Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-21
BY AMOS A. FRIES,

This article is written in the IN
terests of all the people,, Whether
living in San Pedro, wilmington:
Los Angeles. or other parts OF
Southern California.
If the views herein stated are
correct, each of the cities mere
named wants to know 1t. III they
are incorrect, they also want 10
know it, and /, too, want TO kho"
ii.
have always believed and acted
on the principle that the peoples
rights are best served by the ful-
lest possible publicity.
It is being urged by some people
that to insure a public haroor
work should be begun at once upon
the area between the breakwater
and the government reservation.
They claim that there is the only
place where deep water SHIPS can
come, that these wharves can De
made available quicker than any
where else, and that it will take
vessels much longer to go into the
inner harbor, and cost very much
more.
But are these statements cor
rect? ! have never seen anything
that purported to be an estimate
of time or cost of construction eX~
cent in the most general terms.
TO fill in that whole area or ABOUT
145 acres to 105 feet above low
water (31b feet above extreme high
water)-and that is the least ele-
walton that can be made to answer
the purpose-will take 100000 cubic
wards. The deepest water. at the
extreme outer end of the pierhead
line is not more than twenty-six
feet. If, however, the bulkhead be
moved shoreward until the area is
reduced to 100 acres 1t Will stlll
take over 2,650,000 cubic yards of
fill and about 900 tons of stone
in the bulkhead. Also. If the gov
eminent does not close the gap IN
the breakwater that will take 1885,
500 short tons more.
Two Tunnels Needed
Then a road from Palos Verdes
street across the government reser-
walton will have to be built on a
fill about three-fourths of mile in
length. Next comes a tunnel 5000
feet in length, followed by the i'm
movement of a half mile of street
to get a ~ per cent grade, and
another tunnel 1900 to 1000 feet in
length to get out near the westerly
edge of the west basin. much
longer street around what is known
as Happy Valley could take the
place of the last tunnel, but what
il would cost | do not know. Men
familiar with tunnels claim they
will cost 500 per foot for a double
track railroad tunnel, and the same
for a tunnel for a wagon road. They
also say it would be far better and
probably cheaper to build two such
tunnels than try to build one wide
enough for both wagons and rail-
road. In any event, the improve
ment would be practically worth
less to San Pedro and Los Angeles
unless both are built, because to
improve present conditions roads
must reach beyond the west basin,
where they will be intouch with all
railroads and highways to the in
terror.
Another plan would be to build
boulevard around Timms Point, up
along Front street and through
Knob hill, but that would be in very
heavy cuts in places and would
probably result in having to move
some of the existing railroad tracks.
This would appear to be the better
solution, even if it costs more, be-
cause it will serve the present water
front, as we'll as any that may be
built in the outer harbor. In any
event the cost of the whole would
be as much as 100000, and then the
public WharVes would be at least ~
miles from the business part of San
Pedro.
Considering the long tunnels, the
2,500,0 900 yards of fill, and the thou
sands of tons of rock for the bulk
head II is evident that if a simple
wharf is in operation in two years
after beginning work everything
must go rapidly and smoothly. The
fill will be expensive because the
material to be dredged is tough
clay oyerlaid with gravel and cob
blestones.
Cost in Inner Harbor
Let us see what can be done with
$4,000, 600 in other parts Of the har-
Dor.
To deepen the present inner har-
Dor, including the turning basin, to
thirty feet will cost 100000, there
being 100000 yards of material to
be moved, most of which is soft and
easily dredged. Removing 100000
yards more at q cost OF $2S0,000 will
deepen the whole to thirty-fiVe feet
at low tide.
In the entire west basin there is
about 629 acres below high water
line, of which about 210 acres is to
be water. requiring the dredging
of 100000 yards to get thirty feet
at low tide, or $4,000 900 yards to
get thirty-five at low tide. This can
be done at 10 cents per yard, be-
cause so far as bridges will show