Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-19
SAN PEDRO MAY
GET BIG STATION
HAS SPLENDID CHANCE FOR
APPROPRIATION
GOVERNMENT TO SPEND MILLION
FOR ToRPEDoEs
Commander Anderson of Board of Ex-
perts Speaks Highly of Harbor
and Will Carry Good Report
to Washington

SAN PEDRO, Dec. 1S.-While other
harbors on the Pacific coast will be in
spected by the experts which compose
the board that is to select site for a
big torpedo station which will cost the
United States government $1,OOOOOO' II
is believed by those who accompanied
the naval board around San Pedro yes
terday that this harbor has a hne
chance of receiving the appropriation.
The board of experts is composed OF
Commander w. A Gill, who has charge
of all the torpedo boat flotillas on this
coast; Commander e. A. Anderson ano
Lieutenant Commander f. N. Freeman
Accompanied by Capt. Amos A. FRIES
and Lieut. Leeds of the corps OF en-
ginees. U. S. A, and Secretary A. T.
Fleming of the Los Angeles harpof
commission, the party boarded a car
at 1855 at the Pacific Electric bulldlne
and reached San Pedro at 1:40 yester-
dav afternoon, where they were met
by a committee from the San Pedro
chamber of commerce, composed OF
Secretary w. f. Bickenbach, Edward
II. Bautzer and Miner 2. Goodrich
From the Fifth street landing the party
proceeded in the government launch on
an inspection of the harbor, which IN
cluded visit to the government
inner harbor and the breakwater and
the government reserve in the outer
harbor.
The party went out to the torpedo
boat destroyer Perry, which is now en-
gagged in target practice with a new
type of torpedoes. Commander Gill OF
the investigation board asked Capt
Larimer of the Perry as to conditions
in these waters for his practice.
I Tod
were ideal, that there was no current
here to bother them and that they were
protected by the breakwater from
rough weather. Commander Gill asked
Cant. Larimer to prepare a chart show
ing all the conditions currents and
other data as they exist at this port.
1t has been seventeen years since
Commander Gill, the chairman of the
board, has seen this harbor, and he eX-
pressed his surprise at its growth and
its present condition. In Washington,
continued the commander, I'VE have
looked upon San Pedro harbor as mora
or less Of a joke but 1 see you have
something out here and you may eX-
pect that in the very near future this
harbor will be the rendezvous OF a
large number of the torpedo boats"
Will Spend Million
If San Pedro harbor is selected as the
practicable place for the torpedo sta
ton S500,000 will be expended on build
ings and the other 100000 on apparatus
A large number of skilled mach1n1sts
will be employed. The buildings will
be erected on the government reserve
property, but the breakwater will be
used for a station to test out the tor
pedoes which will be shipped here fol-
proving before being delivered to the
destroyers. From a platform in the
curve of the government breakwatel
the projectiles will be launched out to-
ward Brighton Beach.
The board asked many questions OF
Capt. Fries relative to the depth oi
water, the tides, the available area, the
opportunity to secure machinists and
other pertinent queries necessary for
them to know before a choice is made
as to the harbor selected for the sta
ton.
AS the only station in the United
States is at Newport, R. l., the estab-
lishment of such 81 station on this coast
means much, and if San Pedro gets ii
1t will mean much indeed to this city
Upon the return of the party to the
landing they were taken in automobiles
for a ride over the city, which included
a trip to the lighthouse at Point Firmir
and to the sites for the proposed for
tifcations. The party returned on a
late car to Los Angeles.
On Sunday the board will visit San
Diego harbor and then go north for a
visit to the harbors in Puget sound
San Francisco harbor has already beer
insDected.