The record-union., 1894-09-22

to come from the south and southwest,
when all the harbors are exposed except
so far as the outlying islands modify the
swell.
ONE ADVANTAGE OF SANTA MONICA BAY
Is in the depth of the indentation of the
coast line. a straight line drawn be-
tween Point Dune and Point Vincente is
twelve miles out at sea from the shore
line at Santa Monica, while at San Pedro
the depth between protection points is
about six miles, and the mouth of the
| Little River at Wilmington is about one
and half miles from this line of expos
ure.
n considering the question of area to
be protected by breakWater of given
length, peculiar nautical condition
should be considered. 1t is evident from
the testimony OF those well informed that
the heavy ocean swells and, no doubt,
the strong storm winds at sea start from
and come from the southwest, but the
wind, being more easily changed than
the ground swell of the deep ocean, is de-
hected on approaching the land by the
high mountains of the coast range and
comes up the coast from southeast di-
rectlon. AS general rule, the ocean
swell is parallel to the general coast line
when 1t reaches the coast, its direction
being modified somewhat by the curves
OF the local formations and indentations.
DIRECTION OF THE OCEAN SWELL.
This condition exists not only III this
| vicinity, but along a somewhat similar
formation of coast in the Pacific Ocean at
the Mexican isthmus. This has been
ascertained by careful observations made
by myself ana my assistants. The direc-
ton of the wind there, and l think as
well here, has little to do with the direc-
ton of the swell. On the isthmus the
swell often comes in at right angles to
the direction of the wind and at times
even straight against it. This fact is SO
! well known there, and the principle SO
fully established, that l designed the
breakwater at 'oalina Cruz accordingly
and determined the line of the protection
and the protected area accordingly.
AN IMPORTANT SHORE CURRENT.
Another natural condition of import
ance we'll established by years of OBJ
servation by the best authorities is that
along this entire coast from San Diego to
Alaska there is a well-de6ned and per-
slstent littoral (shore) current moving
northward, only stopped and turned
! back at intervals by contrary, opposing
| winds. This current is from one to three
miles Der hour, and sometimes stronger,
| under the influence of ofpersiSient south
erly winds, and is evidently an eddy car
rent OF the great Japan current which in
ocean depths moves southerly along and
at distance from this coast. | am told
| by reliable authority that driftwood
from redwood sawmillS and from rivers
coming from redwood country is found
on the coast of W NashingtoD, British
America and Alaska where it does not
grow, showing that it came from more
southern coasts; also, that buoys and
! other drifting material always go north.
! The SANDS and other debris washed from
the bluffs by rain and by the waves any
where along the coast of Southern Cali
! Iornla are moved northward by these sea
| currents. No better or more mark ed
| illustration of this fact can be found than
at San Pedro. The waves here come into
| the very foot OF a vertical clay bluff, with
! loose rock, about sixty feet high over
lying rock. The waves wash down this
bluff by undermining it, and all but the
rocky part OF the material is carried oil
by currents around Point Firmin 10 the
northward.
| AS FURTHER ILLUSTRATION
OF the presence and effects of this cur
rent, attention is called TO the entrance
channels OF San Diego and San Francisco.
The sands moving northward Dy this
ocean current would in each case close the
entrance channels completely in a very
short time were it not for tidal current
which with great velocity rushes out to
sea through the bay openings, forcing its
way through these northwardly moving
sands. The fact that the deepest part OF
the channel at San Francisco is close un-
der the north point is proof of the power
| OF these moving sands to crowd the chan
mel over.
AN ESSENTIAL BREAKWATER.
The first Board of Engineers appreci-
ated this important fact ana considered
1t wise to disturb the regimen OF the
ocean currents as little as possible, and
! they therefore designed detached
| break water at San Pedro, so as To allow
these northwardly currents to still do
their work OF transporting the sands out
of the harbor. l can but concur with
them III this plan as absolutely essential,
and 1 would be willing to predict that a
curved breakwa at San Pedro joined
to the shore, without an opening, would
cause, more or less rapidly, the deteriora-
| ton OF the protected harbor by Shoaling.
| No doubt also, the deposit in the harbor
! of sedimentary matter anu refuse from
the bay and from steamers and sewers of
| the town OF Wilmington and of San
Pedro would lead to still more rapid
shoaling.
A DEFECT AT SAN PEDRO.
Unfortunately at San Pedro the break
! water had To be either connected with the
shore or built with an opening about
l,o00 feet wide to Accommodate vessels
and the shore currents, Ii the latter plan
were adopted the southwest swells land
they are the principal ones to protect
agalnsD would enter freely, and with
marked and annoying disturbance, into
the harbor, striking at an angle against
the wharves, if built out to deep water.
| Under such conditions the harbor could
not be considered protected in any sense
| OF the word. The area actually protected
| beyond the four and a half tathom line
would be very restricted and OF but little
value to commerce. An examination OF
| the small chart of this harbor accom-
| panying House Elk. Doc. No. Ill, with the
! convince anyone of the correctness of the
above statement.
SERIOUS DILEMMA.
The board of 1892 recognized the serious
| dilemma in which they were placed, and
considering il best. no doubt, to take the
hazardous risk of the harbor filling up by
the action of a closed break water, recon-
mended II IN order to escape the other
serious alternative.
At Santa Monica, or Port Los Angeles
| the conditions are favorable to easily
meet both of the above conditions of
ocean swellS and currents. There will be-
ample area between the four and a half
fathom low-water curve and the break
water. This area is nearly a mile wide
sufficient for handling vessels in and out
of the wharves and at the same time ad-
nit OF the anchoring and maneuvering in
the harbor, if required, of a large number
of vessels.
HARBoR AREA AT PORT Los ANGELES.
The protected area between the A
fathom curve and 8 brealzwater, built on
| the 9-fathom curve and $3.50 feet long. as
designated by the board of 1891, is over
$50 acres, which would accom- modate
from 250 to 300 vessels at one time, in ad-
dition to those lying at wharves extend
| ing TO the 44-fathom curve. 1t is of in
/ terest TO know the distance from saw tho