Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-09-27
WILMINGTON.
A Rossats Picture Of the Present and Future
Of Our Harbor.

EDITOR HERALD: C0nslOeraole
animation is observable in busi-
ness circles here at present. There
IL = striking contrast between the
Wilmington Of to-day and that of
six years ago, when there was less
than two feet of water on the bar
In the bay at low tide; 1t now has
nine feet, or at high tide some If
teen feet and Is constantly deepen
ing. Captain w. P. Smith, the
engineer now superin to nding the
work on the breakwater, sounded
the bar not long since and found
that the channel had deepened
more than q foot since dredging
stopped. The engineers variously
estimate the maximum depth that
may be ultimately secured, aud
which will keep open through the
action Of the tides, at from seven-
teen to nineteen feet at low tide. or
at ordinary high tide from twenty
three to twenty-five feet. And the
swell is SO light that nearly every
foot of depth secured Is available.
So far, every statement which the
engineers have made has been fully
verified. There Is no reason to
doubt that this, also, will prove
true, for the channel has not only
kept itself open, but, with the &C.
tion of the tide, has steadily i'm.
proved. The breakwater is only
partially completed, and the work
now being done on it will confine
more water to the channel and the
whole bay emptying through 1t
In such force with the falling
tide, will cause It to deepen
with greater rapidity. Now,
since the channel has deepened
foot In twelve months, with a half
OF q breakwater, what will the re-
suit be when 1t 10 completed and
the whole volume of water from
the bay caused to dow through one
outlet? In developing Wilmington
harbOr the government has ex'
pended $425, ,000-a paltry sum con-
sidering the Importance Of the alb
jsct. A like sum was never more
judiciously expended, and, for the
amount of good accomplished, we
challenge the world. But we have
been fortunate in having good en-.
gineers who carried on the work
skillfully and economically.
Not more than year ago
rumor was floating around that the
railroad company would abandon
Wilmington, and the Wilmington
aud Los Angeles road would be
torn up; but, through the untiring
efforts Of the invincible Gen. BAN
ming, u most gratifying change has
taken place, which has impaired
an impetus to business in this com.
munity. The effect of this change
is already perceptible in several
enterprises which have sprun & up
in u short space Of time. Gen.
Banning has established an extern
sive lumber.yard, from which he
10 con nstantly making sales, and
the foundation for q two-story
market house has been laid. We
understand, also, that an enter
prising aud popular citizen of this
place IL taking steps toward estab-
fishing q butcher business, which
will make three, including the
market. By little paint, skill
fully applied, the dingy telegraph
Office and waiting-roOm of the
railroad company have suddenly
assumed q cheerful aspect, and the
company's transfsr steamer, which
the Los Angeles Express stigma
tized as "a dirty canal boat" has
been thoroughly renovated and Is
now o perfect beauty. Other
changes have taken place, too nu-
merous to mention.
Tue "old era" of Gen. Banning
will be restored on the 1st Of Octo-
her, when the indefatigable Gensr.
al will take possession of every
thing pertaining to the lighter bus
mess.
The coming trade Of Wilmington
Is a mere matter of time. The
town will grow, as the country
around 1t Is settled up and will
have all the business In shipping
point Of view. 1t may not become
the metropolis of the Pacific Coast.
but destiny itself cannot prevent 1t
from growing to the proportions of
q drst-class town. In time, the
true relation Of Wilmington to the
great mineral regions of Arizona
and the Texas-Paclfic and other
transcontinental reads will be bet
ter understood and appreciated. In
time, the Importance and advan'
tage Of such y peculiar position fol
commercial purposes, where the
traffic of hemispheres may be car.
ried on, will perhaps be fully rec
ognized and made available. Mar
velous changes take. place during
the development Of the resources OF
Q country endowed with untold
wealth, as Southern California H.
and we may reasonably expect
that a. wonderful changes will
take take place on the Pacific
Coast as are recorded Of any region
on the earth's surface. To all who
desire to locate in q place where
the thread OF existence can be spur
out almost az long as 1t is desira'
BILE to live, Wilmington holds oul
no ordinary Inducements.
Very Respectfully.
OBSERVER.