Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-09
TWO HARBoRS INSTEAD OF ONE.

The action of the board of army en-
gineers in selecting San Pedro as the
site for the new deep sea harbor for the
coast of Los Angeles may not immedi-
ately result in an adequate appropria-
ton from congress to construct it. The
next congress will without doubt be
dominated by strong spirit of economy
and will cut down appropriations in
every possible direction. That the rec
ommendation OF an appropriation of
nearly three million dollars to furnish a
deep sea harbor for Los Angeles will
meet with strong opposition there can
be little doubt. But eventually the
great public necessity for such
harbor WILL secure the ap-
propriation. There will be no
resisting the argument that congress
having, at enormous expense, so i'm
proved the harbor of Galveston as to
make it accessible and safe to crafts of
the largest size, it would be to the inter-
like harbor at San Pedro, 60 that the
two oceans should be provided with har-
bors through which the commerce OF
Asia could reach the Atlantic states and
Europe by the shortest route. Time is
now the great factor that controls COM
munication between distant points, and
if one, two or three days can be saved in
carrying teas to Europe from China by
way of San Pedro and Galveston, the
complementary harbor needed on this
coast will be built,
Opposition to San Pedro may retard
the appropriation, but it cannot ulti-
mately prevent the carrying out Of the
recommendations of the board OF army
engineers. The conclusions of such a
board are always treated with great
Difference. They carry weight on ac-
count of the character and special quail
i6cations of the men who compose it's
members. Their reports are the result
OF careful examination and study, and
as there is no instance on record OF ex-
traneous influences having swayed them
in reaching their conclusions, the ut
most confidence is always placed in
their recommendations. We may there
fore rect assured that eooner or later
this report will bear fruit in the shape
OF deep sea harbor at San Pedro.
Whilst we feel certain OF our posi-
ton in this respect. it is pleasant to
know that the city of Los Angeles is not
only assured OF deep sea harbor st San
Pedro, but that she will have another
at Santa Monica. The Southern Pacific
railroad company is rapidly carrying
out a substantial wharf at the caflon
which will extend over a mile into the
ocean. The largest draft vessels will
find safe and easy moorage at it, and we
have no doubt that by de-
grees the corporation will turn their
wharf into mole, such as has been
built at Oakland, when between it and
Point Dune there will be one Of the
most accessible and safest harbors on
the coast. The wharf or mole will pro-
tect the shipping from the southwest,
the promontory of Cape Dune will be
perfect barrier from northwesterly
storms, and Catalina will break the
force of any gale that may come from
the west. The protection will be COM
plete, and vessels from all parts of the
world will land at Santa Monica with
perfect safety.
Thus we shall have two good harbors
for deep sea vessela. These will serve
all the purposes of our commerce, and
bring to us class of merchant vessels
to discharge at our wharves that now
only ride at the roadstead of San Pedro,
or occasionally unload their cargoes at
Redondo wharf.
When the Nicaragua canal is finished
we shall be in position to accommodate
the increased merchant marine COM
merce that will seek US from the At
lantic states and Europe.