Alcatraz water tower

Last updated November 10, 2019

Alcatraz water tower is on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, off the coast of San Francisco, California. It is located on the northwestern side of the island, near Tower No. 3, beyond the Morgue and Recreation Yard. The water tank is situated on six cross-braced steel legs submerged in concrete foundations.

Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison from 1934 until 21 March 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native American activism across the U.S., with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

San Francisco Bay bay on the California coast of the United States

San Francisco Bay is a shallow estuary in the US state of California. It is surrounded by a contiguous region known as the San Francisco Bay Area, and is dominated by the large cities of San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland.

Alcatraz Morgue is the morgue on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. It is located on the northwestern side of the island towards the centre, halfway between the Alcatraz Water Tower and the Dining Hall, below the side of the Recreation Yard.

History

As Alcatraz had no water supply of its own, it had to import it from the mainland, brought by tug and barge. During the island's military years, it was stored in ground tanks and cisterns situated on the roof of the citadel.^[1] The water tower was built in 1940–41 by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.^[2]

A tugboat or tug is a type of vessel that maneuvers other vessels by pushing or pulling them either by direct contact or by means of a tow line. Tugs typically move vessels that either are restricted in their ability to maneuver on their own, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for their size and strongly built, and some are ocean-going. Some tugboats serve as icebreakers or salvage boats. Early tugboats had steam engines, but today most have diesel engines. Many tugboats have firefighting monitors, allowing them to assist in firefighting, especially in harbors.

A barge is a shoal-draft flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of bulk goods. Originally barges were towed by draft horses on an adjacent towpath. Today, barges may be self-propelled, usually with a slow-revving diesel engine and a large-diameter fixed-pitch propeller. Otherwise, "dumb barges" must be towed by tugs, or pushed by pusher boats. Compared to a towed barge, a pusher system has improved handling and is more efficient, as the pushing tug becomes "part of the unit" and it contributes to the momentum of the whole.

A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings. Modern cisterns range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic metres, effectively forming covered reservoirs.

It is the tallest building on the island, at a height of 94 feet (29 meters) with a volume of 250,000 U.S. gallons (950,000 liters; 210,000 imperial gallons) of fresh water. It was used to store potable water for drinking, water for firefighting, and water for the island's service laundry facility. During the Occupation of Alcatraz, the water tower was subject to heavy graffiti by the Native Americans and has since become a cultural landmark.^[3]^[4] Graffiti included "Peace and Freedom Welcome to the home of the Free Indian Land"^[5] and "free Indian land -- Indians welcome."

The Occupation of Alcatraz was a nineteen month long protest, when 89 American Indians and their supporters occupied Alcatraz Island. The protest was led by Richard Oakes, LaNada Means, and others; John Trudell was the spokesperson. This group lived on the island together until the protest was forcibly ended by the U.S. government.

Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indigenous Americans and other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States, except Hawaii and territories of the United States. More than 570 federally recognized tribes live within the US, about half of which are associated with Indian reservations. The term "American Indian" excludes Native Hawaiians and some Alaskan Natives, while "Native Americans" are American Indians, plus Alaska Natives of all ethnicities. The US Census does not include Native Hawaiians or Chamorro, instead being included in the Census grouping of "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander".

The tower has been empty since 1963 and has deteriorated, rusted by the salt air and wind. From November 2011 through April 2012, the tower was given a US$1.1 million restoration to prevent "irreparable damage and loss of important historic resources".^[3] Steel components were replaced and the tower was seismically upgraded. The lead paint was sanded and the tower repainted with marine paint.^[6] They repainted the famous graffiti. ^[7] The tower has been completely stabilized. The slope below the Warden's House has been the subject of structural remediation as it was deteriorating.^[8]

Sea spray refers to aerosol particles that are formed directly from the ocean, mostly by ejection into the atmosphere by bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface. Sea spray contains both organic matter and inorganic salts that form sea salt aerosol (SSA). SSA has the ability to form cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and remove anthropogenic aerosol pollutants from the atmosphere. Sea spray is directly responsible for a significant degree of the heat and moisture fluxes between the atmosphere and the ocean, affecting global climate patterns and tropical storm intensity. Sea spray also influences plant growth and species distribution in coastal ecosystems and increases corrosion of building materials in coastal areas.

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A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system for the distribution of potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. In some places, the term standpipe is used interchangeably to refer to a water tower. Water towers often operate in conjunction with underground or surface service reservoirs, which store treated water close to where it will be used. Other types of water towers may only store raw (non-potable) water for fire protection or industrial purposes, and may not necessarily be connected to a public water supply.

