Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-24
EXPERT VISITS
'HARBOR POINTS
MAKES TRlP IN LAUNCH OVER
LOS ANGELES PORT
PRoPHEsIEs BIG FUTURE FOR
COUNTRY CONTIGUOUS
Chicago Commissioner Refuses to
Make Public His Conclusions
Until He Has Made Off,
cIaI Report

SAN PEDRO, Sept. 23.-George c.
Sykes, one of the expert Investigators
of the Chicago harbor commission, ac-
companied by Gen. Adna R. Chaffee,
Leslie r. Hewitt, A. P. Fleming and
Homer Hamlin, made a trip over the
harbor today in the government launch.
Mr. Sykes arrived last night from
San Francisco. He has been investi-
eating harbor improvements along the
coast, and visited all the larger cities
to inspect their harbors. He found no
municipal docks at Seattle or Portland,
but says there is considerable agitation
in both these cities for public frontage.
The only public wharves he was able to
investigate were those at San Fran
cisco under state control.
Mr. Sykes was enthusiastic in his
prophecy of a magnificent future for
the harbor and the country tributary
to the new port.
IF you develop the power which you
plan with your owens river plant, there
is no end to your possibilities of COM
merciaI development" he said. You
have a tremendously big proposition
here. I would not have believed the
harbor offered such splendid opportuni-
ties of development.
IT cannot make public any conclu-
sions on the relative merits of public
and private DOCKS" said Mr.. Sykes,
until after make my official report to
the harbor commission at Chicago
There seems to be much sentiment in
favor of municipal ownership down
here.
Public Docks Bill Falls to Pass
"At Seattle an attempt was made to
get a bill through the Legislature pro-
viding for public docks, but 1t failed to
pass"
Mr.. Sykes says at Chicago there is
much agitation for harbor and river
improvement. At the present time
there is neither public frontage nor reg
ulation of wharfage and dockage rates.
All the frontage along the river is in
the hands of private corporations or
individuals.
Commerce on the water has declined
at Chicago, although the city and rail-
road traffic has grown enormously dur
ing recent years. 1t is only lately the
question of development of public docks
on comprehensive plan has been
urged.
Speaking of the proposed outer har-
Dor at Chicago, Mr.. Sykes says it is
likely long wharves will be built out
from the shore of Lake Michigan un-
der the protection of the breakwater
on the north side of the Chicago river
There is also a demand from residents
of the south side to build docks south
of the river but the opposition to this
plan is strong.
Visits Inner and Outer Harhor
Both the inner and outer harbors
were visited today by the party In
the outer harbor the work on the minor
fill attracted considerable attention.
The dredger recently completed for the
Outer Harbor and Dock company is
working in the east channel and prepa-
rations are being made to put down
concrete piles for permanent bulk
head. These, it was explained today,
will be lowered by hydraulic pressure.
A large force of men is at work laying
track and driving piles. The material
from the dredger is being pumped onto
fill and by the time the channel is COM
pleted there will be ready track and
wharves to handle an enormous amount
of freight.
The outer harbor trip includes a ride
around the breakwater, the return be-
ing made through the gap at the shore
end. The return from the inner har-
Dor was made through the new en-
trance at the Long Beach harbor, one
of the first that has been made via this
route.
Much interest was shown by Mr..
Sykes in the development in the inner
harbor as well as that outside. The
launch went up the channels being
dredged at Wilmington for the Con-
solidated Lumber company. There is
a vast amount of work being done on
the inner harbor. In the vicinity of
the new lumber mills there are busy
scenes. New wharves are being built
and big mills erected. Much work has
also been done on Mormon island by
the Bannings, while the work under
taken by the city of Wilmington has
taken three dredgers several months.
Mr.. Sykes will leave tomorrow for
Chicago over the Santa Fe.