Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-26
THE HARBOR AT
SAN PEDRO, CAL.

As has been stated in this column on
several occasions the building OF the
Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad COM
pany Is but a link In the huge scheme
| which Is under way 10 the development
| OF American trade with the orient
| IL Is generally conceded that before
many years pass by a big line Of
| steamers viii be playing between the
| terminal Of the new railroad in south
| ern California and the Philippines
| China and Japan. With this aim and
| object in view II is on the books that
there will be several interpretations OF
representative ocean transportation
lines, which will receive consignments
Of freight from the east al the WharVes
Of the San Pedro harbor adjacent 10
the tracks OF the Los Angeles & Salt
Lake railroad.
This phase OF the big scheme was
partially reviewed at the recent meet
ing OF railroad promoters which was
held In the hnutsford last week,
At this time the following which
bears upon the subject and was read
by the various fnanciers who had as
sembled. VIII be Of interest 10 the resi-
dents IN this State who are so in
terested IN the project.
HARBOR FACILITIES.
The harbor most easily accessible to
a line Of railway extending TO Los An
geles is found al San Pedro, twenty
five miles from that city Here the gov
eminent of the United States, by an
expenditure OF something less than a
million dollars during the past twenty
years, has created an absolutely land
locked inner harbor accommodating
vessels OF eighteen feet draught.
In 1896 Congress appropriated 81 900.-
900 for the purpose Of constructing a
deep-water harbor at San Pedro by
building a breakwater so designed as
10 secure a large area OF protected an
chorage In water ranging from five 10
nine fathoms In depth. Work upon this
breakwater was begun In April 1899,
and has since been and now Is in
progress. Under the provisions Of a
resolution adopted AT the last session
of Congress, the engineering depart |
ment OF the United States has pre- |
pared and submitted a report 10 Con- !
gress giving an estimate Of the cost |
Of obtaining q depth, In the inner har- |
DO. heretofore referred 10. Of twenty |
four feet at mean low tide which viii 1
accommodate ocean going vessels Of |
twenty-eight feet draught and win !
afford within the lines OF a completely |
protected inner harbor, about seven |
miles OF wharf frontage. This Inn
provement is estimated by the report |
10 cost slightly over two millions Of |
dollars, and as the work upon the |
breakwatcr has been contracted for |
about a million and "A half dollars less
than the amount Of s. 800 200 originally /
urWTnNVIuFal flu fhn tfgr L
not appear unreasonable 20 hope that |
the government may shortly appro- |
pirate the sum required for the pro-
posed work upon the inner harbor The |
project and estimates for this work /
provide for a harbor which will not
only be second 20 none on the Pacific |
coast but which VIII. when completed
I'm accordance with the plans submit
ted be absolutely the best harbor for
the purposes % ocean going commerce
on that coast
Southern California and IT'S metropo-
lis. the city OF Los Angeles Is thus as
sured Of ample harbor facilities for nc
commodating not only it's coast traffic.
but also for affording adequate accom-
modations Tor any traffic which may
be attracted 10 II from the rapidly de-
veloping commerce between the United
states and oriental countries. and
probably the most important OF AL a
harb0r best suited for attracting and
handling the great commerce which !
viii surely grow up between The At
antic and Pacific coasts through the
Nicaragua canal when that waterway |
IL Is constructed.
REPORT TO WASHINGTON,
Upon this subject a board OF United
states engineers under Gen. W. p.
afterwards chief OF the gov |