The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-24

ton snip, ABOUT 100 leet long. 1T QIeW
twenty-five feet of water. He would al
ways want at least five feet of water under
him when he sought q landing. The cur
rent at Port Los Angeles was heavier than
was the swell at the Oakland pier. He
frequently anchored at Port Los Angeles,
using thirty fathoms of chain.
This closed the introduction of testI-
mony from Huntington's retained" wit
nesses. When this announcement was
made by Hood, the board signi6ed its de-
sire to have some additional light from the
engineer.
In answer to question, Hood said that
he saw no reason why the tunnel to and
from tidewater at Santa Monica should
have ever been made part of the present
controversy, as the work could be easily
duplicated, 10 the northward specially. by
any railroad seeking to obtain the use of
tracks to and from the sea. If he had
money enough to build a railroad from
Salt Lake to Port Los Angeles he should
not care to come down Santa Monica
Canyon, with which gratuitous fling Hood
sought to bow himself to his seat. The
members of the board, however, persisted
in further questioning anG finally brought
out the fact that any fills which the rail-
road might make in the canyon lands
would go to the riparian owner, and that
the riparian owner happens to be the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
Admiral Walker now asked if there was
any one in the hall who wished to speak
for Santa Monica. Judge R. NJ. Widney,
in reply, arose and asked permission to
say something in favor of Santa Monica,
after the case for San Pedro had been sub
mitted. The board decided that both
sides would be permitted TO sum up each
for itself, as soon as all of the evidence
was in.
The announcement TO those in the room
had no sooner been made by President
Walker than Captain John Cross arose
from his seat and made a heated argu-
ment-as citizen, he said, having no
particular interest 1T stake-for Santa
energetic Kisses, interspersed with hand
clapping. Admiral Walker Threatened TO
clear the room If these demonstrations
were repeated. No one else volunteered
TO assist Mr.. Huntington's private harbor
scheme, and Hood announced the close OF
'our" side.
The president of the board then stated
of San Pedro to begin their case. Necks
in the rear OF the room were. craned as
John Z. Francis arose from q front seat
and, addressing the board, stated that as
president of the Free Harbor LEAGUE he
would name the speakers and witnes ses for
the peoples free harbor At San Pedro.
The leagues position in the matter, ex-
planned President Francis, was the result
of a careful consideration OF all the facts
in the case, with all eye singly to the best
interest of The whole people. With this
Mr.. Francis introduced the eminent engi-
neer, Henry Hawgood.
Now came the first sensation Of the
hearing.l The darky inf Huntington's
woodDlte bean to make his appe arance.
His dimensions astonished the spectators,
accustomed as most of them are, at the
almost constant subterfuses, misrepresen-
talions ana foTgeTies which have charsc-
terized Huntiugton's end OF this fight
from the beginning.
According TO Engineer Corthel in his
opening statement on Monday the words
deep water harbor' were used in the act
for the purpose OF excluding any consId-
Grafton OF the inner harbor at San Pedro.
Ill the board should locate the deep
water harbor at San Pedro" said CorthelI,
Congress expressed itself as unwilling to
consider the local coastwise traffic of
enough importance to justify making the
harbor item, considering that improved, to
the present extent, it will answer the pur-
poses of The ordinary trade Of the Pacific
Coast"
In addition to reading from various
speeches of Senator Frye, the engineer
read from what he designated as private
letter from the same source. The general
tenor OF these extracts was that the object
of Congress was to create great CONNER
cial harbor, and that Wilmington Port
San Pedro) would do very well for local
commerce but that for the great ocean
traffic of the Pacific this port would be ut
terly inadequate, and could not be made 4
suitable deep-sea commercial harbOr. 1t
was further stated that in case the deep
water haroor should be located at San
Pedro tie inner barbor would gee abso-
lutelv nothing, and could expect nothing
for twenty-five years to come
Instead OF these things being true, ex-
press provision is made in the act tor the
improvement OF the inner harbor at VIII
mington, even in case the deep-water har-
Dor Is located at San Pedro, and the sum
OF $50, coo is Internationally reserved for
beginning the WORK.
A telegram was sent on Monday even
ing to Senator White at Washington, in
forming him of the statements made by
Corthell and OF the letter from Senator
Frye, purporting to express the wishes OF
sentatives on the harbor question.
Hawgood's bombshel was Senator
Whites reply. He read a telegram from
Senator White, scoring CortheIl and the
whole Southern Pacific contingent for
these false statements.
Engineer Hawgood then began reading
a typewriter presentation of the case on
the side Of San Pedro. He quoted from
General Craighili of the former locating
board to show that San Pedro from a
military standpoint. was the place for the
harbor. The Santa Monica long wharf
was so far from shore that shipcbandlery,
ii needed in hurry, could hardly be Sc
cured by masters lying ii that port The
speaker read q statistical statement to
prove that docks could be built and main
tanned more cheapiy at San Pedro than at
Santa Monica, because there was a great
deal more land for the purpose at the
former place. The grades for railroad
building were also much better.
Maps were fled showing the water lin e
at high tide at Santa Monica on October
last, and tending to prove that no road
but the Southern Pacific could get in
there. At Santa Monica. the speaker de-
clared, there could never be any facilities
Tor drydocking or general repairing of
large vessels.
The original wind records ar Santa