The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-09-01

were abundant and tall cOcOanut trees,
always bearing fruit, waived high in
the air. The temperature was very
pleasant. being cooler than the aver
age summer day in New York.
After returning to the boat the
visitors started toward the next oper-
alton but night overlook them be-
fore long and they cast anchor in a
beautiful little bay about three miles
in diameter, formed by many little
keys. A mile and a half from the
nearest land was thought sufficient to
keep the party immune from mOsqui
toes, but such was far from being the
case and no one on board slept that
night. The writer, after trying all
other experiments, lay down on a
canvas cot with a double thickness of
blanket over him, thinking this too
thick for the pests to bite through.
He reckoned without his host for
they attacked from below and bit
through the canvas cot. ALI the
party were considerably relieved
when the sun rose and drove the mos
quitoes away.
CampNe 2 is situated on the Upper
Matacombe Key, and here were found
q Thousand men at work clearing.
grading and forming the roadbed. This
camp was always free from mosquito
es, and it was learned that peculiar
condition::of the underground seemed
to keep this key free from the pests
at all times. This was found to be
true of several of the other keys,
while neighboring key but mile
away would be place of torment.
About noon of the second day from
Miami the party arrived at its desti-
nation, the stretch between Long Key
and Conch Key. This is about thirty
miles from the mainland and at this
point there is to be erected reinfOrc-
ed concrete viaduct about two miles
in length, amounting 10 about $4,000
yards OF concrete. The average depth
of water here is nine feet, while the
maximum anywhere along the site of
the bridge is fourteen feet. The sea
bottom is all hard coraline rock and
practically level. Text pile driving
and test boring camps are established
at this point. The pile driving is a
problem thatshas not yet been fully
decided upon on account of the hard
floor, and some other means Of anch-
oring the piers may yet be determin-
ed upon.
The trip gave the members their
first real intimation of the immensely
of the undertaking. All knew that it
was large proposition to tackle, but
did not realize until they went over
che site what the Florida East Coast
had started to do. They have plann-
ed to overcome the layout of nature
by bridging over or filling in that
part she has omitted and propose to
build a railroad 25 feet above the sea
for distance of nearly 200 miles. It
means that Cuba will be reached two
days sooner from New York and
Chicago than ever before. 1t means
that on the opening of the Panama
Key West will be an important me-
! trepolis. Already plans are under
w&y for the construction of twelve
new docks, which win accommodate
48 of the largest vessels afioat, in adj
dition to what she can already ac-
commodxte. The beautiful keys will
i become ideal winter resorts, with fine
hotels and the best place in America
for fishing and yachting.
! The idea originated with Mr.. Henry
NJ Flager, and he is throwing all his
| energy into the project. The road
will be single track and will cost
approximately fifty millions of dol
/ lars. The whole line will be COM
/ pleted in about tive years. Bids and
plans are now being pushed and gath