Evening star., 1901-11-02
A Five-Millon-fjollar Contract at
San Pedro.
FIDEWiTER TERMINUS OF new ROAD
That VIII Connect Salt Lake and
LOS : angeles.
PROBLEMATICAL FUTURE
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

lot OF the late c. P, Huntington in all his long
life of successful endeavor was when Con-
gress appropriated $3,O00O00 to improve the
San Pedro harbor on the Southern Califor-
MA coast instead of improving the harbor
at Santa Monica. 1t would seem that Mr..
huntington should have been well satisfied
with the Southern Pacific holdings at San
Pedro, for the most valuable water front
was then and is now in the hands of that
railroad, but he was not, for another road
had entrance there, and that was not al
iowable from the Huntington point of view
The people, backed by the United States
harbor engineers, won their fight and Con-
gress decided to improve San Pedro.
Even after the appropriation was made
however. Mr.. Huntington continued his
fight, and persuaded Mr.. Alger, then Secre-
tary OF war, to delay the beginning of
work. Matters Were finally adjusted, how
ever, Mr. Huntington reluctantly yielding
to the inevitable, and a contract for $3,-
0O0,O00 breakwater was let. This break
water IS to be $500 feet long. One-sixth of
the work is done and work upon the ball
ance is proceeding with comparative rapid
lty 1t will be finished in about four years.
though long before that time it will have
fully accomplished the purpose in view the
creation OF an outer harbor or roadstead at
leaSt one mile square, in which the largest
ships can anchor in safety
Inat e. P. Huntington had prophetic
mind in forecastfng the future of railroad
building in California has been shown by
recent developments The fact that the
Southern Pacific railroad did not have
monopoly of the water front has resulted
IN San Pedro, but eighteen miles from Los
Angeles, being made the terminus of the
proposed railroad from Salt Lake to Los
Angeles and the coast, now being built by
Senator w. A. Clark of Montana The sea
END OF the road Is now being operated as
far as Los Angeles and bears the title of
the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt. Lake
Inc future of Senator Clark's railroad
may be problematical, but of the future
greatness of San Pedro harbor there can
be no doubt. The; Salt Lake extension NAV
De built as planned, it may be bought by
the Hartman interests for it's nuisance
value, or 1t may be absorbed by the Bur
linSton and become an important part OF
the proposed projection of Mr. Hills great
railroad system into the southwestern field
of operations.
II Mr. Hill, controlling the Great North
ern, Northern PACIFIC and Burlington. con.
tlnued to be unfriendly to the Union Pacific
and Southern Pacific interests, he could
make serious trouble in the western rail-
road family by thus adding to his northern
possessions a road which not only reached
t1dewater in southern California but which
would feed southwestern freight to his
northwestern lines to the serious loss of
the southern transeontinentais This for
eign interest which threatens to enter the
territory of the Southern Pacific and the
Sante Fe is causing much Speculation
among railroad men>as to whether it means
peace or war; If it. is to be the latter il
promises conflict upon a scale seldom
witnessed in the fight for traffic. But then
there Is always, the, Community of inter-
est to be taken into consideration, and this
is already a powerful factor in directing
events, as the people Of the west realize in
al its great significance.
1t Is with the Pacific terminus at tide.
water this has to do, however, for without
this harbor all effort to create new trans
continental route would be in vain San
Diego, to the south, has fine harbor, but
Is too far down in the tropics. The South
ern Pacific spent million and half dol
lars at Santa Monica, but a short distance
from San Pedro, but the determination of
the people to use the better waterway at
the latter place makes that investment of
questionable value. On the north the
Golden Gate is the first opening in the coast
line which presents a safe refuge for ships
in all kinds of weather, hence it is that San
Pedro is the great southwestern port des-
tined in time to claim a fair proportion Of
the business of three great transcontinental
railroad systems in their handling of Pa
cifc coast and oriental trade.
Spanish ships touched at San Pedro over
two hundred years ago, and it was to this
harbor in 1916 was sent the frigate Sa-
vannah to assist the Americans in their
fight against the Mexicans. Almost in sight
of San Pedro was fought the battle of Do
mingueZ ranch. Capt. William Mervine led
the American forces and Capt Flores the
Mexicans. The Americans were defeated
ana OH OctODeT IetTGdteu TO the WdrShlD
in the harbor. On Dead Mans Island were
buried the American slain. This island is
the headland protecting the inner harbor,
and to this day the crun1bling banks occa-
sionally disclose the burial place of an
American soldier or seaman.
American Warships now come to San Pc
dro oftener than in those days, but they
are the White-painted ironclads and not the
full-rigged frigates of earlier days. Their
mission is. one of peace and there is now
no need for alarm, as southern California
is thoroughly Americanized in every sense
Of the word. The warlike spirit of her
people is now directed to the conquering of
the desert and the securing of profitable
trade. and with tremendous results.
The new San Pedro is an interesting
place. From the low bluff along the coast
the harbor and its surroundings lie spread
before the eye in all completeness To the
north is Point Firman, where flourishes the
beautiful shells which all travellers carry
away with them as mementos of their visit
to the coast. In front of the little town
stretches the sand spit between which and
the mainland lies the real or inner harbor.
the waters of which bear the commerce of
the port. Dead Mans Island to the north
marks the entrance, and where the pro-
tecting arm joins the mainland to the
south is a great tidewater fat which in
time will be dredged out to afford more
berth room for ships.
The river and harbor committee came to
San Pedro this summer and inspected the
work now in progress. The members won
dered why Congress had not first devoted
money to the improvement of the inner
harbor before building the breakwater to
protect the outer anchorage. They learned
then that 1t was such a. breakwater was
wanted at Santa Monica, and to best hight
Mr. Huntingtono thei people of Los Angeles
asked for the ,safnes construction. 1t was
really luxury,sfor sthe Improvement of the
inner harbor is "a necessity. They did not
dare leave the matter open to further con-
test however, for they were fully aware
of the skill of their opponent They won
the breakwatsr and now they want $1,000
COO more for the inner harbor. They will
get this in tims, though probably not this
year for the riveraand harbor committee
win not favor so large an expenditure in
one place There age too many calls upon
1t will come ia time, however, for not
only Is the government spending three mil
lion on a breakwater, but a million has al
ready been spent upon the inner harbor In
years gone by. The government has been
at work upon it for thirty years. Viewed
from the bluff, the harbor looks like
great river emptyine into the sea- Thirty
years ago there were but eighteen inches of
water at the entrance; now there are sixteen
feet. Inside there are 300 acres of sixteen
foot water At Its widest part the harbor
is but 500 feet wide, and with the docks
cid <ho