THE HARBOR OF MONTEREY 



NEY OTIS 

 Secretary of the aionterey Promotion Committee 



LOOKING at the superb harbor of Monterey, the Idea forces itself on 

 one's mind that its placid waters, so eloquently proclaiming shelter 

 and safety, ought to be covered by a forest of masts and funnels. 

 Whilst this is not as yet the case, the time is fast approaching when 

 it will bear the same relation to the harbor of San Francisco that the 

 harbors of Boston and Baltimore bear to that of New York. The broad- 

 minded and far-seeing representative men among San Francisco's merchant 

 princes and captains of industry are well aware of this and are themselves 

 working towards the realization of a better harbor at Monterey. The devel- 

 opment of the country tributary to the port of Monterey, — a country as 

 large as the state of Illinois and of vastest possibilities, — the development 

 of this country can only add to the greatness and prosperity of California 

 and of San Francisco, and contribute its share in establishing the latter city 

 only more firmly and lastingly as the great metropolis of the Pacific. 



What we need on this coast is more harbors. People in general have 

 no idea what impetus the completion of the Panama Canal will give to 

 shipping. Just think of it, freight may be shipped from this coast to New 

 York by way of the recently completed railway across the isthmus of 

 Tehuantepec, Mexico, far cheaper and quicker than by rail overland! What 

 a revolution in commerce may we not anticipate with the completion of the 

 Panama Canal, when goods will go from harbors on the Pacific to those 

 of the Atlantic in the shortest time, without the necessity of transfer and 

 reloading on the way. 



There is not a safer harbor on the entire Pacific than that of Monterey, 

 nor any where finer anchorage can be found, even for the largest vessels. 

 The storms on the Pacific Coast come from the south and southwest, but 

 the harbor of Monterey lies on the north side of the peninsula of Monterey 

 and is, therefore, protected by the heights of this peninsula. No matter how 

 severe the storm the harbor of Monterey remains unruffled and tranquil. 



There is one drawback to this otherwise perfect harbor. Large vessels 

 at times find difficulties at the wharves resulting from an occasional under- 

 tow which jams the vessel against the wharf, thus endangering both vessel 

 and wharf. What the harbor of Monterey therefore needs is a breakwater; 

 this would check these under currents and would insure absolute safety to 

 large vessels when lying alongside the wharf. The Hon. H. A. Greene has 

 very ably set forth this need of the harbor of Monterey in a booklet entitled 

 "The Monterey Breakwater, a Necessity." This is an appeal to the Federal 

 Government as well as to the State of California for aid in building this 

 breakwater, and points out In a concise and masterly way the benefit the 

 State as a whole would derive from a great harbor at this point. 



The harbor of Monterey is even now a lively seaport. The progressive 

 and rapidly growing cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, built on the beau- 

 tiful heights encircling the bay would naturally make it such. Besides that, 

 it is the shipping point of the crude oil of the Coaiinga oil fields. A pipe- 

 line 112 miles long conveys the oil to Monterey, and thousands of barrels 

 are shipped daily from here. From about 150,000 tons a few years ago, 

 the tonnage for the present year will run up to about 700,000 tons; the 

 value of the merchandise, to about $2,000,000. 



What the harbor of Santos is for coffee. New Orleans for cotton, the 

 port of Monterey will yet be for crude oil, and the agricultural wealth of 

 the great valleys of California, the mineral riches locked up in its mountains 

 will also find their way to the ports of the Atlantic and to the markets of 

 the world via Monterey. 



