RON HENGGELER

May 8, 2007
Oh say can you see . . .

The photo is of the Francis Scott Key Monument located on the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park, and the Sutro Tower over a mile away. The Francis Scott Key Monument was dedicated in 1888. The 52-foot-high piece was created by sculptor William Wetmore Story to remember the author of America’s national anthem. The bronze portions were cast in Italy and shipped from Genoa around Cape Horn.
The Sutro Tower’s construction began in 1971 and was completed in 1972. Named after Adolph Sutro, a businessman and former mayor of San Francisco, the tower stands 977 feet from the ground and 1,800 ft from sea level. It is the tallest structure in San Francisco, surpassing the 853 ft Transamerica Pyramid by more than 100 ft. In addition, it is built on one of the highest peaks in the city, Mount Sutro, the old site of the Sutro Mansion owned by Adolph Sutro's descendents. About 15 million pounds of concrete were used to make the foundation of the 3.7 million pound tower. Earthquake proofing includes ballasting two thirds of the weight of the structure below ground, with resulting center of gravity at sixteen feet below ground level. It is used to transmit ten analog, eleven digital TV stations, and four FM radio stations to the San Francisco Bay area.

 

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