Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
ENGINEERS FINISH
BREAKWATER WORK
Construction of Great San Pedro
Harbor Project Completed
After Ten Years

SAN PEDRO, Sept. 24.-The last
work was done on the great break
water built in the outer harbor after
ten years continuous labor following
a hard fight in congress that almost
became a national scandal. The last
work today consisted of very uncere-
moniously saving off a few piles at the
outer end. The breakwater had been
practically completed for several
weeks, and the contractors have since
been. engaged in removing the tracks
and trestle work from the great rock
wall.
The breakwater was first authorized
by congress in 1896 after a fight for
a free harbor that became national
affair on the part of the people of Los
Angeles against the influences of the
Southern Pacific, which desired the
breakwater located at Santa Monica.
Even after the victory for a free har-
Dor had been won it was three years
before work began because of the de-
lays and excuses of Secretary of War
Alger.
In 1899 the first rock was dumped,
and the work has continued without
serious interruption ever since.
GIANT ROCK STRUCTURE
The total length of the structure is
$3.50 feet, and it contains over two and
a half million tons of rock, of which
2, $50, 500 tons is in the substructure.
At the base the substructure is 200
feet wide, narrowing to twenty feet at
the top, three feet below mean low
tide. Rock was dumped at random in
building the substructure, the slope at
the side being natural one.
The superstructure consists of
rectangular granite blocks laid in
courses. The smallest rock in the
superstructure on the sea side of the
wall weighs eight tons, although on
the inside there are rocks weighing but
two tons each.
The cost of the breakwater was
| 50, ,748,590, and there remains of the
fund appropriated for the work enough
money to extend the structure $50 feet.
| AS originally designed the breakwater
was to have been but $500 feet long.
The contract was originally awarded
to Heldmaier & Neu of Chicago, but
this agreement was annulled in 1900,
following the death of Mr. Neu, and
the California Construction company
| took over the work. The first rock was
| brought from Catalina in barges, but
this proved unsuccessful and most of
that used in the structure has been
| shipped from Riverside county.
GAP AT SHORE END
At the shore end Of the breakwater
| there remains a gap of 1900 feet. This
/ is 10 De cIOS6u uQu6r an appropriation
| of $178,000 made at the last session of
congress. VIII i the breakwater was
| first designed 1t was feared by the en-
| glneers that unless the gap was left
| for currents the harbor might shoal.
| These fears having been proved
groundless, the engineers recommended
| that the gap be closed.
The construction company has been
permitted to leave the trestle and
tracks over the gap standing until the
gap is closed. Bids for the work of
closing the gap will be opened soon
and work will probably begin about
| November 1. When this work is COM
pleted the breakwater will have cost
nearly $4,000, 900 and will be numbered
among the greatest engineering works
| of America. 1t will inclose an area of
about 800 acres Of, water varying from
thirty-four to ffty-two feet in depth,
besides protecting the entrance to the
inner harbor from all storms.