Yerba Buena Island sits in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, California. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern spans of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. It has had several other names over the decades: Sea Bird Island, Wood Island, and Goat Island. The island is named after the town of Yerba Buena, which was named for the plant of the same name that was abundant in the area. The plant's English and Spanish common name, Yerba buena, is an alternate form of the Spanish hierba buena, generally used to describe local species of the mint family.

Pacific Heights, San Francisco Neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States

Pacific Heights is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, which is known for the notable people who reside in the area. It has panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz, and the Presidio.

Alcatraz Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse – the first one built on the U.S. West Coast – located on Alcatraz Island in California's San Francisco Bay. It is located at the southern end of the island near the entrance to the prison. The first light house on the island was completed in 1854, and served the bay during its time as a Citadel and military prison. It was replaced by a taller concrete tower built in 1909 to the south of the original one which was demolished after it was damaged due to earthquake in 1906. The automation of the lighthouse with a modern beacon took place in 1963, the year Alcatraz closed as the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. It is the oldest light station on the island with a modern beacon and is part of the museum on the island. Although when viewed from afar it easily looks the tallest structure on Alcatraz, it is actually shorter than the Alcatraz Water Tower, but as it lies on higher ground it looks much taller.

The Lena Water Tower is a water tower located in the village of Lena, Illinois, United States. It was built in 1896 following two decades of problems with structure fires in the village. The current water tower is the result of a second attempt after the first structure proved to be unstable. The tower stands 122.5 feet (37.3 m) tall and is built of limestone and red brick. The current stainless steel water tank holds 50,000 gallons and replaced the original wooden tank in 1984. The site has two other structures, an old power plant building and a 100,000 US gallon reservoir. The Lena Electric Plant Building was constructed in 1905 and the reservoir completed in 1907. The Lena Water Tower was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997; the reservoir was included as a contributing property to the listing.

The Beaumont St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Water Tank is a railroad water tank constructed in 1875, in Beaumont, Kansas. It served the St. Louis, Wichita & Western Railway, and was used to refill the boilers of steam locomotives on that line. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The Warden’s House was the home of the wardens of the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, off San Francisco. It is located at the northeastern end of the Main Cellblock, next to Alcatraz Lighthouse. The 3-floor 15-room mansion was built in 1921 according to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area signpost, although some sources say it was built in 1926 or 1929 and had 17 or 18 rooms.

The Model Industries building or Industries Building is a three/four-story building on the northwest corner of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, USA. This building was originally built by the U.S. military and was used as a laundry building until the New Industries Building was built as part of a redevelopment program on Alcatraz in 1939 when it was a federal penitentiary. As part of the Alcatraz jail, it held workshops for inmates to work in.

The New Industries Building is a building on the western end of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, USA. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, power house, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block.

Building 64, also known as the Building #64 or the Building 64 Residential Apartments, was the first building constructed on the island of Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco, USA, entirely for the purpose of accommodating the military officers and their families living on the island. Located next to the dock on the southeastern side of the island below the Warden's House, the three-story apartment block was built in 1905 on the site of a U.S. Army barracks which had been there from the 1860s. It functioned as the Military Guard Barracks from 1906 until 1933. One of its largest apartments in the southwest corner was known as the "Cow Palace" and a nearby alleyway was known as "Chinatown".

The Power House is an electrical supply building on the northwest coast of Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, New Industries Building, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block. The white powerhouse smokestack and lighthouse were said to give an "appearance of a ship's mast on either side of the island". "A Warning. Keep Off. Only Government permitted within 200 yards" sign lay in front of the powerhouse to deter people landing on the island at the point.

The Social Hall, also known as the Officers' Club, was a social club located on the northwestern side of the island of Alcatraz, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. Located in close proximity to the Power House, water tower and Former Military Chapel, it formerly housed the post exchange. The club was a social venue for the Federal Penitentiary workers and their families on the island to unwind after a hard week's work dealing with America's most hardened criminals after they'd been locked up at 17:30. It was burned down by a fire of disputed origins during the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1970; leaving a shell which still remains.

Barker Beach is a small beach and rocky coastal area on the west side of Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California. It lies south of the long two-story New Industries Building. During the foggy, early morning hours of Friday, January 13, 1939, five inmates - William "Ty" Martin (AZ-370), Henry Young (AZ-244), Rufus McCain (AZ-267), Dale Stamphill (AZ-435), and Arthur "Doc" Barker (AZ-268) - broke out of their D-Block cells and climbed out of a window that had its bars severed in advance, with the sabotage camouflaged with paint and putty. The five men made it to the water's edge and began to look for driftwood to build a raft. In the meantime, their absence was discovered and guards swarmed the island with rifles and machine guns. Dark figures were spotted on the western shore and guards opened fire. Stamphill was shot in the legs multiple times but recovered. Doc Barker was hit in the head and died several hours later. The remaining three inmates gave up immediately and were recaptured without injury. The beach was later named after Doc Barker by the National Park Service.

