The morning call., 1892-01-27
PACIFIC COAST.
Reports on Post and HarbOr De.
lenses and Deep-Water HarbOr.
Site Recommended fer Military Post Near
San Diego San Pedro Selected as Suit
able for Protection Against Storms.


suant to this act, and by direction of the
Secretary of War, a board of officers, con-
sisting of Brigadier-G General Alexander
Med. NcCuok, Colonel George II. Mendell,
Corps of Engineers. and Major Amos S.
kmbali, Quartermaster, was constituted to
meet at san Diego, Cal, at the call Of the
President thereof, for the purpose of max
ing an examination for a suitable site for
military post and harbor defenses at or near
the city Of San Diego, etc, and obtaining in
formation relative thereto, as required by
act Of Congress, rs follows:
Be it enacted ~ the Senate and House Of Rep
rescHtntiUcS Of the Cuitcd states n A16i lea an
congress assembled, That tie Secretary OF War
be and IS hereby authorized ana directed 10
cause an examination 10 be made for suitable
site for a military post and hafbOr deienseS al or
near The city OF san Diego IN the >, ate OF Cali
fOTnia, and to report TO Congress particular de-
sCriptlon Of tie land required for such purposes
ana The amount Of money FOR which The owners
of such land viii convey the same TO the United
States FOR the purposes Aforesaid. lie shaH
further report whit, Ia his opinion, is he value
Of such Land aud If The price asked for he same
Tie report of The board will be transmitted to
the Secretary OF War. UuOn the nm u adjourn
ment of tie board the members thereof viii re-
join THEN proper stations. The travel enJ0lned
Is necessary for The public service.
By command Of Major General SehoGeld,
j. {. MELTON. AGWlaul- General.
ADVERTISING FOR PROPOSALS.
The board met informally. pursuant to
the foregoing order, on April 3. 1891, and
after visiting North Island and Point Iona,
concluded TO advertise for proposals, as
follows:
Sealed proposals will be received until II
O'clock A. NJ, Tuesday May ., 1891. and opened
Immediately thereafter 10 The presence OF Dld-
derS for such lands as are believed TO be suitable
for the yulp poses indicated. Envelopes contain
ing proposals should be marked Proposals for
site Tor military post and harbOr defenses al SAD
Diego" ana addressed 10 the Undersigned.
a. s. kIMBALL,
Quartermaster, [. s. Army, Los Angeles, Cal.
On May 18th the board again met at Los
Angeles, and in the presence Of the bidders
opened the bids, eleven in number. An alb
stract # the proposals was made, and May
Ism the bids were examined and compared
with the abstract. The members proceeded
TO san Diego, and on May 14Jh made a
thorough inspection Of the lands owned bv
the Government, known as Point Iona and
La Plaza, on the western border Of San
Diego HaTbOT, and concluded that there
was no suitable location upon the reserya-
ton for a garrison OF the size contemplated
being built In or near San Diego. They
were Of the opinion that there was suitable
available ground al the southern extremity
Of Point Iona for the construction of bat
teTies which would form part of complete
harA0T defenses, and also at Ballast Point
on the eastern face Of Point Iona, where
there are now uncompleted water batteries.
At La Plaza they found a piece Of compare
lively smooth land, suitable for a garrison
Of two companies, It being well adapted for
the construction Of docks. deep water COM
ing close to the shore, where vessels Of any
size could lie.
May 18th they examined the land offered
by the Pacific Beach Company lying on the
Xt4U IA Ia Il ID
Diego. They proceeded to examine IN turn
and on successive days the Jane, Gilman
and George ". HardacTe Tract, Ocean
Beach; the land offered by ;he Los Angeles
San Diego and Yuma Railroad Company;
tile land rendered by the Point Iona Land
and Town Company; The land rendered by
the san Diego Land and Town Company,
lying within tile National Rancho, and In
Guiding a portion # The Chula Vista Tract;
the O.ay Ranch the Brick-yard Tract, Cor
Onad0 Heights; North Island; The Robert
Allison estate, the Rancho Mission Of san
Diego; the Mexican frontier a Tia Juana;
SWeetwater Dam, after which, on May 2lst,
they proceeded to re-eXam.ne the site ten
dered by James Gilman and George W.
