The record-union., 1894-09-22

FACTS AND PHYSICAL CON-
DITIONs.
The Southern Pacific Railroad from
Los Angeles eastward, if its China and
other Eastern business should be done
from some point near that city, would
save some 800 milesaof rail transportation
and the necessity of going over 1000
foot summit and grades Of ll6 feet to the
mile. Rail transportation is about i've
times more expensive, as general rule,
than ocean transportation, and there
Would seem to be no reason why the
Sandwich Islands and China and Japan
should not send their business destined
for the Gulf and Atlantic seaboards
through the port of Los Angeles rather
than over the 500 miles OF rail from San
Francisco, provided good harbOr existed
at the former place, and especially when
we further consider that the all-rail line
eastward from san Francisco must sur
mount summit of over 1000 feet and
continuous grades of from 100 feet TO lI6
feet per mile for a distance of nearly 100
miles. East of Los Angeles the grade to
the table-land is much more easy, and
the entire distance TO New Orleans can be,
and is to be, reduced to per cent. maxi
mum, 52.6 feet per mile.
THE SOUTHERN DRIFT OF COMMERCE.
| wish to call your attention in this
connection to most important COM
mercial fact bearing directly on the ques-
tion. The Southern Pacific Railroad and
its steamship line, between San Fran
cisco and New York via New Orleans,
carries from 50 per cent. to over 80 per
cent. of the entire transcontinental sea-
board business, and has done so for years.
w hile the fact that it owns its own road
the entire distance to New Orleans is an
important factor in bringing about this
result, the fact that IL Is half-water
route is still more important. The great
steamships of the Morgan Company at
New Orleans ply with clockwork regu-
larity between that city and New York
and carry freight at much less cost than
by rail, and the time OF transit is fourteen
days as against seventeen and twenty,
and often greater, by the all-rail route.
Now, Ii we can move the Pacific Ocean
terminal OF this road 500. miles nearer to
New Orleans it will certainly lead to still
greater economy in cost for all Pacific
Ocean business.
EFFECT on THE CAPE HORN ROUTE.
Again, a good, safe harbor for deep
draft vessels Will be taken advantage of
at once by heavy and slow frelghts which
now go IN sailing vessels around Cape
Horn, and Ia steamers via Straits of Ma
gellan. The distribution of this busi-
ness into the interior from Los Angeles
would be of great advantage, not only to
the people there, but to those who ship
the goods all along the Atlantic seaboard.
l take it for granted that, when the Te-
huantepec route is opened. the business
from the Asiatic seaDoard to Southern
California Will be largely done in this
way; that is, by sail or steam from New
ork, Philadelphia, New Orleans, etc.
to the gulf terminal OF the Teheuantepec
Railroad, 500 miles only from the mouth
OF the Mississippi, short transfer there
by rail, and then up the coast by sail or
steam 10 our Pacific ports and from them
distributed into the great interior by the
railroads.
My long acquaintance with and study
OF these commercial changes, conditions
and prospects, IN connection with inter-
oceanic questions, impels me to dwell
somewhat at length on what l know to
be important considerations vitally affect
ing the general question of making a
harDor somewhere along this coast.
IMPORTANT PRESENT CONDITIONS.
While the above conditions are in a
measure prospective, there are im portant
present conditions worthy of considera-
ton. Although the railroads do the
greater part OF the coast business, both
lrelght ana passenger, there is consider
able business done by water, particularly
by the regular line of the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company which runs between
San Francisco and san Diego. This busi-
ness Is largely from the north, and
mainly to and from the city of Los An
geles or its vicinity. 1t follows as mat
ter of course, that the further north, and
at the same time the nearer by rail, the
new port is to this city, the greater the
advantage is to business and to the peo-
pie generally.
w hlle at Santa Monica, making exam
nations there and in the vicinity, the
4 # hD IL
Company, came in with thirty y-eight pas
sengers and several carloads Of freight for
Los Angeles, which were transferred to
the cars and were in Los Angeles before
the passengers and freight for that point
VIA the more southern ports of Redondo
and san Pedro had reached these ports.
Ihls advantage III time, and also in dis
be long before nearly all of this business
Will be done via Port Los Angeles.
NEARNEss OF PORT Los ANGELES.
The distance for sailing vessels via
Cape Horn would appear at first sight to
be shorter via San Pedro than via Port
Los Angeles, but well-knoWn nautical
condition reverses this. These vessels
make long northwest course under
favorable winds and then work down
with westerly winds until they sight
Point Conception, north of Santa Mon
~.
passing this harbor to reach San Pedro:
and, further, between the two ports they
would often be delayed by prevailing
caIms, due to being in the leeward of
Catalina and San Clemente Islands.
With these general commercial condi-
tlons stated, it now remains to describe
the physical conditions at the points I'M
der consideration, in order to more in
teIligently study the question of best To-
cation for the harbor
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TWO
POINTS CONSIDERED.
This part OF the coast from Point Dune.
which lies north, or rather west, of Santa
Monica, to Point Capistrano, south of
san Pedro, is a comparatively calm part
OF the Paclhc Ocean. No such heavy
weather or seas prevail here as are found
in more northern latitudes. In this inn
mediate vicinity nature has partly done
the work OF protection; it only remains
Tor man TO supplement it and make q
harbor securely protected trom the sea. /
can explain this better by the accom-
panying photograph OF the relief map of
the country. The water is supposed TO
De removed from the ocean, and from its
depths rise the groups of islands that al
most cover the coast-Catallna and San
Clemente on the south, with still another
submerged island, on w which there is only
fifteen teet OF water, and northward and
westward of Santa Monica the Santa Bar
bara group, which has an important in
1uence upon the conditions at Port Los
Angeles.
STORM CONDITIONS AT SANTA MONICA.
The winds through the summer months
are light, and the sea within the area
bounded by these islands is quite smooth:
the weather Is usually calm. From No
vember TO April there are occasionally
seas from on-sbore winds; those from the
northeast and the northwest are usually
sudden and strong, but those harbors ly-
ing under points of land are protected
and the sea is not seriously disturbed. 1t
came under my observation, fortunately,
wblle making these examinations to wit