Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-11
DEEP SEA COMMERCE.
Where Can 1t Be HarbOred
on the Southern Coast?
PROFESSIONAL REPORTS.
A Natter Which is Of the Greatest
Importance to the Welfare
Of This Country.


For several months past very in
teresting study has been in progress
which nearly concerns the welfare o.
Los Angeles, and, indeed, of the
southern end of the State generally
1t appears that we have no deep
water harbor or sheltered deep-watel
landing thus far established. There
are only two harbors on the Southern
coast-Wilmington and San Diego
The one does not admit even medium
sized ships, and the other will admit
a moderately large ship when heavily
laden, only at high tide.
The Redondo Beach Company find.
ing in their property the command
of an unexpectedly deep-water front
age, have quietly had this whole sub.
ject sifted, and now in response to an
earnest call from the Board of Trade
for the information as matter of pub.
lie interest, have sent to President
Eugene German copies of the reports
OF their advising engineers.
The matter was first developed and
brought to the notice of the company
in tangible form, by report of State
Engineer VIM. Ham. Hall, who sub
sequently made preliminary designs
for the proposed works, and a report
thereon. And then Col. G. H. Men.
dell, who is the ranking officer in the
United States Engineer Corps on this
coast, was engaged to examine the
locality and plans, and'swrite an
opinion on them. Col. Mendell has
had lifelong practice in harbol
works, and is especially and thor.
oughly familiar with Pacific coast
harbor and sea coast works, and ply.
sical conditions. The company ap-
pears to have thus secured the best
advice available.
Consulting Engineer Halls report
is necessarily longer than United
States Engineer Mendell's opinion,
and refers to charts and plans which
will, it is understood, hereafter ap-
pear in published form with it. Col.
Mendell's paper substantially en-
dorses Mr.. Halls views, and com.
mends his preliminary designs. We
give an abstract Of it below.
A synopsis Of the report Of Col. II. g
MendeU upon the natural condition,
of Redondo Beach as commercial
seabodrd point and upon the con
structions projected TO derelop ii,
advantages.
The first paragraphs OF Col. Men
dell's report are devoted to short men
ton OF the notable photographic
features OF the Redondo Beach water
frontage, amongst which he specially
remarks a submarine valley or cafior
which heads close in to shore and ex
tends thus seaward. The colone
says: "The ten fathom contour il
within SEQ feet of Shore" and further
says that "this feature belongs to nc
other frontage on Santa Monica Bay
proper" And then he says that 'ir
front OF Santa Monica it is one-hal
miles out" to the depth which is onl,
500 feet out at Redondo Beach. Con
cluding this subject he says that "the
only other point on the adjacent coast
presenting similar characteristics is
about thirty miles to the south ward
where the ten fathom curve comes tc
within 1900 feet of the shore at place
a little above Newport estuary,
Attention is then called to the fact
that, "the close proximity of deer
"water is feature of great value
First, it presents the obvious advant
"age of giving maximum amount o
"accomodation for a minimum length
"of wharf, less expensive both to builC
"and maintain. As compared with
s'others, the exposure of a structure
thus located is much less, because il
soon passes into depth, where the
Emotion of the water is oscillato1y anC
"not persuasive, in which position the
structure receives no blows from
breaking waves. Another advantage
is that vessels lyiug at a wharf thus
"located in water OF considerable
"depth, are free from the disturbances
"due to ground swells ol
the ordinary sea wave, and al
s'the water deepens seaward, no dis
"turbance is propagated from wave;
breaking outside of the wharf"
The report then narrates the results
of his personal examination of the
place, and says. "On the occasion
"of my visit, on December 10Th, the
sssurf was breaking on either side o.
"the deep water, along the beach
"northward and southwark, in comb
''ers from four to six feet in height
while there was no break on you
"breach, on which a whitehall boa,
s'could have been safely landed. :
X These conditions give this
s'position a peculiar value for com
"mercial uses not shared with any
tsother in the vicinity. This is true
''for both projects submitted by youl
consulting engineer, namely, sys-
"tem of piers, and an enclosed basin. y
The next division of the report is
devoted to the exposure OF the water
frontage at Redondo Beach to winds
and waves, and is suhdivied some
what according to the winds
and waves Of the various seasons
The fact is explained that the clear
outlook from the beach is bounded by
land over three-fourths OF the horizon
and is opened for about points Of
the compass only; cit is open "only
to the westerly winds of summer and
to the southwesterly "winds in win
ter, and it is well covered from the
northerly and from the southeast tc
southerly storms" 1t is then ex.
planned that the summer winds north
Of Point Conception constitute fea.
ture of considerable influence upor
the practicability Of maintaining land
ings in an open roadstead, but that
south of Point Conception these
winds are so far modified that land
ings are successfully maintained
where exposed to their influence
The opinion is then expressed that
"in all ordinary weather during
the prevalence "of northerly
winds, vessels could dis
charge at a wharf at Redondc
Beach with the same facility as OBJ.
sstains at other wharves on this part
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