The herald., 1895-02-27
SAN PEDRO IS THE PLACE
Commander Brown Views
Both Sites
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; HARBOR
One of the Samoan Veterans
interviewed
NATURE DECIDED THE POINT
Time to Cease QuarreIing and to Work
All Together
An Emphatic Opinion by Man Thoroughly
u..I-
NATURE DECIDED THE POINT
Time to Cease QuarreIing and to Work
All Together
An Emphatic Opinion by Man Thoroughly
Able to Judge
Prevailing Winds and Ocean Currents Fix
San Pedro as the Place to
Build the Harbor

"It is shame that the people of Los
Angeles do not unite on the location of
a harbor, said Lieutenant-Com mander
r. NJ. g. Brown of the United States navy,
yesterday. He had just returned from a
pleasure trip to San Pedro and Santa
Monica and how he happened to be here
at all is, as Kipling says, another story"
which will be told later on. Lieutena MT
Commander Brown has been in the United
States navy thirty years. He was the
navigator of the Trenton when it went
ashore in the terrible storm at Sam 40
which wrecked so many of our warships.
He is a man who bears scars and wounds
to tell of his service and above all he is
an honest, open-hesrted sort of fellow,
although an invalid.
Now l haven't one cent of interest in
the selection of harbor for Los Angeles,
has any interest in the matter | merely
went to San Pedro and Santa Monica for
pleasure. Having been a navigator for
years | know all the charts, currents and
winds on this coast and l know the
wash of the harbors, both improved and
unimproved, along this coast. Now in
saying what do, I don't know whether
l hurt friend or not but as naval man
and an expert l. tell you that San Pedro is
your deep sea harbor.
at is the only place you can build a
harbor. Santa Monica looks nice and
people who know nothing about the un-
dertows, the hidden currents and the
dangerous winds of the Pacifc-winds
that only blow once in while but when
they do blow wreck everything-people
who know nothing about these things
might go to Santa Monica on a fair day
and to San Pedro on as fair day and
come back and say Santa Monica is the
place. But if they knew much about the
Pacific Ocean they would say San Pedro
is the place.
LAS I said before" continued Com
mander Brown, 81 have not got penny
invested in any way shape or manner,
that the location of q harbor one place
or the other can affect. l only want to
see your people get as good harbor, and if
your people will quit playing into.Hunt
ington's hands, and work together, you'll
get it. Huntington knows that the Gov
ernment will never build harbor at
Santa Monica Why, the breakwater
would have to be twenty miles from
shore and then it would not afford se-
cure harbor. At San Pedro it is differet.
Much work has already been done in the
right direction in that harbor by the Gov
ernment, and you people should quit
fighting about location and join hands on
San Pedro. l tell you Huntington only
shoves Port Los Angeles or Santa Mon
lea forward as bone of contention. Any
honest board OF engineers will decide in
favor of San Pedro"
''How did you come to visit Los Ange-
les, Commander, was asked.
''Well, am on my way home from
Mexico. In company with Senator Davis
OF West Virginia, l have been down to
see President Diaz of Mexico, in regard
to the inter-Continental Railway Survey.
You remember, perhaps, that the Pan
American Congress agreed to put up
money for survey to be made by the
United States, for a railroad from some
pointin Texas, through Mexico and on
through the South American Republics
to Bueons Ayres. Each country was to
put up 10 per cent in money, according
to the population, and the United States
has put up $65, 900 year for three years
to rush the survey. l am the executive
and disbursing officer of the commission
and l have maps showing a practicable
route for railroad from the United
States to the Argentine Republic.
There is but one gap, 100 miles be-
tween Mexico and Guatemala, which just
now cannot be surveyed. 1t is needless to
saw why. The road will undoubtedly be
built as the Republics south of Mexico
have all guaranteed concessions to con-
tractors to build the road and President
Diaz, whom we saw on the 18th ult,
told us that the road had been surveyed
over the gap OF 100 miles, l spoke of and
would be built.
Are Mexico and Guatemala going to
fight?" asked the reporter.
''Do you think it will rain on the Sth
Of December ncxus?' responded the CON-