Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22
RAIL WA US
AND SHIPPING
FOUR GREAT TRANscoNTlNEN-
TAI SYSTEMS
Plan Mammoth Union Depot-Ship-
ping Facilities UnequaIed-Rall
and Ocean Service
Perfec.

Los Angeles has practically four great
transcontinental railroad systems. though
two, the Southern Pacific and the Union
Pacific, are controlled by one organiza-
tion. Besides these we have the salt
Lake and the Santa Fe, with the great
Gould system headed this way and soon
to become an active competitor Of the
other systems. Just what this compeu-
tion will mean no one can now say.
That another great transcontinental
railroad is needed Is unquestioned. A
few years ago it was thought the new
Salt Lake line would relieve the freight
and passenger pressure on the older lines,
but for two years past Los Angeles has
been unable to get its freight on time.
1t has been simply physical impossi-
bility for the railroads to handle 1t.
Chief among the reasons for this was
the extraordinary growth of Los Angeles,
growth foreseen by no one, and un-
provided against.
Besides the growth of the city itself
there has been remarkable development
in the sections tributary to this city. The
older districts have been unusually pros
porous, and the opening of new dis
tricts, as in Nevada, have added to the
demands upon the railroad systems,
Vast sums have beer spent on the i'm
provement of roadbed and in additional
rolling stock, and 1t is at present unlikely
that the congestion of a year ago will
be repeated this winter.
Indications are that the tourist travel
from the east will be larger than last
season and in every department the rail-
roads will experience busy winter.
While the plans for a great central
union depot are still In the air, it is in
evitable that the project will be carried
to completion at an early date.
Besides improvements on its roadbed
the Southern Pacific has recently con-
structed 5000 refrigerator cars to help
move the orange crop and relieve the
congestion. During the present year the
Los Angeles jurisdiction of the Santa Fe
lines have spent s5,0O0,0OO in permanent
improvements, including so0O.OO0 on new
| shops at San Bernardlno, 100000 for new
and heavier rails on the Los Angeles
division, and 100000 Strengthening and
| improving the line between Los Angeles
and Riverside. More than 100000 has
been expended on new bridges in Cali
fornia. The Santa Fe has also installed
a through train between Los Angeles and
Goldfeld, over the Tonopah & Tidewater
railroad. bringing this city in touch with
very rich mining country.
The Salt Lake road has spent So. 000
in betterments during the year. estab-
lished its line in connection with the
Las Vegas & TonCpah railroad and COM
pleted the construction of its Phoebe
branch extending from Caliente to Phoebe.
Then there is San Pedro harbor. The
great government breakwater is more
than two-thirds completed, and the ship
ping of the word may ride in peace
in the harbor of refuge. which is one of
its chief ends. Improvement of the in
ner harbor goes steadily on; the H. c.
Rickmers. the largest sailing vessel in
the world, tied safely to one of the inner
wharves few months ago.
The dredging Of the inner harbor up
to date has provided twenty-five feet OF
water for two miles of wharves. the deep
water covering an area of ninety acres.
The inner harbor will be dredged to the
turning basin to a depth of thirty feet
The gap in the great breakwater will
L closed to the shore line, providing
safe wharfage room i the outer harbor
with possible depth of thirty feet OF
water, so that the largest ships can tie
| up to the piers
| Capt. Amos Fries, engineer in charge
| for the government in the construction
| of the harbor, has many times spoken
| enthusiastically of the certainties and
| possibilities of San Pedro harbor. He de-
clares that San Pedro. as a part of Great
er Los Angeles, will be the shipping and
manufacturing, the storage and the
wholesale center. And he says, signifi-
cantly: IF the development of the harbol
is dwarfed the whole meaning of the har.
Dor will be dwarfed in the same ratio
| With the completion of the Panama
| canal San Pedro will be a port of call
for every vessel traversing the canal
whether bound north or south or east, oil
| west.
Already more than 1900 steamers an6
sailing vessels enter San Pedro harbol
annually 1t Is the greatest lumber port
in the southwest. While manufacturing
on large scale has not yet been accom-
| plished. fish canning, boat building and
other Industries reach considerable pro
| portions.
Long Beach, too. is displaying great en-
| terprise and public spirit in the construc
tion of a harbor to the west of the city
Here great shipbuilding plant will b'
established, the work being already un
der way.
The people of Los Angeles may fee
well repaid for their struggles in behal
of great harbor at San Pedro. Tim,
is not lesseping any of the promised re
suits. The latter will be much greater
than was promised in the most sanguin,
dreams of decade ago.
1
J. p. Morgan on the Slump
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