The herald., 1895-03-10
PORT HUNTINGTON

Mr.. Huntington's man Frye, OF Maine,
once made memorable remark concern.
ing Los Angeles. He said that this citydoes
not need harbor, that we should depend
on San Diego. If Frye had happened to
remember his masters peculiar theories
concerning ''long and short hauls" he
would have included San Francisco as a
port dependency of Los Angeles.
| Mr.. Huntington, however, does not al
| together agree with his senatorial vassal in
the matter of a harbor selection for the
metropolis OF Southern California. He
has given several reasons, convincing
enough to the Huntington mind, why
Port Los Angeles, Santa Monica, or, as it
is more accurately designated, Port Hunt
! ington, should be the harbor for this
section of the state. These reasons are
not convincing to seafaring men, but
| in the building of harbor on the Hunt
ington plan the fact that the proposed site
is contiguous to a lee shore and subject to
constant buffeting by prevailing storm
winds, need not be considered. The fact
that Mr.. Huntington owns monopoly of
the water frontage, and can thus prevent
the entrance of competing railroads is all
the argument necessary to induce the
construction of a harbor Cat Government
expense) on the deadliest coast in the
world.
The charts of the coast survey describe
Port Huntington as bay open to every
ocean wind, but the charts Of the coast
survey are probably grossly inaccurate, for
the owner OF the port expressly declares
that it is land locked and rippled only
by west winds-those zephyrous atmos-
pheric agitations that elbow soft DER the
gardens of Gul in their bloom"
Mr.. Huntington, however, cannot dis
pute, in the face of competent witnesses
who have examined 1.-THE lay of the
land" and the drift of the tide, and the
course of the wind at Port Huntington
that this ''harbor" is wide open to the
sea from Point Vincent to Point Dune
and broadside, without Intervention, to
the tremendous swells that swirl with
resistless power upon the shoal of the
beach or dash with all the force of natural
gravltation against the rock bound coast.
1t was on the crest of one of these swells
that the steamer Corona piled up on the
big wharf, ripping her bulwarks fore and
aft and tearing the ship from stem to
stern. In approaching Port Huntington
ship captain must be alert to avoid col
lision with the big wharf; he must keep
weather-eye open for the shoal of Santa
Monicl's magnificent beach; and he must
beware of the rocks of the outer coast.
The proposition to fill in the wharf at
Port Huntington will result in shoaling
the water and providing fine beach for
summer bathers, but it will be detrimental
for harbor purposes. These dangers are
well understood by underwriters, and con-
sequently they are chary about taking
risks on hrst-class ships compelled to
brave the southeasters of this open road
stead. And certainly no careful master
would attempt to land at Port Hunting
ton in foggy or stormy weather.
These facts are respectfully submitted
for consideration by the Congressional
that will investigate the har-
boz question, and on that investigation
formulate their report regarding the re-
spective merits of Port Huntington and
San Pedro.