Mountain Lake Water Company
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:42 pmFairly recently, Orphion and I, began a conversation on Bank of America. Through the course of the conversation, Orphion, made mention of a particular family. I won't say the name as this post is public and I know Orphion has some concerns about publicly naming them (even though they were not or are not suspects).
Through the course of talking back and forth, researching this particular family and researching other items that would pop up in relation to the subject, I found something that I feel may relate to the night of Paul Stine's attack. Unfortunately I don't live near the area and am in need of someone close to scope the area out; take pictures, get measurements, etc.
The story:
Between 1848 and 1850, San Fransisco, went through 6 great fires. Going from memory, in just those 3 years, San Francisco lost something like 20 million in property. Their water supply in the early days came from lakes, streams and creeks. Their fire fighting was via barrel to bucket. They did obtain a fire truck about the time of the 5th fire but, interestingly, they used it for gold prospecting. They fought so many blazes their water supply was nearly non existent by the 6th fire. Congress enacted a water law that thus enabled cities like San Francisco to use the eminent domain law to take land from people for the purpose of laying pipe to transport water from other locals. Water companies began springing up left and right with the intentions of supplying water to the masses.
Well, one of the companies that sprang up, was the Mountain Lake Water company. They named themselves "Mountain Lake" because their plan was to deliver water from Mountain Lake in the Presidio to the city of San Francisco in the east. In those days, San Francisco, was only just a few short square miles and located on the Eastern slopes of the peninsula. In those days, the bay, reached all the way to Montgomery Street. Montgomery Street was prime waterfront property.
Mountain Lakes idea was that they would dig a tunnel (encased in brick) from Mountain Lake, to El Polin in the Presidio, then shoot straight across to Larkin Street. With the funding that Mountain Lake initially began with they started the first phase by building a tunnel underground from Mountain Lake to El Polin. El Polin, at the time, was a creek within the Presidio. This creek was within the vicinity of the present day El Polin loop that is North of Maple Street and slightly to the East. Judging by an old map, this opening, would have been to the west of El Polin Loop and somewhere directly north of Maple. At about the time they finished this first phase, legal mumbo jumbo, started dictating that they couldn't do this and they couldn't do that. They ultimately lost their funding and was never able to finish what they started. When funding ran out the Mountain Lake company filled in the tunnel opening with local debris. To what extent is not known.
At around 1998, a national park service archeology team was digging near the area and broke a bit. Immediately they knew they had hit an underground structure but didn't know what. It wasn't until another 12 years had passed, when a member of the original archeology team was out scouting, that the opening had been discovered. This was in 2010.
They claim they poured over old Army military maps of the time and, maybe this is true but, it was still a military base or under military control at the time (I'm talking about the maps and the military having it from at least the 1700's to whenever the park service took over in the 1900's). Military maps back in those days were whited out to hide any structure within the Presidio for security purposes. Frankly, I think they found documents and not maps that discussed a water tunnel and, through the digging into the water history of San Francisco like I did, found reference to the Mountain Lake tunnel.
As I said, the first phase, was from Mountain Lake to somewhere around El Polin loop. The exact location is not known and this info is needed. The second phase was to shoot across to Larkin Street. Given, the location of El Polin loop, there are only 3 streets that could be a possibility for laying pipe or a tunnel to Larkin: Green, Vallejo and Broadway streets. The opening for this tunnel is going to be in line with one of those streets.
Here is where I see it relating to Stine:
As you know, Paul Stine, picks up Zodiac somewhere near Mason and Geary. The Zodiac directs Paul to Washington and Maple. For whatever reason, the Zodiac, he tells Paul to drive one block further to Washington and Cherry. The Zodiac shoots Paul, cleans up his fingerprints/takes wallet and keys, then high tails it out of there. Rather than going back in the direction of Washington and Maple (where he originally intended to be), the Zodiac, heads North on Cherry and then right on Jackson.
