Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-11

frontage is not altogether protected
from southwesters is then spoken Of,
the closing paragraph being as fol-
lows: These temporary exposures
"necessitating suspension of dis
"charge of vessels and sometimes
compelling them to put to sea fol
safety, are inevitable contingencies
affecting all commerce on the open
"coast, and Southern California is
"favorably placed for this method OF
Conducting commerce by the fact
"that storms are peculiarly rare and
"little dangerous"
A division OF the report then speaks
of protection against storms and
waves, and expresses the opinion that
an outside breakwater to protect the
outside piers, would be too expensive
for private enterprise to construct,
. but might be undertaken by the Gov
ernment. A close observation oi
facts, with respect to the exact degree
of protection, which Rocky Point and
Catalina Island afford against the in
fluence OF storm, winds and waves, is
then recommended, and the following
very decided statement is made
|" If it be established that vessels can
I" lie here free from exposure to south
erly seas and winds to which the
bay of San Pedro is to great ex-
tent open, Redondo Beach becomes
at once a position of prime impor-
tanee."
| Supplementing these advantag ges,
attention is called to Malga Cove, two
miles to the southwark, close under
the shelter of the headland before
described, as being "the best covered
"point from the southwest in the
"vicinity" and as "a valuable adjunct
"to pier at Redondo, for the reason
"that shelter may there be afforded to
vessels awaiting an opportunity to
discharge"
A most interesting portion of the
report is that devoted to a comparison
of the advantages presented at Re-
dondo Beach with those afforded by
other localities on this southern coast.
Col. Mendell says, "while Redondo
Beach is the mos favorable site for
commerce in Santa Monica Bay, it is
"not the only practical point in
"the vicinity at which piers can
"be built and maintained" He
then points out that a pier can probably
be maintained at Newport, at poiiit
where deep water approaches within
about 1900 feet of shore, but he says
"The exposure. of this pier must be,
"however, over sixteen points of the
compass, Redondo Beach having
"eight points of exposure only"
Again, the report says that piers may
be extended into San Pedro Bay, but
that their length will be exceedingly
great, and that their cost "will GER
''tainly be greater than at Redondo
"Beach." But piers at Newport and
in San Pedro Bay are "open to south
least winds, from which Redondo
"Beach is covered, and to storm
"waves approaching from the open
"sea south Of Catalina Island" Ac-
cording to the report, piers might be
extended to deep water, also from
the shore near Point Fer
min, about two miles south OF
the present railway terminus at
San Pedro. "This point would
I" require costly railroad extension of
"about mile and half in order to
"make connection" And there
would be no available depot or ware
housing grounds at the landing. For
deep water vessels it is desirable to
have at least four fathoms of water
alongside OF a pier. To reach this
depth at Redondo Beach a pier has to
be only 800 or 400 feet in length from
shore, whereas at at~Newport it would
have to be near a thousand feet in
length; at Point Fermin it would
have to be 1900 feet in length, and in
San Pedro Bay it would have to be
from 5000. to 1000 feet in length.
| These comparisons made, Colonel
Mendell says, steamers from San
Francisco, landing first at Redondo,
"would doubtless there discharge
"their passengers, who would reach
"Eos Angeles some hours earlier than
"they can now, or than they could dc
''if landed ON piers in San Pedro
ebay"
AS between Wilmington Harbor
and San Diego Bay and the prospects
for Redondo Beach, the report con-
tains the following paragraphs
Wilmington Harbor now admits at
"high water vessels drawing IA to .1G
"feet. The low-water depth is 10 to
III feet. 1t is hoped to increase the
depth by several feet. Ii 20-foot
"draft can in future be carried in at
Glow water, all reasonable expectations
Twill have been fulfilled. The harbor
"was not projected for deep-water
"ships. This class OF vessels is now
discharged in the roadstead by
Fighters, which is a very tedious and
"costly method. 1t may be ques-
''tion whether the deep-sea freight for
"Los Angeles cannot be now better
''and more cheaply transported from
"the coast to Los Angeles by the way
"of San Diego and the new coast rail.
road of the A. & 7. Co., than from
"san Pedro, using the present system
"of lighterage.
"It appears to me that under exist
| "ing conditions, pier at Redondo
"Beach with railroad connection to
clos Angeles would at once secure
"the passenger travel and freight to
"and from San Francisco, and the
"deep-sea freight, lumber and coal
"not consigned to the Southern Pa
"cific Railroad.
| 'For the last named class of bust
"ness the competition would be for
"the present with San Diego. If the
construction OF the Redondo pier
"should be followed by piers at San
"Pedro, a second point of rivalry
"world be established.
"San Diego has 20 to 21 feet scant,
"at low water, on the bar at the en-
"trance. The tide adds to 7 feet at
springs and feet at neaps. The
"sea is generally calm, and taking
advantage of the tide, vessels draw
"ing % or 23 feet can, as rule, enter
"every day in calm weather, and "a
"or 25 feet during spring tide. This
'is very good entrance. If greater
"depth can be secured, it will be only
"by a large expenditure Of money.
Il "San Pedro Bay can be covered