Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-02
THE FIRST TRAIN,
The Southern Pacific's New
Santa Monica Line.
Used for Traffic for the First Time
Yesterday.
A Trip That Every Participant Enjoyed
The Site of the Proposed Wharf
Inspected - Rosy Prospects
for Santa Monica.

Ihe Southern Paclhc ran speciai
train yesterday to Santa Monica and
over the new beach line up to santa
Monica cafion. 1t was the first passen-
ger train over the new line, and was
long one, the passengers numbering
about 500. 1t left the Arcade depot at
1890 O'Clock, and arrived at Santa
Monica by quick run. Considerable
interest was taken in the first train, and
Santa Monicans lined the. banks above
the gulch down which the road reaches
the beach. Quite a number OF people
boarded the train at the station, and
when it pulled through the tunnel there
were nearly hundred additional pas
sengers.
The run up to the cation was made in
few minutes, and the train went ahead
to the location of the wharf. In short
time it pulled down again to the caflon,
where the excursionists enjoyed the
hospitalities of that famous camping
place until late in the afternoon, when
the special brought them home.
The beach road is destined to be a
popular one, and many a summer ex-
cursionist who has whiled away happy
hours in that vicinity will hereafter
sigh with relief when he realizes that
after day OF fsherman's luck he will
not be obliged to hoof it back to Santa
Monica.
The road is good piece of engineer
ing work, particularly the ingenious
methods by which it is brought from
the level of the main road down to tide
water. Nature seems to have devoted
some pains to make the little cafion
which it descends, subservient to the
Southern Pacific company's will. 1t is
not an unpicturesque road. The Pacific
washes almost to the ties at high tide,
throughout the two miles which it runs,
although the engineer has placed the
bed Of the road above anything but a
tidal wave. Just north of the cafion
are the Santa Monica Heights, rising
to upwards of 300 feet high, and
commanding a noble view of the ocean
and surrounding country. 1t is at the
base of the Heights the company pro-
poses to run out the wharf which will
put Santa Monica on a par if not in
advance of the ports in Southern Cali
fornia. It is said that contractors are
already figuring ON the first sections of
this work, and that it will not be many
weeks before the result of their labors
will begin to be seen. The wharf will
be about a quarter of mile above the
caflon and two miles from Santa Monica.
There are many old-time residents of
Los Angeles county who have camped
with their families at Santa Monica
caf1ou, for years past, who view the
present activity with long looks. and
fear that the days of their quiet plea
sures are over. But as one of them
remarked to HERALD reporter yester-
day, somewhat philosophically: "When
the 6600-foot wharf is completed there
will be some fine fishing from it."
Many Of the excursionists who visited
the sQope yesterday Of this proposed
great work were uninformed as to its
nature and great amount of interest
was evinced in the plan. It was known
to but lew OF the passengers that the
wharf will form an almost land-locked
harbor, where many tall ships may have
safe resting-place at any time of the
year. They had not read that this mas
terly piece of engineering work will be
shaped something like boomerang,
with the curved end setting IN towards
| the mountains on the north. Those
who were aware of the general outlines
OF the proposed enterprise, we're exceed
ingly enthusiastic in their comments
upon it, and predicted future CONNER
cial supremacy for Santa Monica such
as has not been yet seen in any port in
this part of the state.
The company very thoughtfully ran
the excursion train down to Santa Mon
lea about 2 O'Clock in the afternoon, to
give those who had become tired at the
caf1on chance to go down to the beach
where there was more life.
For the present the beach road will
be operated as Sunday line, and many
pleasant excursions may be anticipated
during the ensuing season.