Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-03-06
WILMINGTON HaRB0R.

After many unavoidable delays and
vexatious interruptions, we think we
may safely say that dredging has
fairly begun. Those who have wit
messed the working of the machinery,
that are capable of judging, say that
everything is In excellent running
order. And had it not been for the
worthless chains sent from San Fran
cisco, from time to time, dredging
would have been under full headway
several weeks ago. Another chain
was received yesterday from the same
city. We hope it will stand. But
acting upon the principle, we suppose,
that "a burnt child breads the fire,n
General Boschke has ordered an Eng
lish chain from New York, which has
been thoroughly tested. When this
arrives, which will be in few days,
we expect to chronicle some rapid
work. The dredging machinery is
very powerful; but so far, not one-half
of its capacity has been used. The
weakness of the chain wouldn't per-
NIT it. AS it was the number of
breakages of the chain didn't allow
half days work.
We, as well as others, have care
fully watched the preparations for this
great enterprise, with no little inter-
est, and all agree that, from some
cause or other, Gen. Boschke has been
grossly imposed upon. A man came
to him with good recommendation to
put the machinery together, yet he
proved to be notoriously incompetent,
and his entire work had to. be over
hauled. While there were some good
men among the less responsible en-
ployees, yet many of them were the
merest shirks, which was double
misfortune, occurring when 1t did, be-
cause the Railroad Company had
every available man in this commu-
nifty employed upon their improve
ments. The best iron was purchased,
and good price was paid to San
Francisco man, who had a reputation
for such work, to make a chain. This
is almost worthless. There were also
many other Interruptions which we
will not mention. Yet, in the midst
of all this, General Boschke displayed
perseverance and good temper that
is highly creditable to that gentle
man.
But we turn to a more pleasant
phase of our enterprise. Constant
changes are going on in the bay, and
they are all in our favor. The break
water is daily becoming more inn
bedded; as we said some time ago,
about ten thousand cubic yards of
sand in the line of dredging has been
carried away; and the water is cutting
new and straighter channel next to
the ocean. More recent examinations
have disclosed other changes. Three
months ago dredging map was made
for seven feet of water at low tide, in a
certain locality; a month later, for
eight feet; more recently, for nine
feet. In the line of the channel it is
also discovered that holes are being
scooped at intervals, where the bot
tenn is soft; and at the point of the jet
ties where the water gets a sort of a
whirl, the excavations are very deep.
This induces the belief that the scour-
ing of the water only needs the aid of
the dredger at the rocky, hard points
to perform greater portion of the
work. And it must be borne in mind,
too, that the drift is oil seaward, while |
there Is no evidence of shoaling on the
outside. AS to the direction of the |
current that scatters this sand, we are
not able to say. We merely state the
result.
Again we record our convictions
that our harbor prospects present |
but the most convincing evil
dences of its ultimate, and not very
distant, success.-EInterpris