Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-14
CHANCE FOR ANOTHER RAILROAD HAR.
BOR,

In tne early part OF tnlS week the
chief officials here of the Terminal rail-
road will visit the estuary of Los Ala
mitos. Whilst there is no public giving
out that they are going with railroad
object in view, yet they will remain at
Captain McGarvns for several days,
and include, in their duck-shooting
advertisements upon the inlets and
water sheets OF the estuary, careful in
vestigation OF the chances which that
point affords for a harbor terminus for
their railroad.
Whoever has carefully inspected the
Los Alamitos estuary has been i'm
pressed with the fact that there is an
excellent opportunity to make fine
harbor there! with depth OF twenty
feet OF water over the bar at the en-
trance, at comparatively very little cost.
The advantages it presents for harbor
purposes are many. In the first place.
there is now twelve feet of water on the
bar at the entrance. Next, the bar con-
sists of sand, and could be easily deep
ened by jetties run out so as to make
the currents and tides scour the
bed OF the channel and carry
the sand into deep water Third, the
interior harbor could be easily enlarged
and deepened to any reasonable extent
by dredging, as the formation is all soft
alluvion. Fourth there is no submerged
reef crossing the mouth OF the harbor, so
that it is possible to secure depth
enough at the entrance for vessels draw
ing sixteen feet and upwards OF water.
Hence, whatever depth it may be desir-
able to obtain in the harbor by dredg-
ing can be maintained over the bar,
there being no hard formation or solid
obstruction to prevent properly placed
jetties from maintaining an open chan
mel at the entrance to conform in depth
with the interior basins.
The harbor is perfectly land-locked,
and the entrance is about half mile
in width. There are no high promon-
tories jutting into the sea on either side
of the entrance, so that even vessels
anchored in the outer harbor could bear
away from the coast and get to sea be-
fore southeast storm could beach her.
This is an advantage OF no small i'm
portance, as every sailor will admit, for
harbor of refuge cannot always be en-
tered before a storm comes up, and at
such times the facilities for getting
to point where there is ample sea-
room are OF the first Importance.
The interior harbor as it is now pre-
sents very attractive sheet OF water,
and small amount of money would
turn it into a spacious and safe harbor
for large feet of vessels.
The gentlemen who are about to visit
Los Alamitos, after having satisfied
themselves of the advantages it affords
for harbor purposes, will doubtless then
take into consideration it's geographical
position as relates to the business
points of the back country. In this
respect they will find that it is about
equi-distant from Los Angeles and
Santa Ana, so that it would really form
ike apex OF triangle that would in
CiudC bilC CiitiIC Va tllC JHTCc
counties.
Wherever good harbor can be made
that is within easy reach OF Los Angeles,
it is to the interest OF our people to en-
courage its development by every means
in their power. Ii a moderate expend-
iture of money will give us a good har-
Dor at Los Alamitos, with an entrance
that will admit deep-sea vessels OF
the ordinary draft to reach it,
then it is our duty to call attention
to the fact, and to do our utmost to Sc
cure such private or public aid as will
result in its successful development. If
a great railroad enterprise should, after
careful investigation, determine to make
Los Alamitos its ocean terminus, we