Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-09
COMMITTEE ON
CONSOLIDATION
VIEWS HARBOR
BOARD MAKES INSPECTION OF
PORT AT SAN PEDRO
MEMBERS LEARN MUCH REGARD
ING WATERWAYS
Escorted by Captain Fries Party
Passes Day Studying Conditions.
All Are Very En-
thusiastlc

dredge working ON the Consolidated
Lumber companyS channel leadlhg mo
the east basin. Then the committee
tourned toward the site or the WIZ
mington improvements, studying lne
tidelands question on the way TO the
Southern Pacific trestle. They located
the improvements which Wilmington
is preparing to make for a municipal
harbor and studied out the proposition
of the railroad and Banning interests
to make Mormon island terminal ana
switch yard.
AS il was impossible for the launches
to get past the railroad tracks the
committee climbed on the trestle ana
inspected the west basin and its pos
sibilities from a distance. Then they
visited the government dredge, where
the big cutter was lifted out of the
water for their benefit. Captain Fries
and his assistants explained that the
dredge had taken out through the
twenty-inch pipe as much as l25,UO0
yards of material in one MONTH that
the cutter blades lasted from three
weeks to three months, according TO
the material dredged out, and that iron
and steel, boulders and other buried
material were eaten up by the 1nsatla-
BILE dredger as rapidly as the sand.
Luncheon at San Pedro
After learning all about dredging the
the larger launch and went down the
channel for luncheon at San Pedro. An
hour later they made for the outer
harbor, wearing their best sea legs TO
meet the choppy weather outside Dead
Mans island. On the way they Went
to the end of the Southern Paclnc
slip, which was evidenced by Captain
Fries as an excellent illustration or
what may be done for shipping on
much larger scale. He pointed out the
need for anticipation of larger vessels
than have been seen at San Pedro and
explained the necessity for slip at
least $50 feet wide on that account.
While skirting along the breakwa-
ter the committee learned that it is
$3.50 feet long, including the gap or
1900 feet off shore, which the govern
ment engineers say should be filed in,
because it serves no good purpose,
while it will provo a disadvantage II
left open. The breakwater, they were
told, represents an expenditure or
50. 600, 900, of which $4,000 is still to be
expended The work will be entirely
completed within year. 1t is in nifty
two to fifty-five feet of water and the
stretch of rock at the bottom is nearly
200 feet wide. At the top which is
thirty -eight feet in width, the huge
rocks on the outer side weigh eight
to ten tons each.
Inspect Rreakwater
The committee climbed down on
these and looked over the method of
constructing the breakwater, while
they in turn were lazily inspected by
a sea lion enjoying good fishing in the
kelp outside. The committee looked
over the sixteen blocks made of &C.
ment and sand which were placed in
the water along the outside of the
breakwater three years ago to test that
type of material when il was thought
that the quarries would not furnish
sufficient rock Although the cement
was not found necessary, they have so
far stood the test perfectly, and will
be left on the breakwater to determine
how long they will Withstand the sea.
They weigh eight tons each, but the
engineers do not expect them to last as
long as rock.
catalina island is a great natural
protection to San Pedro harbor," said
Captain Fries. This breakwater is
worth $2,90000O here, but for a similar
work off the coast of England 1t would
be necessary to eXpend 100000 That
shows one of your advantages. One
effect of the breakwater is to clean out
the kelp in the outer harbor. The wa
ter is too quiet for the kelp to live,
and it is gone, while the old charts
ali show kelp all through here. There
is practically no effect on the depth.
A very good survey was made in 1899,
and another survey in 1906 showed
difference of not more than six inches
in the depth-practically no difference
at all. as the six inches may be due
entirely to the wave difference"
See Government Reservation
After thoroughly acquainting them
selves with the statistics about the
breakwater the committee took the
launch over TO the South Coast Yacht
clubs landing, gathering information
about the government reservation, the
Miner fill and other concessions. One
or two asked the host about the forti-
fications, and for the first time on the
trip Capital Fries lodged.
81 don't know and 1 couldn't tell
you if / did," said he. That's very
confidential"
After walking along the bluff and
obtaining a brdseye view of San Pc
dro harbor the committee made for
the car to Los Angeles, full of enthu-
siasm and new facts.
'It has been a great trip and val
liable one" they all said, but there's
nothing to say now about what will be
done. After definite action is taken
there will be time to talk about it,
President Jess will call a meeting Of
the consolidation committee next
week, and sessions will be frequent I'M
til the consolidation campaign Is con-
cluded. At the next meeting a letter
of thanks to Captain Fries for his
courtesies extended yesterday will
probably be drafted.
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Heralds Of the dates OF October %, 1905 and
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