Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14

from ships to cars and rapidly COM
plete their journey.
The value of San Diego harbor as
base for naval operations is already
observed by the government Impreg-
nable forts have been built and other
extension works are in course of con-
struction for defense and improvement.
The strategic Importance of San Diego
bay is recognized by the government
of the United States. Fort Rosecrans,
at the mouth of the harbor, is located
at the waters edge. Besides some
smaller rapid firing guns, there are i'm
mense disappearing guns, which alone
could defend the entrance against the
enemies fleet Other batteries will
soon be constructed.
NEW PIERS PROMISED
In the early days, before wharves
were built. vessels used crudely
formed natural pier near the mouth or
the harbor for the purpose of loading
and diScharging cargOeS. This pier
consisted of a large amount of water
worn cobblestone rock, extending into
the water some 500 feet, and called
Ballast point. On the near sidJ the
water was over sixty feet deep, close
in shore so that vessels might lie to
and spar off shore to receive and dis
charge goods. In those days there was
! but little commerce. The articles o.
| export We're mostly hides and tallow,
and the imports such goods as are
used for domestic purposes and cloth
| ing AS the people gained in number
and the city grew, commerce increased,
and it became necessary to have
| wharVes. At present there are eight
large wharves in the bay of San Diego.
besides more than dozen wharYes for
small boats.
Fully $2.5O0, 600 has been spent on
| these wharves and improvements, al
most all of which run into deep water
and are easy of approach, with from
twenty five to forty feet at low tide.
Some of these wharves extend in the
channel from 1000 to 5000 feet, and
the longest can readily accommodate
from eight to ten of the largest vessels
ahoat. With a few minor changes the
wharfage would be ample for large
commerce and everything is in readi-
ness to welcome the large ocean traffic
that has already commenced to seek
this port.
NEW RAILROAD BUILDING
Construction is now rapidly going on
! for a direct line to the east, the San
Diego & Arizona railway, which will
save at least 500 miles over any exist
| ing route The board of state harbor
| commissioners have granted fran
chise to Mr.. Spreckels for the building
of large concrete piers to be used in
connection with this eastern route,
These piers when completed, VIII cost
in the neighborhood of $1,OOO,OO0, and
will accommodate the deepest draft
vessels now afioat.
In the past year the United States
| government has expended $25O000 for
naval coaling station. Just north
of this magnificent pier is the quar-
| rtrifh hn
most modern fumigating and disin-
fecting apparatus, and has we'll ar
ranged detention quarters.
| On the Coronado side of the bay there
are marine ways capable of accom-
| modating vessels Of large tonnage. on
the San Diego side are huge coal
| bunkers owned by the Spreckels Broth
ers Commercial company These
| bunkers are among the largest on the
Pacific coast and are fully equipped
for rapidly coaling any steamer lying
alongside
| GROWING LUMBER INDUSTRY
| The Benson Lumber company, a new
| industry which started just two years
ago on the San Diego water front, in
the way of rafting logs, have up to
| the present time towed into this har-
| Dor from the Columbia river fourteen
| large RATS, with an average length OF
| 700 feet sixty feet wide and thirty-tiVe
| feet deep, drawing tWenty-nine feet OF
water, and each raft containing from
! 5 900, 900 to 5000 900 feet of lumber 1t
| is worthy of mention that outside Of
| San Francisco this is the only port
on the Pacific coast where RATS OF
large dimensions can be safely towed
into the harbor,
The fishing industry is rapidly COM
ing to the front. The California and
Mexican Fisheries company have
leased a large tract of land on the
water front and are constructing build
ings and wharVes for the packing and
canning of all kinds of fish, There are
great possibilities in the canning of
sardines, Holsters, etc. The bay is alive
with edible fish, and on the banks
few miles distant from the harbors
mouth an endless variety of all kinds
of fish may be found.
on the calm waters of the bay of
San Diego also may be seen the row.
ing clubs out for their daily exercise.
This is. without doubt, the only harbor
on the Pacific coast where boating and
swimming may be indulged in every
day in the year, winter and summer.
COMMERCE INCREASING
The commerce of the port of San
Diego is greatly increasing, owing to
the rapid development of the south
ern part of the state. When the Pan
ANA canal is opened we anticipate that
a very great amount of the products
Of this section of California will be
shipped to the Atlantic coast through
this port and the canal, and that great
quantities of merchandise from the