Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
San Diego HaTbOr Best and Safest in World
BY CHARLES W. oEsTING
President state Board of Harbor Commits
sioners

by vessels passing through the Pan
anna canal from the Atlantic ocean to
the Pacific ocean and the last Ameri-
can port of call for vessels from the
Pacific ocean to the Atlantic ocean.
Seafaring men declare it without an
equal in the world. The pilot chart
published by the bureau of navigation
at Washington indicates in striking
manner the very important position
occupied by the port of San Diego and
its proximity to the great circle routes
from China and Japan.
In the great state of California, with
a coast 500 miles in length, there are
but two large deep water harbors, of
which the bay of San Diego lies in the
far south, completely land-locked and
perfectly secure from the effects of any
storm that may sweep the ocean.
AREA OF s2 MILES
In the form of a crescent about
thirteen miles in length, varying from
one-half mile to two miles in width,
the bay has an area of about twenty
two square miles, and within the har-
Dor can be anchored the entire navy OF
the world.
So deep is the entrance that white
water is never seen and there is very
little perceptible swell. The general
opinion that the depth of twenty -elght
feet over the bar, as measured some
years ago, is still the correct one, Is
very much in error. The bar at lowest
tide now marks thirty feet, while at
high tide it reaches about thirty-fiVe
.I,f
at any time during the day or night.
There are no hidden reefs. sunken
rocks or treacherous currents to guard
against. The entrance is straight and
easy OF access. So smooth and placid
are the waters of the harbor that shlps
living alongside WharVes need no fen
ders to prevent chafing. So calm is
the atmosphere that on only one or
two occasions during the year do winds
reach so great velocity as twenty
five miles an hour.
NATURAL SAFE HARBOR
Nature has done much for the bay of
San Diego and the physical situation
is such that Point Iona, that great
natural physical projection, afords
complete protection against the SOUTH
west swells and makes an entrance to
the bay possible under any condition
of weather, and there is no place on
the Pacific coast better adapted Tor
the care of a large commerce, ana the
bay of San Diego will eventually make
one of the greatest commercial ports
of the world.
The government has constructed
ietty at the mouth of the harbor which
causes the outgoing tide to strike the
bar directly without diffusion, the Ell
feet being the securing of the bottom.
AS a result of the large exposed shore
without any protection against erosion,
the amount of matter released by the
flood tide on entering the bay and car
ried out in suspension, contributes to
a very marked degree to the forma-
ton of the bar.
At the present time, having no fresh
water supply, this can be reduced to
tidal basin by the correction Of the
shore line, through the elimination OF
matter which now necessarily finds its
way into the bay and is consequently
deposited at the bar.
DEPTH MORE THAN AMPLE
It is a well known fact that the ac-
centuated velocity of the ebb tide IN
bays fed by fresh water streams Is
caused wholly by the delivery on the
ebb tide of more water than entered
on the flood. San Diego being compar-
atively free from this feature by reason
of the absence of flowing streams, de-
riyes no benefit in the form of added
waters except from occasional rain
storms and they only add TO the
amount of soluble matter in the bay:
The average depth of the channel OF
San Diego is thirty-six feet; the aver
age channel depth of 122 of the prin-
cipal ports of the world is thirty and
-tenths feet. The present depth OF
the bay varies from eighty feet, oppo-
side the wharves of San Diego, 10
thirty feet, ten miles up the bay.
Anchorage is safe in any part of the
channel owing to the holding ground OF
deep, heavy, tough mud, and depth OF
water sufficient to float the largest
vessels that traverse the seas. No Ves-
sci has ever dragged her anchor and
no marine disaster has ever occurred
on account of rough weather in san
Diego harbor.
CANAL TO INCREASE TRADE
In few years the Panama canal will
be completed and hundreds of vessels
will use this port for the first time.
The type of vessels using the Panama
canal being at least 10000 tons and up
wards, will require a larger and bet
ter doclzage than now afforded in most
Pacific ports, and in order to be ready
for the large commerce that Will even
tuaIlv come. work on these docks must
system provided should include pub
lie belt line railroad, in order that
freight may be handled or distributed
at a low cost. A belt line owned by
the state of California in the port of
San Francisco earns from $250,OOO to
100000 annually.
The cotton industry in Southern CAL
ifornia, notably Imperial valley, to-
gether with the fact that San Diego
is 500 miles nearer the cotton belt
than any other Pacific port we 'are
assured of a large traffic with the
Orient This means that vessels car
rying cotton to the Orient must be re-
turned with products to be distributed
in the east. What New Orleans and
Galveston are to the commerce of the
Gulf states, so must San Diego be to
the southwestern ports of this great
country. Commerce advances along
the lines Of least resistance and with
the completion of the Panama canal,
San Diego is bound to be the main
port of call for vessels going to the
Orient the Hawaiian islands and to
Australia. From Panama to Yoko-
hama, this port is but ll6 miles off
the shortest route, as between San
Diego and Honolulu on the route from
Panama to Yokohama the distance is
more than 400 miles in favor of San
Diego.
BAY WILL BE WAY PORT
On the whole western coast of the
Pacific with about 2000 miles Of shore
line, there are only six important
ports. With about 500 100000 people
at our front door and about 75,O00,O00
people at our back door, the time will
soon be at hand when our magnificent