Fort Alcatraz was a United States Army coastal fortification on Alcatraz Island near the mouth of San Francisco Bay in California, part of the Third System of fixed fortifications, although very different from most other Third System works. Initially completed in 1859, it was also used for mustering and training recruits and new units for the Civil War from 1861 and began secondary use as a long-term military prison in 1868. Major improvements, needed because of changes in artillery, began in the 1870s, but were underfunded and never fully completed, as the post came to be seen less as defense and more as jail. The site was not used for any major works of the Endicott Board’s plan for the defense of the Bay.

The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary or United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States, which operated from August 11, 1934, until March 21, 1963.

Alcatraz Wharf is located on the southeast side of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay, California, US. Classified as building number 33 of the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark, its historic name variants were "Alcatraz Dock" and "Alcatraz Pier". It is the main access point to Alcatraz. Another dock on the island's northwest side was only used for rock loading. The wharf contained many of the islands historic buildings, including Building 64, the Bombproof Barracks, Chinatown, Ranger Office, Garage, Dock Tower, Storage Vault, and Firebox #3.

Vaillancourt Fountain, sometimes called Quebec libre!, is a large fountain in Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, designed by the Québécois artist Armand Vaillancourt in 1971. It is about 40 feet (12 m) high and is constructed out of precast concrete square tubes. Long considered controversial because of its stark, modernist appearance, there have been several unsuccessful proposals to demolish the fountain over the years. It was the site of a free concert by U2 in 1987, when lead singer Bono spray painted graffiti on the fountain and was both praised and criticized for the action.

The Manning Water Tower is a historic structure located in Manning, Iowa, United States. It is significant as a good example of early 20th-century steel elevated water tower design, and its association with Anson Marston and the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. Marston, who designed the structure, was a professor of engineering at Iowa State College. Manning native Henry J. Brunnier, who studied under Marston, convinced the city council to use one of Marston's designs rather than a less expensive standpipe. He also assisted with this water tower's design, and went on to career as a civil engineer in San Francisco. Also involved in the tower's design was the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, who built it in 1903. It replaced a pump house with a steam-powered engine and a large water tank that was built near the town's well in 1894. The water tower is 140.75 feet (42.90 m) tall. It has a 60,000-US-gallon (230 kl) steel tank, with a cast-iron center pipe, and four steel legs. The superstructure rests on concrete piers with limestone capstones, and the tank is capped with a pagoda-shaped roof. The water tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

References

↑ Wellman, Gregory L. (28 May 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island: 1853-2008. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-0-7385-5815-8 . Retrieved 4 September 2012.
↑ Nolte, Carl (November 16, 2011). "No escaping it - Alcatraz water tank gets face-lift". SF Gate . Retrieved 5 September 2012.
1 2 "White Tarps To Shroud Alcatraz Water Tower During Repair Work". Bay City News. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ Benson, Sara (1 April 2009). California. Lonely Planet. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-74104-739-4 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ "Indians Challenge Hickel To Alcatraz Conference". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. November 21, 1969. p. 3. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
↑ Rosato Jr., Joe (November 15, 2011). "Historic Alcatraz Tower Gets a Strange New Look". NBC . Retrieved 5 September 2012.
↑ Klein, Christopher. "10 Things You May Not Know About Alcatraz". History.
↑ "Alcatraz Historic Preservation Projects". Alcatraz Island. National Park Service . Retrieved February 14, 2019.

Coordinates: 37°49′39″N122°25′26″W / 37.82750°N 122.42389°W / 37.82750; -122.42389

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.

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[Wellman2008-1] Wellman, Gregory L. (28 May 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island: 1853-2008. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-0-7385-5815-8 . Retrieved 4 September 2012.

[Nolte2011-2] Nolte, Carl (November 16, 2011). "No escaping it - Alcatraz water tank gets face-lift". SF Gate . Retrieved 5 September 2012.

[BCN-3] 1 2 "White Tarps To Shroud Alcatraz Water Tower During Repair Work". Bay City News. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Benson2009-4] Benson, Sara (1 April 2009). California. Lonely Planet. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-74104-739-4 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[5] "Indians Challenge Hickel To Alcatraz Conference". Newspapers.com. The San Francisco Examiner. November 21, 1969. p. 3. Retrieved 2019-02-13.

[Rosato2011-6] Rosato Jr., Joe (November 15, 2011). "Historic Alcatraz Tower Gets a Strange New Look". NBC . Retrieved 5 September 2012.

[7] Klein, Christopher. "10 Things You May Not Know About Alcatraz". History.

[8] "Alcatraz Historic Preservation Projects". Alcatraz Island. National Park Service . Retrieved February 14, 2019.