Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-24
RAILROADS TRY
TO KILL PLANS
OF CAPT. FRIES
Corporations Throttle
San Pedro Port
Rush Peninsula Wharfage Scheme to
Washington Ahead of Army Enei-
neer's Plan, but War Depart
ment Hesitates

Capt. Amos Fries of the army en-
gineers, stationed at Los Angeles. and
the three corporations WHICH control
nearly all of San Pedro have clashed
over what is known as the peninsular
plan and turning basin submitted by
engineers in the employ of the South
ern Pacific railway, Salt Lake railway
and Banning companies.
Capt. Fries favors two turning basins
and has SO reported to the war de-
partment, though a final answer has
not yet come from headquarters. If
it does not come soon 1t may, as some
prominent business men have suggest
ed, be wise to send a delegation to
Washington to furnish further facts to
the government why this plan is prefer
able rather than accept the one SUBJ
mitted by the railroads and transpor-
tation interests which have practically
gobbled the inner harbor at San Pedro.
The government is dredging the inner
harbor to twenty-five feet at low tide,
including a turning basin for ships to
turn in when ready to go to sea. This
basin will be 1000 feet in diameter.
100000 Yards Dredged
Dredging is being done with dredge
owned by the governmtnt. There is
now sufficient money available to fin
ish the turning basin.
At present San Pedro has about 5000
feet of wharves in twenty-five feet Of
water at low tide.
The government dredge was built in
1904 and began work April 1, 1905,
since which time it has dredged very
nearly 100000 cubic yards Of sand,
mud shells, blue clay. ETC., at an aver
age rate of 65, 400 yards per month.
For that portion of Wilmington Ia
COON above the turning basin the fol-
lowing method of improvement has
been proposed by Capt. Fries, but not
yet passed upon by the war depart
ment: 1t consists essentially of two
turning basins, one east and one west
of the railroads. These are known as
the east and west basins respectively.
Theresis minor turning basin just in
front Of Wilmington and wide chan
mel west of Mormon island.
Railroads Rush Plans East
Before this plan was drawn up the
Southern Pacific company, Salt Lake
railroad and Banning company sub
mitted what is known as the ''penin-
sula plan" for the east basin, over
sists of a peninsula of land about 5000
feet long and varying in width from
1900 to about 1850 feet.
The material to form the peninsula
was to be dredged from two channels,
one on either side of the peninsula.
These proposed channels varied in
width from 600 to 1000 feet, though the
1000 feet width formed the greater
part.
MI -, .;,,I4
several serious objections to the penin-
sula plan.
Arguments Against Peninsula
1. Even in channels 1000 feet wide
large ships cannot turn easily, espe-
cially if both sides are lined with ships
unloading at wharves. In many in
stances there will be two ships side
by side along each wharf.
2. There was more water in the
channels than necessary if plan could
be devised affordng proper turning
basins. The plan as first proposed by
Capt. Fries, with one or two slight
amendments that now seem proper,
will have forty or fifty acres more land.
The land will be very valuable and
there is more than enough sand and
silt to be dredged to reclaim all the
land.
8. The entrance to the peninsula
was from the east across half mile
for more of private property, making
access very difficult except for the
owners of the property.
Would Take Fourteen Years
In the 312 acres to be dredged in the
east basin there are about 14,000,O0O
yards of material to be moved to OBJ
tain a twenty-five-foot depth. This
| 90 loo oh q nuynpd hW
the government at San Pedro at least
fourteen years steady digging.
Thewest basin is large place itself,
and If improved as proposed will re-
uuire dredging of about 206 acres of
mud and sand. Here again the ma
terial to be dredged is in excess of what
is needed to reclaim all adjacent
swampy land.
When all this is dredged it will af-
ford room for S4,7OO feet, or q little
over six and one-half miles of wharves
in the east basin, and for $4,000 feet,
or four and one-half miles of wharves.
To Long Beach Harbor
1t has been proposed to dredge
channel 600 feet wide and 1000 feet
long, nearly due east from the east
line of the east basin to Long Beach
harbor. This will undoubtedly be done,
its accomplishment.
This channel. with the channel to be
dredged to the sea at Long Beach, will
give San Pedro harbor two entrances,
When San Pedro harbor shall become
great with many factories and with
steamer lines to all parts of the world
two channels will be needed as safety
valve in the event of accidents that
might close one channel for long time.
Moreover the channel for some three
fourths of a mile at San Pedro is only
500 feet wide, and with wharves on
will be greatly crowded unless there
be q second opening for ships going
to that party of the harbor nearest
Long Beach.
The harbor is now being dredged to
depth of twenty-five feet at low
water, but with two years work ahead
J. GCOntinued ON Page TwO)