The San Francisco call., 1896-12-19
SEAMEN IN LINE
FOR SAN PEDRO
Favor the Peoples. Harbor
Because There Is No
Undertow.
Compare Santa Monica's Inlet
to the Dangerous One at
Callao.
Published Interviews in "The CALI
Disastrous TO Huntington's
Scheme.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, Dec. 1S.-The
friends of the free harbor at San Pedro
read with great interest and undisguised
elation the interviews with large num-
Der Of seafaring officials printed in THE
CALL of yesterday respecting the constant
and dangerous undertow at Santa Monica.
For some inexplicable reason this had not
received the attention from the San Pedro
advocates which Its Importance deserved.
As was well said by one of the sea cap
tains. who spoke of this matter:
IA strong and treacherous undertow
cannot be circumvented by any break
water ever devised"
The lnterminable annoyance to ship
ping and frequent losses at Cailao, to
which the seamen compare Santa Monica,
seem to emphasize the folly of construct
ing a breakwater over these dangerous
undercurrents. While the existence of the
undertow has long been known to marine
officers, little or nothing has been said
about it by the people who are engaged in
the harbor fight.
Taking its cue from THE CALLS article,
the Free Harbor League has opened this
important branch of the inquiry and will
now see to it that generous amount of
information on the subject is supplied to
The commission, which will begin holding
regular sessions with view of hearing
lust such facts and arguments next Mon
day.
The commission visited San Pedro to-
day, going down over the Terminal rail-
way, General Manager Hynes acting as
conductor. On reaching the port Mr.
Hynes got teams and the visitors were
driven out to the lighthouse on the bluff
overlooking what it is hoped will be the
outer harbor for Los Angeles. A steam
launch was boarded and a trip was made
from Dead Mans Island by the break
water of the inner harbor to Terminal
Island and then the visitors came back to
their hotel here.
The board wishes it understood that
these visits are not for the purpose OF
making detailed study of the two places,
but solely TO familiarize the Com mission
ers with the topography, so that at the
public meetings, which will commence on
Monday, they will have thorough under
standing of the points described by the
speakers. The Commissioners are con-
stantly the center of thronk OF visitors,
both of the interested localities having
their representatives constantly on duty,
while the Free Harbor League keeps we'll
informed of the progress made and is we'll
prepared for the contest
Tomorrow the com mission will make
the trip from San Pedro to Santa Monica
by water, taking the coast survey ste amer
Gedney at the former port and sailing to
the latter. This will complete its inves-
LEGATIONS preliminary 10 the public hear
ings. Alter these are concluded the board
will conduct its own investigations and
studies and come to conclusion.
Engineer Hood of the Southern Pacific
was the only one of Mr.. Huntlngton's s
representatives in evidence this evening,
Mr.. Corthell keeping in retirement.
After dinner the Com missioners received
a great number of callers the majority of
whom were champions OF San Pedro, but
in no case was the conversation permitted
to take an argumentatlve turn, nor was
word uttered by any of the members of
the board that could possibly be construed
into an expression OF opinion one way or
the other.