The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-21
SOME SHEDS DEMOLISHED.
Narrow Escape From Bleaching of
the Big Collier.
An Eye Witness Describes TIL Grandeur
of the Great storm That Proved So
Dangerous for the Shipping
at Port Los Angeles.

pahVo hAOiiCd- sDhlIDV, euHHf DAuth
Monica it was yosterday-suffered but
little from the storm OF last week The
winds and seas rolled in from the south
west and made it Difficult for the few
ships in port to hold their own and
remain on the surface. but as good
fortune, aided by cool seams aahip,
would have it, no live, were lost in the
Santa Monica roadstsad, and no vary
serious casualties were reported al q
result of the farce gale that hlaw ia
from the southwest Thuraday night and
nearly oil day Friday.
The big collier wellington bshave
splendidly IN the open sea. She was
made fast to the innsr or sheltered side
OF the long wharf when the storm came
up, and was unloading her cargo OF
anthracite coal into ths big Southern
Pacific bunkers.
But the big pillows that came rolling
In, under and even over the long wharf,
were too much for the Welliugton's iron
sides when in close xmty to SO sub
stantial a structure az the famou, long
wharf. When the wind fret sheeted
around from the southeast to the nth.
west Captain Anderson. relying upon
what had been told him OF the gentle
waters of Santa Monica bay in stormy
weather, thought he would have no
trouble in weathsring it out at his
berth. So he loo,ened the wharf hsw-
eers little and moored two big hawsers
to the buoys on the starboard bow and
stern, and thea he felt secure. The coal
bunkers ale pretty high, in tho air at
this point. and there ia also a little
deep water blight right here where the
wharf makes bend.
NOT QUITE HURRICANE.
This bend IN the long wharf was a
wise provision of this engineers who
built it, and it is to bs regretted that
Dame Nature did not enter heartily
enough into the design and cease the
severity of her south vest storms at this
part of the coast. The Wellington ia a
large vessel. OF considerably over 1909
tons burden, and built to Withstand
rough winds and seas. So it waa no
unueual thing for Captain Anderson to
stay right where he was when the south.
wester began to blow. 1t could hardly
be called q hurricane or an extraor-
dinRrlly severe storm. 1t was ust about
an average southwest storm for this lat.
ltude and by no means severe enough to
harm the reputation of Southern Calls
fornia for mildness in temperature and
wind. All these things entered into
Captain Anderson's calculations when
be decided to remain tied to the wharf
during the storm.
But he reckoned without the big bill
lows. He was rather surprised at their
size and tiercsness in such an esrtwhile
quiet spot. He had steam up, however.
and, with the aid OF the tug. managed to
reach the open roadstead in safety, but
none too coon to prevent serious damage
either to the long wharf or the huge iron
collier.
The damage would probably have oc-
CURED to the latter. for the long wharf
Is an admirably built structure and re-
fleets great credit upon Mr.. Huntington,
or whoever it was that planned its mas.
aive proportions. And never was the
stoutness aud stability OF the pier better
exemplifsd than during the late south
west storm. The huge waves, hundreds
OF tons in weight, dashed against the
long wharf and over it, beat under it,
around it, and dropped tons OF water ON
it. as though anxious to find weak
spot in its structure and wreak ven-
gence on the unsightly timbers that
came to mar. with the smoke and traffic
Of man, the picturesqueness of spot
that nature meant should be always q
beautiful pleasure spot.
If NATURE HAD AIDED HUNTINGTON
But no weak spot was found. walked
out on the great pier yesterday, and
though on every hand there were evil
dences of the recent big storm. the pier
seemed to have suffered but little from
the wind and waves. 1t stood solid aud
immutable-almost aH the grim blue
hills that frown down upon it and
shelter it from the north winds and rains
aud waves.
AS we stand at the end OF the long
wharf and look to the northeast and to
the southwest, one is struck with the
wish that nature could have aided Mr.,
Huntington's plans for deep sea har-
Dor at this point by providing the same
natural barrier to the southwest as is
formed by the San Fernando hills to the
north. Then. truly, would Santa Monica
be great harbor, and MIR. Hunting
toms long wharf be something more
than a monument of good engineering
skill.
Where the San Fernando hills dip into
the sea they form a splendid natural
barrier against all storms that might
blow from the northw west. And behold |
Ing this great natural wall, then looking
directly behind off toward the open sea
andthe Santa Catalina islands, one is
filed with another silent prayer-that |
he storm king would change his base OF |
0 porations at this point and blow only |
from tbs northwest. Then. indeed, still |
other things being equal, would Santa
Monica become g great seaport.
- A PLACE FOR DAY DREAMS.
But neither silent nor verbal prayers
will servo to change the course of the
wind. When ''she blows" at Santa
Monica "she blowa' us ually from the
southwest. IT'S pity. but tits so. And
The long wharf, nor any barrier that man
could build would quiet the winds and
waves that blew in from that quarter.
Ever Mr.. Huntington's coal bunkers
,o,ld not afford adequate protection to
he big steam collier last week and che
wac forced to put to sea.
Santa Monica is beautiful spot. The