HarGa.re. The price per acre Of the prop
erty offered ranged from S41 30 to $500.
There were t"O offers made II donations,
TO Wit: BY the Los Angeles, San Diego
and una Railway (numher Of acres not
stated and by the Coronado Beach Com
pany, $40 acres.
REPORT OK SITE.
July ooh tie board met again at Los An
geles to present their final report, and with
out gong into detail il is only necessary to
say that there we're fatal objections TO all Of
tie tracts offered except the Hardacre Tract
with regard to which the following report
was made;
Tie HaIdacre Tract, No. II on abstract Is the
site Of All offered nearest 10 the reservation,
fr.f e. / Il d e rf 4
the advantage, OF proximity 10 the principal bat.
terirs situated on The reservation. 10 IS near the
railroad aud within convenient distance OF san
j. ego, aud 70 Is on tie mainland. The topography
OF Tie tract Is varied aud lends Itself we'll TO tie
-frrtut QIiTemeuts OF lar re post. ii ailOIds
ground suitable for gardens and opportunity for
dulUing plain affords favorable ground for
maueuvers, and higher rolling ground offers
advantageous positions for quarters Inc facll-
Ity Tor drainage is good. Connection can be con
veul-utIy made with the city water supply At
la Ilayd, on the reservation, TWO miles distant,
there IS frontage on tile bay. with dee water
close 40 hand 10 float any vessel that Can enter
the uaUDOr.
The buildings OF the post may be placed so as
to be screened from observation OF an enemy by
IN ryeuing high ground.
Tie uacl, containing SO acres, Is owned by
many individuals, who have agreed TO sell 10 the
United States their several holdings at prices
agErt9aIiug $3.50. 900 FOR the whole. A list OF
tile owners, showing The number ~ acres be-
longing 10 each, ITS location and the price de-
mauded Tor 10, IS filed with proposal No. H.
HE piiCe Of this lana seems reasonable, and 10
las leen examined by the MaiOr-GeueraI com
handing Tue army, who has expressed most IA
vOralle opinion as 10 the land, It's situation and
adaptablIfy for military purposes The board
recommends the procurement Of the land known
as the Hdrdacre Tract for The purpose OF ocat
lug thereon tie military post so much needed at
OF IL Tie vicinity OF san Diego Cal
CONCURRENCE.
, The report was submitted TO the Secretary
of War September 18Th, and the following
Endorsement WAS added to it as part OF the
proceedings:
/ concur fully in the opinion OF the board In
tie within report IN Iespecf 10 the necessities OF
the defense OF san Diego harbOr namely, that
battery should be located on Balas, Point, one
on the west end Of North Island, one on Point
Iona, and one on what is known as the Brick
yWd, about seven miles southeast OF Point
Iona
There should also be provided, in my Iudg
meul al OF very near each one OF those points,
suitable ground for a small post, to be occupied
by the artillery garrison for those batteries. No
one point can be regarded as a suitable location
for all these garriSOns.
As a site for a large post, to be garrlsOned by
tr0Ops OF all arms, the most desirable in the
vicinity Of San Diego Is, 10 my Judgment that
selected by the board called The HQrdaCre Tract
But, as before remarked, that site would not be
4 convenient station for the artillery TOOps TO-
quiTed 10 man The several batteries above men,
toned. Ii would, on the contrary, be an excel
lent location for Tie nucleus Of an army OF IN
fantIy, cavalry and field artillery.
y. VI. SCHOFIELD,
MaiOrGeneral Commanding
This report was referred to the Committee
on Military Affairs January 9TH and ordered
to he printed.
Under the provisions Of the River and
HarbOr Act, approved September 10 1890,
10 examine the Pacific Coast between Points
Dune and Capistrano with a view to de-
termining the best location for a deep-water
harbor, board Of engineer officers was
constituted consisting of G. II. Mendell,
Colonel, corps Of engineers; g. l.. Gillespie
and w. II, II. Benyaurd, Lieutenant
CnLnnels cnrns Of angineers and Rrinadie