Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-21

all of San Pedro harbor, for, in the
language of the act of congress ap-
nro1riating money to build break
water san Pedro harborsis both a
harbor for commerce and of refuge.
In that phrase-"a harbor for COM
merce and of refuge prop
erlv enough considered commerce OF
ereotest importance and named Ii
f3rst This view of the harbor was
also the one taken by the three boards
of engineers who recommended san
Pedro as the proper place TO construct
an ocean breakwater.
If harbor of refuge only had been
desired. Santa Monica bay is just as
good as the present location Whlie
San Pedro bay in front of Long Beach
is far better. due to the natness OF tiie
ocean bottom and the greater area
that could be protected by each root
of breakwater But as a harbor for
commerce there is no other spot be
tween San Francisco bay and the Mex
lean border. nor indeed, far down that
border where such vast ana easy
commercial development is possible as
at San Pedro. And by San PEDRO mar
Dor is meant everything In the harpor
line along the five miles between san
Pedro proper and the city OF Loiis
Beach.
Praises Harbor
1t takes more than land-locked
bay and deep water to make a nar9oi
for commerce. If 1t did not, Magda-
lena bay, with it's landlocked waters
mild climate and freedom from storms,
would be such a commercial port as
would make New York city green WIN
envy. Instead. that beautiful body OF
water is known today solely as the
target ground of the Paclnc meet .,
the United States navy. where all
worlds records for bullseyes nave
been knocked out in one round.
No, A perfect harbor for commerce
must nossess a sheltered anchorage,
accessible in any weather; quiet wa
fer for wharves and docks; land just a
trihe above tidewater for factory
sites railroads and all the machinery
for commerce and manufacturing ana
above every other consideration tne
harbor must be surrounded by rlch
and populous country, which. in It's
t,,rn is easily accessible to all inland
lines of travel as well as to the ocean
highways.
Harbor All Desired
Then. too. the nearness or maroon
to other important harbors ana com
mercial centers determines largely now
great It can really become. III TOO near.
harhor will be distributed; If too fal
awav. il indicates that that section oil
the country is probably not as close
TO the main lines of the worlds traue
as 1t should be.
LET MS see how we'll San Pedro har-
bor meets these requirements:
First-As to a sheltered ancnorase'
IT is a matter of history that CatailIla
island was discovered by SpanlaIo
tn,
not receive its present name until looz
San Pedro bay being less than twenty
five miles distant must have been as
covered at about the same time
Some $50 years later, or about tne
middle of the eighteenth century, the
San Gabriel mission. Few lnlles
northeast Of Los Angeles. was ioullo-
ed. and in 1871 Los Angeles ltsel1 Was
founded by party of monks lronl 'he
San Gabriel mission.
Indeed. in those early days san re,
dro was of so much Importance tha'
the Mexican government, notWltn- l.
standing the lavishness with Whlch !,
gave away, vast domains TO 1aVoreu
9nnlicants. reserved forty acres-or
to he more exact. an area 50o Yaras
snuare-on the shores of san Pedro
bay as an embarcadero, or laIlulis
place. where traders might camp
Craze their flocks ana parter w. N.a,.a
shins Here the few rare passengers
we've landed together with such goods
and supplies as the people might trace
for the hides and cattle shipped-cat-
file and hides being at that time prac-
ticallv the only articles exported from
Southern California.
Anchorage Safe one
The anchorage at San Pedro is nat nat
urally safer than other nearby locallties y
for three reasons: First, the bottorl iS
such that anchors hold exceptloIi1aiiy an ,
well: second, Catalina island, elghtee,n
To twenty-five miles distant, shelters l,
fron, south to southwest storms, ano
third. the more westerly storms are Gu
off bv point Firmin. This point Is
sinnnlv the continuation to water leVel
OF san Pedro HILL 1475 feet high.
Between Point Firmin ana DEAD
mans island, at the entrance 10 VII
mington lagoon-now the entrance te
the inner harbor-there is FORMED
half-moon bay the distance from n [oili'
Firnoin TO Deadman's island pelns
ahon+ two miles. This formation is
what has led every board of engineers
who have reported upon the best pldce
to build a breakwater for harpol
"for commerce and refuge 10 cnoose
San pedro. and it is in Following ou'
those natural conditions that the pres.
emf breakwater is being pulll III eieH'
fathoms of water ,,,. .,,os+ ri
This breakwater Is Dullt' as IlioSI "a
Won Enow. with two straight arms con
Sected Sec Nf by s-degree curve, BY extend d,
inc the other straight arm, or peltel
still, by changing the direction 1ga slignI1s by
IN seven and a half to eight fathoms OF
water WI the breakwater can be EXTENDED ed
nearly nearly four miles, until opposite Long ,ng
Beach, where the distance between ,e }, a,tf,f dnf
five and eight fathom ded eudedS hreaHwa. -, Iva. J.
fer fer would inclose some six and half
SQUARE sal miles of water having more than than
% tSirtv feet depth at low tide-an area
that should be ample for hundreds OF
So much for a sheltered anchorage
Now as TO the second consideration,
viz. VIZ quiet water for wharrves and docks ; 8
II The Los Angeles and San Gabriel