The herald., 1895-01-01

complete the work OF dredging the in
side channel. All that was promised
by the engineers who selected San
Pedro as the proper place for improving
a harbor has been sccomplished-and
more. The channel is desper, wider and
straighter than the project outlined.
d., and the bay secured out 10 greater
depth than was ever anticipated.
Several members OF the board of epgi-
neers who visited San Pedro in 1892 de-
clared that no more remarkable instance
was to bs found anywhere in the union
| of the construction and maintenance OF
! large and commercially valuable har-
| Dor at a comparatively small cost.
While the work on the inside harbor
was under way, it was beginning to
dawn upon the comprehension of the
more progressive land intelligent men
of Los Angeles that the time must come
when the commerce OF this section could
not be accommodated by tho inner har-
bor-which had serious limitations both
as to size or possible depth. In one of the
earlier reports of tho engineers this
point had been touched upon, and
plan suggested for the construction of
akwater, continuing the line of the
mainland southwark half mile, and
then after allowing an entrance way OF
quarter of mile, extending the break
water to the east about mile. The es>
timated cost was about $3 900, 900. This
would give large and commodi0us har-
Dor with an average depth of % to 35
feet of water, well projected against the
worst storms that come to this coast.
Subsequently the plan WAS modified
to better suit the commercial uses of
such harbor by the proposed construe
tion of one curved breskwater about a
mile and halt long protecting the
southwes tern section OF the bay. The
chief advantage OF the continuous wall
is that it serves the double purpose of
sea wall and main pier, from which
smaller piers can be constructed for the
inlanding vessels that lie in the slips
between. The proposed width OF the
breakwater allows for the construction
OF several railway tracks upon IL, so that
the unloading can be done directly from
the ships to the cars.
Ten years ago ths people who talked
about this outside harbor were consid-
cred trihe visionary. After the sud-
den increase in population and business
that took place in the yeara 'SG to '88
and the duties collected at the port ex.
podNcu iIon tllo YtO,UuU VI 1000 TO SlOU,-
0C0 in 1888, it began to look as though
the deepwater harbor was reasonable
business proposition. Five per
cent interest ON $3, 100000, the
cost OF The proposed improvement.
would amount to less than the sum col.
lected ct the port in customs duties.
The matter WAS called up again in con-
gress in the year 1890, and in order to
eettle all questions es to the proper site
for deep harbor, a special commission
was appointed to examine the coast
from Point Dune to Point Capistrano,
and decide ns to the most eligible loca-
tion, and also to report O general plan
for the construction OF deep water
harbor at the proposed point, wherever
it might bs.
When this commission was appointed
ii was generally understood that it's re-
port was to be final and to silence all
discussion as to the proper point for the
location OF the harbor. 70 be sure the
matter had already been gone over thvss
separate times By the governments en-