The herald., 1896-12-22
THE CONN 1ss1oN IN SESSION

the southwest corner of the room, with
Admiral Walker. the chairman, in the
center, with the other members, A. l..
Rogers, c. s. Morrison, r. p. Morgan
and Prof. w. Fl. Burr, to the right AMI
left In opening the commission, Ad-
miral Walker stated that the advocates
of Santa Monica would present their
case first. followed by those for San
Pedro; each side to present its case in
full, then evidence in rebuttal would be
received; speakers should not be inter
iupted in addressing the board, those
wishing to ask questions must submit
them in writing
Mr. Hood introduced Mr.. E. D.
Corthell, one of the Southern Pacific en-
gineers, who would be the first speaker
Mr. Corthell said he had been consider
ing for two days the advisability, after
decades connection with harbor work,
of coming before a board of his own pro-
fession, unhampered in decision, of 60
ng into preliminary details. He had not
expected the testimony to be taken in
public, and II he over-stepped the
bounds he hoped his remarks would be
stricken out. He then gave a history of
contract work in river and harbor i'm
provements A number of United States
civil engineers formed themselves into a
little coterie in 1885 to properly present
the matter before congress, the object
being to eliminate the faults in river and
harbor legislation, sby which mucn
money was wasted. The three men most
interested and best informed on the sub
ject were Representatives Breckinrdge,
Blanchard and Senator Cullom who, af-
ter private interviews and consultations,
brought a bill before the house. One
of the results of this was the present
continuous contract system. by which
the work under consideration will be
done. In 1893, while the speaker was
chief engineer of the New orleans
bridge, he heard Mr.. Huntington talk
ing one day of San Pedro and Santa
Monica. and Mr.. Huntington said he
would like him as a civil engineer 10
look the ground over. Here was an op-
portunity, he thought for a civil engin aar
to be of service to his country, and if
Senator Frye, chairman of the senate
committee, and Mr.. Blanchard desired
him to do so, he would come out and ex-
anime the two sites. These gentlemen
were delighted at the proposal and the
speaker came. He made his examina-
tions and filed his report with congress
in 1894. Last winter a petition was pre-
sented by Mr.. Huntington to congress,
asking that an outer harbor be. con-
structed at Port Los Angeles. The pc.
tition was accompanied by details, cost
of construction, etc.
At this point. Admiral Walker inter-
rupted and admonished the speaker that
the proceedings would be confined to the
merits of the two places under discus
sion.
Mr.. Corthell then read from a closely
type written page his reasons for ad-
vocating Santa Monica as the site for 4
deep water harbor. which were essen
TALLY. If not verbatim, presented in his
report to congress during the contest
last winter, and with which the readers
of The Herald are doubtless familiar.
His reasons for considering Santa
Monica the most desira BILE site were en-
bodied in ten paragraphs. The shelter
afforded vessels from high winds by
the Cahuenga mountains. the gradual
slope of the ocean from the shore for a
distance of twelve miles, which differs
from that at San Pedro; Santa Monica
is located at a point of deep indentation
of twelve miles between Point Dune
and Point Vicente; at San Pedro the
slope of the ocean Is so rapid that they
have much heavier swells than at Santa
Monica. 1t must not only be harbor of
commerce but harbor of refuge. They
are just as important as harbors of COM
merce. Captain Taylor, y. S. NJ, who
had commanded vessels on this coast.
considers the advantages of the bay at
Santa Monica unique-he had not seen
any weather in which vessels could not
anchor there. The speaker referred to