The morning call., 1892-05-13
OPPOSED TO san PEDRO.
Huntington Tries to Defeat the APprOPria'
ton in Favor Of Santa Monica.

WASHINGTON. May 12.-The Southern
Pacific Railroad is again detected in inter
fering with legislation that would result in
a benefit to the California people. 1t is IN
derstood that President Huntington was
very much provoked when his telegram to
Senator Frye opposing the Chinese exclu-
sion bin was published. but he has again
been so indisereet as to write letters and is
again detected. THE CALL correspondent
learned this morning from a source thor
oughly reliable that C. p Huntington has
written another letter to Senator Frye and
this time he opposes the appropriation az
gregating nearly $1,000, 900, for deep-water
harbor at San Pedro, Cal.
Haw will the Los Angeles people like
this? Only yesterday Senator FELTON, re-
ceiyed from that city telegraphic report
of a big maSS-meeting held there, presided
over by its Mayor, at which leading citizens
made enthusiastic speeches IN favor OF the
project The meeting resolved that the
completion of this project was more to be
desired than any public improvement pro-
posed for California. The resolution was
submitted 10 the Senate by FELTON,, who has
been using his best efforts TO secure a deep
water haroor at San Pedro, as recommended
by the Board of Engineers OF the War De-
partment, and until few days ago he had
good reason to believe he would be success
full, as majority OF the Commerce Com
mittee seemed to favor 1t.
Within the last few days, however, he
became aware that Frye DOlph and Jones
Of Nevada, members Of the Senate Com
meTee Committee, were opposed to the
project. He was somewhat at a loss to un-
! derstand this change of front. 1t is eX-
| plained now, however, that the Southern
| Pacific is again getting IN its fine work. 1t
] is more to its interest to nave deep-water
/ harb0r located ct Santa Monica for obvious
J - = l., Ill -,
/ fuences TO bear TO secure this result In
! consequence OF this opposition to San Pedro,
! it is likely that no appropriation Will be
/ made for deep-water harbOT al either that
! point or Santa Monica.
The Southern Pacific Railroad has its
! regular agent at work in Washington, and
/ during the agitation of the Chinese question
4 be haunted the corridors of the Capitol
/ echoing Mr. HuntingtOn's sentiment con-
/ corning helping the Chinese bill A few
/ days ago he received a telegram which he
/ opened 10 the absence of Mr.. Huntington
/ aud then fled il with Senator Frye. chair
man of the Committee on Commerce.
The telegram was from William Hood, an
engineer in the employ OF the Southern
/ Pacific Company, and after a lengthy de-
/ scTptiOn of the dangers and difficulties en-
4 countered at San Pedro he contrasts them
/ with the following advantages of Santa
| Monica:
''At Santa Monica the shore is atableland
! with bluffs on the ocean, but the land at the
/ foot of the bluffs is above the action of the
waves, and the harbor, improved by the
! breakw ter, will be easy Of approach and
/ utiiZ ,tOn by wharf construction. The
! anchorage is good, the bottom being sandy
material and of considerable depth.
The United States engineers have marked
/ the outlines representing the positions of
! the breakwaters. In reference to the old
/ wharf and the contour of the bottom. they
Of 3, cfnir h Ia 6Jafo iao
proper end Of the wharf that much deeper
| water is encountered than is necessary. If
! the bTeakWaters were so designed as to pro-
/ tect the harbOr about two miles west Of old
/ Pacific, these breakwaters at sui able dis
! lance out would probably require less rock
! 10 build them than at San Pedro, and owing
] TO the shape Of the shore the vessels could
! always enter and leave such harbor with
/ westerly or southerly gales with perfect
/ safety.
Granite Of an excellent quality for a
/ break water can be had by rail, with a short
! haul and down grade on the shore to the west
| OF the haTbOr to be protected, and the charaC-
! ter Of the bottom Is such as to make 1t prac-
/ ticable TO build a breakwater from a tenn
/ poTary trestle and dump rock directly from
/ the cars. With these advantages it would
/ seem that the harbOr can more cheaply be
protected at the point mentioned in Santa
! Monica Bay, and il viii be safer Of access
/ after being built than the harbOr at San
! Pedro Bay. As a matter of public convent
! ence to steamer passengers, which Dassen-
! gers to and from Los Angeles are almost
! wholly to and from points north of there.
! the improvement Of Santa Monica harb0r
| would greatly shorten the time of such Jour
! ney as compared with San Pedro harbOT as
a point for Los Angeles and vicinity, and
would give great satisfaction TO the travdl-
! ing public"
FELTON, Discouraged.
Senator FELTON,, when told to-day Of this
interference of the Southern Pacific Rail-
way, said: 1T seems that whenever Cali
fOrnia is about to secure some legislation of
real benefit the State is always stabbed in
the back from home" He Is very much
discouraged over the prospects, and thinks
that both San Pedro and Santa Monica will
be knocked out as far as a deep-Water har-
Dor is concerned. This result is probably
what the railroad is working TO secure.
The House Committee on Rivers and HaT-
| bors recommended an appropriation of
| $1,000 for finishing the inside harbor work
! at San Pedro, and the Senate committee
may increase this to S51, 600, but there will
| be no appropriation Of nearly 81, 600. QUO for
deep water harbOr projects, thanks to the
| Southern Pacific
Senator FELTON, now thinks the only
chance for the San Pedro deep-water pro-
lect Will be in an endeay0r 10 secure an
appropriation for the purpose, but leaving
the matter of location with the Board of
Engineers of the War Department, when
would undoubtedly renew its former rec
| concentrations.