The herald., 1896-04-01
SOME FACTS IN THE CASE

In pursuance OF Its work or informing
the public here as to the falsehoods by
which Mr.. Huntington proposes to rob the
people of Southern California of their har-
bor, THE HERALD desires to call attention
to other false statements of Mr.. Corthell
before the house committee. Among rea-
sons which this employe of Mr.. Hunting
ton cites to show why Port Los Angeles is
a more favorable location than San Pedro
for the proposed protected harbor, he says:
1.-THE breakwater at San Pedro. upon what
ever plan designed, whether continuous
breakwater or isolated, as proposed by
two different United States boards, must
necessarily be in the open ocean-that is,
beyond the headlanG-exposed to the full
force of the ocean waves" That, bear in
mind, is the testimony of hired witness.
We will now see what the testimony of the
five engineering experts of the United
States, composing the board of 1892, say.
1t will be remembered that the chairman
of this board was Col. William p. Craig
hill, who is now the chief of the engineer
ing force of the United States, and occu-
pies the highest position known to en-
eineering of this country. This board.
after quoting on page of their report the
meteorological records made by the gov
ernment as to the course of winds and cur
rents and the position of headlands, on
page of their report state: ut appears
then that Santa Monica bay is entirely
open to The moderate down-coast or west
winds which prevail duriog the greater
part of the year, and that it IS
also exposed to the dangerous winds
and seas which occur during the win
ter months, coming from the south and
southwest. San Pedro bay is pro-
tected by the highland of San Pedro hill
from the prevailing down-coast wind. In
ordinary weather the bay of San Pedro is
quiet, and vessels lie safely at anchor and
for the most part discharge cargo with
lighters while the wind prevails. 1t is
doubtless this circumstance which made
this point the embarcadero of this part Of
the coast for the Mexican trade before
California was acquired by the Americans.
In more recent times the greater part of
the commerce of this part of the country
has also been transacted here. Formerly
all the deep draft vessels from Australia
and Puget Sound discharged cargoes in
this bay. San Pedro bay is also
protected to great extent from the south.
west sea and wind by the island of Santa
Catalina. which lies about eighteen miles
off shore to the windward." On page eight
of their report the same board says: 1.-THE
board of engineers of 1890 reported that
the fore shore of San Pedro bay from
Point Eirmin to Point Lasuen is prac,ica-
BILE throughout its length for commercial
use. They selected as the best 10.
cation for deep-water harbor the present
anchorage ground on the westerly side OF
the bay under Point Firmin, since the pro-
lection of the shore, giving protection from
the westerly winds and shore point for
the commencement of the breakwater
affords greater advantage for securing a
/ protected anchorage than any other section
of the bay" Attention is called to the
pages of the report upon which this
refutation of the Corthell falsehood may
be found for the benefit of our rep.
resentatives in Washington who will be
depended upon to use this evidence when
the time comes. and The HERALD viii
again remind its readers that it is the evi
dence of five disinterested engineering ex
perts of the highest character, in favor OF
the peoples harbor, as against the hired
engineer of Mr.. Huntington on the Other
hand. Another falsehood contained OF
the second page of Mr.. Corthell's report il
as follows: "The holding ground for yes
sells is excellent in Santa Monica bay, thu
bottom being composed of clay, sand ane
gravel, which have been proven to exis
over the entire area of the deep water by
borings taken for the purpose of building
the great ocean pier and from the pill
driving record during the construction oi
it. At San Pedro, as will be seen from
exhibit B, above referred to, there are
large rocky areas, as indicated by the kelI
or seaweed shown on the chart" For tn,
benefit of our representatives in congress
attention is invited to a complete answer t.
the foregoing statement with reference t,
Santa Monica which the history of recen
storm affords at that port. During the pre-
vailing high winds of some weeks ago, il
was fact published by the newspaper
here, and of which notice was at that tim,
sent to our representatives in Washington
that large sailing vessel lying at ancho
at Port Los Angeles was so badly pounded
by the waves and became in such dan
gerous situation that one of the steamer
of the Pacific Coast Steamship company
which happened at that time to be- lying a
the wharf, and steam tug maintained b.
the Southern Pacific at that point, wer
compelled to tow this vessel out into opel
sea room where she would have the oppor
tunity of avoiding the danger of bein
beached.
At the same time the Enoch Talbot, Of
it's way up the coast, started to run int
Port Los Angeles, to avoid the storm, an
was warned to keep cut, by those in charge
with the statement that the vessel would b
surely wrecked if it attempted to enter ur
on the anchorage ground at that poiut. A
this very time, three large vessels were rit
ing at anchor in the outer anchorage 6
San Pedro, which will be the area of til
proposed deep.water harbor there, an
they rode through the storm safely, with
out the least apprehension or sign of dal
ger to them from any defect in the holdiu
ground or from the southwest winds whic
were working this havoc at Port Los Ang,
les. Proof of these facts has been 70
warded to our representatives in congress
and if they have not received them an
will apply to THE HERALD, it will see tina
they are furnished with them in any forr
desired for use before congress in opposin
Mr.. Huntington's effort to steal the pei
ple's herbor. As to the statement abov
quoted, that at San Pedro there are larg
rocky areas in the proposed harbor, as ir