two hot-houses, a cold-house, two lath-houses, and other service buildings which, with the 20-acre propagation area, of- fered every facility necessary for growing of the whole range of World's Fair varieties.
The propagation program included vines and many smaller shrubs, as well as annuals and perennials. The process began with seeds or cuttings in the hot-house. After an appropriate period they were removed — some to the cold-house, some to the lath-houses, and finally into the open air for final seasoning before transplanting to the island.
A novel facility was a large "electric hot-bed" in the main propagating house, thermostatically controlled to maintain the soil at a constant temperature of 60 degrees and nearly doubling the rate of growth. Propagating beds heated by highly resistant electrical cables were laid among the roots. Clean river sand was used and the plantings were fed chemically without mulching of any kind — thus kept free of pests.
Many strategies were employed to get maximum "perform- ance" out of plantings. Some specimens were kept trimmed of
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blossoms so that strength would go into structural growth; thus vines frequently were transplanted with spreads of 25 to 40 feet, ready to burst into bloom. Other specimens, too large