The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-15

bar at ordinary low tide, and vessels draw
Ing over 10 feet can enter and load at the
wharves. An immense commerce has
been, in consequence, developed. The
work has cost the Federal Government
less than $500, 900. Plans have been made
for further development which will admit
the larger deep-sea ships to its wharves.
The improvement of Oakland harbor
has been something similar to that of Will
mington. When Colonel Mendell sur
veyed the estuary of San Antonio in 1874
with the view OF improving it for the BEN
eft of navigation, there were only two feet
of water on the bar at low tide. Now
there is channel 800 feet in width with a
depth at low water of fourteen feet, admit
ting vessels at high water of nineteen feet
draft. This improvement has been accom-
plished through the construction of two
parallel jetties, one two miles and the
other two miles and three-quarters in
length. These jetties lie 800 feet apart.
The channel between them will ultimately
be dredged to a uniform depth of twenty
feet at low water for width of 400 feet.
The Government has spent on this work,
under Colonel Mendell's direction, about
s., 800, 900 and it will take several hundred
thousand dollars more to finish it.
The construction of breakwater at Port
Hartford, San Luis Obispo County, which
when finished will be 2300 feet in length,
ments of minor importance have also been
made under Colonel MendelPs direction at
San Diego, Petaluma, Stockton, Redwood
City, Humboldt Bay and elsewhere, and
surveys for other harbor improveme
have been made by him at San Buenaven-
tura, Santa Monica, Monterey, San Diego,
Alameda Creek and other points, with the
view OF accommodating commerce. Some
of these principal harbor improvements
involve the construction of costly break
waters. 1t is estimated that a breakwater
at Santa Monica would cost $4,000, 900, and
another at Monterey from $3.50, 600 to
Sill 1888, 600. The veteran engineer has not
declared against any of these expensive
improvements, he has merely recon-
mended that action be deferred by the
Government until the necessities of COM
merce require their consummation.
Several years ago Colonel Mendell was
appointed on the board of engineers to Sc
lect site for the construction of harbor
OF refuge for the coasting vessels plying
between this port and the Colum bia River.
Trinidad, Crescent City and Port Oxford
were inspected and the board reported in
favor of the latter place, accompanying
the report with estimates of the cost of
the work necessary to make it safe har-
Dor in which shipping in distress could
obtain secure shelter, no matter in what
direction the wind blew.
On the 30th of June, 1892, Colonel Men
dell was appointed supervising. engineer
for the entire Pacific Coast. As such his
jurisdiction extends from the Mexican line
to British Columbia. All United States
engineers engaged in coast improvement
now report to him. Formerly they reported
directly to the chief engineer at Wash
ington. AS supervising engineer he has
charge of the important improvements
which the Government is making at the
mouth of the Columbia River. These i'm
provements consist of stone jetty ex-
tending outward from the low spit on
which Fort Stevens is located, distance
of five miles. This jetty is now what IS
known as half tide embankment. 1t has
been extended as far seward as designed
and hereafter it will be raised clear of the
highest high tide. Something like 81, O0o, 900
has been expended by the Government on
the ietty up to date, but although only
half finished the great value of the invest
ment has been already demonstrated, for
the bar at the end of the jetty has now
thirty-two feet of water at extreme low tide,
whereas it formerly only had twenty-five
feet. The success OF this single ietty is