Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-10

| fills the entire width of the river bed
| full for a considerable time and over
flowed in many places.
The cause of foods in addition to the
fall of rain is the constant filling of
the stream beds with sand picked up
by the swiftly flowing water and de-
posted farther down; for this reason
the river bed should be dredged, it is
argued, to a sufficient depth to guard
against overflow.
Mr. Bell proposes to erect a viaduct
of steel, supported on piers of concrete,
covering the entire width of 300 feet
and some six miles long, from the
northern boundary of the city to the
southern boundary, and to expend the
sum of $1,000,000 within five years for
the same.
The viaduct is to be used by all rail-
roads desiring to enter Los Angeles
upon equal terms for a like service,
and he proposes to pay into the city
treasury an annual rental amounting
to $125,000 for the twenty years.
The city is to have the privilege at
the end of the term of the lease of
taking the improvements at a valuation
to be arrived at by five resident tax
payers, two chosen by the lessor and
two chosen by the lessee, and the fifth
by them-according to the city charter.
The plan contemplates the erection of
W
the railroads can land their overland
passengers.
Will Insure Steel Works
The present depots will be used for
local passenger traffic only.
The granting of the lease will hasten
the establishment of a steel plant in
Los Angeles or vicinity, where struc-
tural iron and steel would be turned
out, as the contract for the steel re-
quired by the erection of the viaduct
would justify the erection of plant
alone.
There are iron deposits, Mr. Bell says,
in Los Angeles county which will fur
nish the raw material for syears to
come, and Los Angeles has the crude
petroleum to use for smelling and rum
ming it into steel at one operation.
The estimated consumption of iron
and steel on the Pacific coast is $780,
100000 annually. and with the Pacific
ocean as carrier the city has an I'M
limited market at her doors for any
surplus production, at low rates for
transportation.
The proposed Improvement of the Of
fetal bed of the Los Angeles river is
considered by experts the next most
important one for the continued growth
and prosperity of the city and Southern
California.
tii. lSSil oetN Will lllC plOPlltllO eye
of the practical railroad man some
years ago that the official bed of the
river would be used for railroad pur-
poses eventually, and says he has con-
templated the proposed Improvement
from the point of view of the citizen,
the railroad man, the lawyer, the en-
tgineer, the artist and, finally, the pro-
moter, and is now engaged in making
try" at the proposition.
81 will succeed unless the ideas of the
'hidebound knockers of the dog in the
Manager type, who would clog the
wheels of time to prevent anything not
proposed by them from being under
taken, shall prevail" said Mr.. Bell yes
terday.
lighthouses Also
Mr.. Bell also contemplates the erec-
ton at convenient point of access from
all parts of the city by the street cars
of concrete public bath houses along
the line of the viaduct, to be supplied
with fresh water, where boys and girls
can enjoy a swim for an hour for a
nickel, and where baths will be fur
nished to adults for the same price, they
furnishing their own bathrobes, etc.
The plan includes also the erection of
an elevated structure, reached from the
city bridges, in the center of the viaduct
for a carriage driveway and an auto
mobile speedway, from which tourists
and visitors can be shown the beauties
of the city as from no other point.
If the lease is granted as prayed for