Theories abound as it relates to what Zodiac might have done next. Did he go into his home near the area of Jackson and Maple? Did he get into a waiting car a block north of Washington and Maple? Did he have a car waiting on Pacific? None I think are plausible. It has been stated he was seen entering the park. Even the Zodiac states he entered the park a block and a half away never to be seen again. Clearly it would seem he entered the park but, the question is, where did he go?
Obviously, since I am bringing up Mountain Lake and this tunnel, I am leaning towards this tunnel being the local he went to. The reason(s):
1. There are other Zodiac related items that I see tying back to San Francisco's early water supply. For the zodiac to have used these items would imply that Zodiac knew everything about that water supply. I suspect he studied that water supply, by doing just what I and the national park service did and, found the tunnel long before anyone else did.
2. He claims to have entered the park a block and a half away. He never says what direction. If you drew a line from the intersection of Jackson and Maple due north and then, drew a line from Broadway due west (following the slope of Broadway), that intersection is approximately one and one half blocks due north of the intersection of Jackson and Maple. My gut tells me that the opening of the tunnel is in line with Broadway and not Green or Vallejo streets.
3. The zodiac states that the car drivers should have waited for him to come out of cover. Come out of cover from what? The vicinity of where he went in or could have went in was filled with trees and brush so far as the public knew. People stopped talking about that tunnel in 1853. Nothing was written about it until 2010. No one would know about this tunnel unless they happen upon it like was done in 2010, studied the water source for an unknown purpose or, had a working knowledge of the water rights of way (talking about someone within the water company such as a document controller for example). I think if he had been amongst brush and trees he would have been spotted by someone.
This tunnel was filled in with local debris about 1853. We don't know what this local debris consisted of. The number of years from the time this opening was filled in to, the night of Stine's attack, was 119 years. Whatever debris were used could have been severely degraded. He might have had access and it would have been the perfect hiding place. This tunnel is large enough for a man to stand in and, judging by the photos, perhaps several of them. From the photos, it looks as though the opening for the tunnel, slants a few feet inward and then levels out. In 2010 the tunnel was filled with water but, to what extent, the articles do not say. I think its possible he could have stood within the tunnel and never coming into contact with water. Of course this is all theory. Not much is talked about in terms of this tunnel. It would be great if someone from the area could go check it out: pictures, mapped location, etc.
Soze
 
Through the course of talking back and forth, researching this particular family and researching other items that would pop up in relation to the subject, I found something that I feel may relate to the night of Paul Stine's attack. Unfortunately I don't live near the area and am in need of someone close to scope the area out; take pictures, get measurements, etc.
The story:
Between 1848 and 1850, San Fransisco, went through 6 great fires. Going from memory, in just those 3 years, San Francisco lost something like 20 million in property. Their water supply in the early days came from lakes, streams and creeks. Their fire fighting was via barrel to bucket. They did obtain a fire truck about the time of the 5th fire but, interestingly, they used it for gold prospecting. They fought so many blazes their water supply was nearly non existent by the 6th fire. Congress enacted a water law that thus enabled cities like San Francisco to use the eminent domain law to take land from people for the purpose of laying pipe to transport water from other locals. Water companies began springing up left and right with the intentions of supplying water to the masses.
Well, one of the companies that sprang up, was the Mountain Lake Water company. They named themselves "Mountain Lake" because their plan was to deliver water from Mountain Lake in the Presidio to the city of San Francisco in the east. In those days, San Francisco, was only just a few short square miles and located on the Eastern slopes of the peninsula. In those days, the bay, reached all the way to Montgomery Street. Montgomery Street was prime waterfront property.
Mountain Lakes idea was that they would dig a tunnel (encased in brick) from Mountain Lake, to El Polin in the Presidio, then shoot straight across to Larkin Street. With the funding that Mountain Lake initially began with they started the first phase by building a tunnel underground from Mountain Lake to El Polin. El Polin, at the time, was a creek within the Presidio. This creek was within the vicinity of the present day El Polin loop that is North of Maple Street and slightly to the East. Judging by an old map, this opening, would have been to the west of El Polin Loop and somewhere directly north of Maple. At about the time they finished this first phase, legal mumbo jumbo, started dictating that they couldn't do this and they couldn't do that. They ultimately lost their funding and was never able to finish what they started. When funding ran out the Mountain Lake company filled in the tunnel opening with local debris. To what extent is not known.
