Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-01
BoIsa Chica Wharf.

Among Tile many projected improve
ments in Southern California, not one
promises greater future Importance
than the wharf at Bolsa Chica. 1t is
located on the southern coast of Los
Angeles county, i'll an indentation of
the coast known as the Bay of San
Pedro, at a point which is peculiarly
well protected from heavy seas and
wind, under the lee of Catalina Island,
which breaks the southerly and south
west swell, whilst westerly, north
west, north and east winds blow off
shore. Like all other points in San
Pedro Bay, it is exposed to southeas-
ters, which blow along, and not on
shore, as they do at Wilmington. Boil
sa Chica is never lee shore. Sailing
vessels can leave that anchorage in
any weather. Its location is at the
most convenient point on the sea-coast
for the future center of population of
the Los Angeles valley, about midway
between its eastern and western eX-
tremities, and is the most convenient
point of shipment for all parts
of the valley of the Santa Ana
River, which comprises two
thirds of the most desirable land
in Southern California, and also for
at least one half of the beautiful
valley of the San Gabriel, which in
cludes the other third, and which in
less than ten years will contain four
fifths of the population of what is now
known as the counties of Los Angeles
and San Bernardino. Bolsa Chica is
distant from Anaheim, Orange, and
Santa Ana, each just 13 miles; from
Nietos, l6 miles; El Monte, q miles;
Spadra, 80 miles; Los Angeles, 80
miles; by the Brea Cafion route, Cuca-
monga is 40 miles; Riverside, 40 miles,
and Cajon Pass and San Bernardino,
each 55 miles-30 miles nearer than
by any other route. A railroad from
San Bernardino to Bolsa Chica would
not only run through the heart of the
Santa Ana Valley for the whole dis
tance, but could be very eheaply con-
structed and would most certainly sue
cessfully compete with a road 80 miles
longer and of far greater cost of COLI
struction. Our heavy products must
reach their market either by sea or
in the mining region east of us. Most
of them will go by sea. They neuer
wiU be transported by rail, from here
to San Francisco. AT ordinary prices
the grain would not sell for enough to
pay freight on the latter, and as most
of our products will for long time
continue to be bulky and heavy, the
importance of ofdeveloping our sea ports
becomes manifest, and from its CEN
tral and convenient location, it is
evident that no other point in this
section can compete with this. Another
advantage is accessibility; it can be
reached at all seasons of the year by
good hard road; there is no swamp to
cross to get to it; this is one of the few
places on this coast where there is clay
bottom in which to drive the piles
in most otherplaces it is shifting sand,
boulders-and is generally underlaid
by rock bottom.
The wharf will be 1000 feet long,
1900 feet of which will be 20 feet wide,
and the Pinhead 200 feet long by so
feet wide. 1t will be constructed in
the strongest manner, and will be,
aside from its protected location,
by far the strongest wharf on
the sea coast of California-stout
enough to sustain the weight of a 30
ton locomotive and train, and stiff
enough to stand without injury the
jar of the heaviest ships. There will
be 21 feet of water at the Pinhead at
dead low tide. Railings will be pro-
vided SO that stock of all kinds can be
driven to and from the steamers, and
the wharf, and loaded or unloaded at
the steamers gangway. 1t is pro-
posed to bring ship and car together
that is the grand desideratum for
this country. The people of this Sec
ton have long since become most
thoroughly disgusted with that light
erage swindle at Wilmington. The
cost of this wharf, built in this thor
oughly superior manner, will be $780,
900, and, making ample allowance for
cost of track, iron and rolling stock,
warehouses, &C., the entire cost can
not be less than $4,000.
VIM. r. Olden, ESQ.,, one Of the
best posted and most energetic men in
the Anaheim valley, furnishes us
with the following on the subject of
this new wharf:
During the year ending December
l, 1874, the Anaheim Lighter Com
pany imported 3,10S tons, and ex-
ported II, 6S2 tons; total, 1890 tons,
besides which many schooner loads of
grain and lumber were shipped and
received at Newport landing. This
was owing to the inability of the An
aheim Lighter Company to handle
any more than they did. Last year
the wine crop of Anaheim was not
over one-fourth of crop, this year
it is three times as great. Last year
not more than one-tenth of the area of
the valley was under cultivation;
this year that area will probably be