The record-union., 1894-09-22

slight deepening at the end of the wharf;
since then careful soundings have been
made at my request along the deep-wa
portion of the wharf, and covering over
one-thIrd of its length, to determine this
question.
THE MATTER OF sHoALING.
The comparative record of depth taken
at several dates, the last being April 5,
1894, shows a slight increase of depth.
This, in my opinion, might have been
expected where material composing the
J bottom is abraIdable. The shore currents
require their normal section in order to
! flow easily. Ii pile bents, as obstacles to
the free flow, diminish this section, the
currents at once will, by a slight increase
! OF velocity, remove the material between
/ the bents and thus restore the sectional
area. This is what has happened, no
doubt, at the Port Los Angeles wharf.
and the building of other wharves will
not alter these conditions or induce the
currents TO get along contentedly with
restricted areas.
CAPACITY FOR wHARVES.
At Port Los Angeles the distance from
the shore to, say, the 4!-fathom curve is
uniformly about one-half a mile and over
ground suitable for building wharves the
entire length behind the break water. At
San Pedro it is one-half to five eighths of
mile at the westerly end of the harbor,
but about miles along the easterly por-
tion, furnishing convenient distance for
wharf construction at only one point
where the Southern Pacific has built its
wharf.
That the conditions for building out the
wharves at Port Los Angeles are much
more favorable than at San Pedro is
shown by the two wharves already built
at each place by the Southern Pacific
Company. At San Pedro the piles had to
be placed in openings blasted into the
rocky bottom by dynamite; at Port Los
Angeles the material is good for driving
piles.
SUB-sTRUCTURAB CONDITIONS.
They were driven from 10 to 20 feet into
| the sea bottom, and into sufficiently hard
material to sustain any load required.
There is no rock bottom and no hidden
dangers. The borings, also, out to 90 feet
oil water show good holding ground for
anchors, the maeerial being cIay gravel
In patches near the shore. mud, and sand
The material brought up on the piles
whenever for any reason they had to be
Withdrawn, was stiff mud and sand and
clay, as shown by the reports of the pile
driving and by statements of the con-
| tractors who drove them.
The bOrings for a deep-water wharf at
San Pedro showed generally about the
same kind OF material, after getting OUT
beyond the rocky bottom Of the shoaI
areas near the shore. There are, how
ever, areas Of rocky bottom in deep
water, the material lying in ridges, which
is dangerous holding ground, as has been
SHOWN at various times by the breaking
OF ground tackle and by the unusual
strength ana weight of that used by yes
sells doing business at san Pedro.
LII Will be seen by an examination of
Ex. Doc. No. Al, report of the board of
lo9Z, that the break water proposed at San
Pedro is and necessarily must be located
entirely outside of the protection of Point
termin, and that i'll fact the entire deep
water harbor is in the ocean outside of
that point
A COMPARISON OF THE LAND APPROACHES
In each case shows as, follows: AS |
| have stated above. at San Pedro. on the
| north and main part OF the harbor a verti-
| cal clay bluff about sixty feet high extends
| TO the water, and the waves wash the
| base of 1t, undermining and bringing it
down. AT several points this action was
going on at the time of my examination,
Ii would be very difficult to lay railroad
| tracks so as to connect this upper table
land with wharves starting out below this
| bluH. AS the Southern Pacific Company
owns nearly the entire front of the har-
| Dor on this side, with its tracks laid
| along the bluff, it would be difficult for
any other railroad company to gain con-
venient access to the harbor area for it's
| Wharves and suitable terminal tracks
] The Southern Pacific wharf was never
carried out beyond fifteen feet of water,
as II was difficult to place it, and as the
| company was fearful of losing il by the
waves had it reached deep water. This
| was one OF the reasons for seeking a more
favorable location at some point farther
north.
THE LOCATION AT SANTA MONICA
Was the result of long and careful ex-
animation, with soundings, borings and
observation, and study of wind and wave
conditions. The result of these studies.
the accessibility of approaches to deep
water, and the short rail haul to Los An
geles were the principal reasons tor estab-
fishing an ocean terminal at this point
The wharf is one of the most substantial
and convenient, not only for the South
ern Pacific, but for any other road. There
IS ample width of foreshore above high
water under the bluff for several tracks
lhe owners OF this property along the
shore were not willing that any one road
should have the entire ownership, and
therefore they sold only flfty-foot strip
to the Southern Pacific Company. The
right-of-way maps and the photographs
OF the vicinity show plenty of room for
several more tracks the entire distance.
his feature IS discussed further on more
in detail, in the review of the report of
the boards.
THE GREAT WHARF.
The wharf has been built since the sec
ond board of engineers made its exam
ination. In order to satisfy myself of its
substantial character, | obtained from the
Chief Engineer of the road the plans and
some details, and have also procured
some photographs OF it. The completion
of this wharf to deep water and its COM
mercial use are new and important feat
ures in determining the question of the
location of the breakwater. The busi-
ness is already being done there, and has
been for nearly year, to the great adj
vantage of the commerce of this part of
the country. The cost of TRANSPORTATION
in large vessels from New York to Los
Angeles, by way of this port, is now
seventy-tive cents ton less than by any
OF the other ports where the freight has
to be lightered.
In my opinion, the building of a break
water at San Pedro will not accomplish
what the government desires; vessels
would no doubt still be lightered there
and the business would still go to Port
Los Angeles, and breakwater would
ultimately have to be built there.
AS already stated, the facilities for
large business already exist there, and
do not and might not ever exist at the
other points.
I have information that the ship Jabez
Howe, of the Sutton IL Co. line, will soon
sail from New Y ork with general cargo
of about $500 tons weight for Port Los
Angeles, and that probably 10000 tons
per annum will be dispatched by this
company alone for Los Angeles via Port
Los Angeles.
NECESSITY FOR BREAKwATER.
Whichever point is selected for a pro-
tected harbor, a breakwater is required.
A wharf into deep water would be an un-
safe berth for vessels in Southwestern,