At around 1998, a national park service archeology team was digging near the area and broke a bit. Immediately they knew they had hit an underground structure but didn't know what. It wasn't until another 12 years had passed, when a member of the original archeology team was out scouting, that the opening had been discovered. This was in 2010.
They claim they poured over old Army military maps of the time and, maybe this is true but, it was still a military base or under military control at the time (I'm talking about the maps and the military having it from at least the 1700's to whenever the park service took over in the 1900's). Military maps back in those days were whited out to hide any structure within the Presidio for security purposes. Frankly, I think they found documents and not maps that discussed a water tunnel and, through the digging into the water history of San Francisco like I did, found reference to the Mountain Lake tunnel.
As I said, the first phase, was from Mountain Lake to somewhere around El Polin loop. The exact location is not known and this info is needed. The second phase was to shoot across to Larkin Street. Given, the location of El Polin loop, there are only 3 streets that could be a possibility for laying pipe or a tunnel to Larkin: Green, Vallejo and Broadway streets. The opening for this tunnel is going to be in line with one of those streets.
Here is where I see it relating to Stine:
As you know, Paul Stine, picks up Zodiac somewhere near Mason and Geary. The Zodiac directs Paul to Washington and Maple. For whatever reason, the Zodiac, he tells Paul to drive one block further to Washington and Cherry. The Zodiac shoots Paul, cleans up his fingerprints/takes wallet and keys, then high tails it out of there. Rather than going back in the direction of Washington and Maple (where he originally intended to be), the Zodiac, heads North on Cherry and then right on Jackson.
Theories abound as it relates to what Zodiac might have done next. Did he go into his home near the area of Jackson and Maple? Did he get into a waiting car a block north of Washington and Maple? Did he have a car waiting on Pacific? None I think are plausible. It has been stated he was seen entering the park. Even the Zodiac states he entered the park a block and a half away never to be seen again. Clearly it would seem he entered the park but, the question is, where did he go?
Obviously, since I am bringing up Mountain Lake and this tunnel, I am leaning towards this tunnel being the local he went to. The reason(s):
1. There are other Zodiac related items that I see tying back to San Francisco's early water supply. For the zodiac to have used these items would imply that Zodiac knew everything about that water supply. I suspect he studied that water supply, by doing just what I and the national park service did and, found the tunnel long before anyone else did.
2. He claims to have entered the park a block and a half away. He never says what direction. If you drew a line from the intersection of Jackson and Maple due north and then, drew a line from Broadway due west (following the slope of Broadway), that intersection is approximately one and one half blocks due north of the intersection of Jackson and Maple. My gut tells me that the opening of the tunnel is in line with Broadway and not Green or Vallejo streets.
3. The zodiac states that the car drivers should have waited for him to come out of cover. Come out of cover from what? The vicinity of where he went in or could have went in was filled with trees and brush so far as the public knew. People stopped talking about that tunnel in 1853. Nothing was written about it until 2010. No one would know about this tunnel unless they happen upon it like was done in 2010, studied the water source for an unknown purpose or, had a working knowledge of the water rights of way (talking about someone within the water company such as a document controller for example). I think if he had been amongst brush and trees he would have been spotted by someone.
This tunnel was filled in with local debris about 1853. We don't know what this local debris consisted of. The number of years from the time this opening was filled in to, the night of Stine's attack, was 119 years. Whatever debris were used could have been severely degraded. He might have had access and it would have been the perfect hiding place. This tunnel is large enough for a man to stand in and, judging by the photos, perhaps several of them. From the photos, it looks as though the opening for the tunnel, slants a few feet inward and then levels out. In 2010 the tunnel was filled with water but, to what extent, the articles do not say. I think its possible he could have stood within the tunnel and never coming into contact with water. Of course this is all theory. Not much is talked about in terms of this tunnel. It would be great if someone from the area could go check it out: pictures, mapped location, etc.
Soze