The Florida star., 1905-02-24

From the Scie1tife American
Before Key West can be reached if
will be Necessary % baild I'D miles Of
railway on the keys and over tina sounds
and other passa<es separating them In
all, % islands are available for the ex
tension, bat no les than % miles Of ele-
waited work must be built above the
water. not counting the trestlins between
Key Largo and the mainland
Fortunately, the formation Of the keys
lends itself 70 the project Rising bus =
few feet above the surface nf the water, IL
consists of oorzlline rock Offering level
and smooth surface after the few feet Of
soil, which has accumulated on the rock,
has been removed. But Q minimum
amount Of grading will be required and
an abundance OF ballast II available In
the form Of pieces Of the rock which Is
found on all Of the keys The fact that
the same formation lies beneath the in
tervening waters renders the scheme feasi-
ble in the opinion Of the engineers, for il
offers 9 sufficiently firm foundation into
which The supports OF the bridges and
other work can be set. The depth Of
water, however, ranges from TO IS feet,
since several of the passages are navigabIe
for vessels ofthis draft The deeper chan
nels will, OF course, be spanned by draw
bridges, aud il is proposed TO support
them on piers OF masonry at q sufficient
elevation above high tide. BY far the
most extensive marine work will be be-
and Knights key. These islands. located
about midway in the series, are no lees
than 8 miles apart, the water varying in
depth from to Is feet. At this point
the reef which extends along the Atlantic
side of the keys for such distance is
broken and a considerable mileage Of the
structures will be exposed directly To the
open sea. A number of other passages
vary from one to three miles in extent
Several methods are available for sup
porting the elevated work, but with the
exception of the bridges, il is probable
that steel posts or Piling will be utilized
entirely. The metal below the water
must be protected by incasing the pillars
in wood, which has been treated To
preparation Of creOsote, which In turn
will prevent the wood from being dainas-
ed by the teredO-
Upon the keys and adjacent waters
over 100 nft-s of railway will be required.
not counting the trestle connec;Ing with
the mainland and the portion which
must be built through the Everglades To
the present terminus Of the line The
1t nearly 40 miles. and Ehen completed
II will undoubtedly be one Of the n,"et
expensive pieces Of railway construction
an the world. Nothing approaching the
marine work has ever been attempted
The Third Avenue railroad on Manhattan
Island l. slightly longer than the sss1ion
10 b. built between Bahia Honda and
knights key The Luciu cuInf. by
Nhich the southern Pacific system crnsses
Great salt Lake, comprises % miles Of
Irest!e v oTk; hIle tie New Orleans and
Northeastern railroad cruest- Lake Point
chATtrain on a structure which = miles
| IN length, but 10th Il the latter aTr m-re
ly WO,,d,-u tr,--tt,-S aud offer uo parallel -
the marine Construction which must hv
carried ont on the Key West Hie.
THE building e ili~ extension, los
ever, y iIl give tie railroad IN question A.
49, 90 one IF the fiu,--i hari-,F~ on tin
American C. AL, ttaI f hey Ne>l vhIrh
Har a depth Il - feet Ia the main ell
trance TIE LaFi-,T = ac,,-s,lD.,. 10y four
| q ifer.u; passages. AMI = sufficiently Com-
m,-lI"a> I" soC-'Hul,-:ate a considerable
f,vt Of 'Ucran Coli = y,~-,-.- II = uIs.ivy-
slucd that 0ue Fr.-vE :uE luI.i4ns tie *
tension 6, = establish a transfer ~-ryIc,.
D,tU'v-u Ny Wet at Havana. - JtA;
freight can ~ sh.lF.7l from, J,.-- crUHtfy
{, Cubs D. tie rar.lAd ~.Itout breaking
| bulk IN route
A Diet Of apples and milk is most
wholesome and well balanced. says the
New York World The potash contents
% both are high. and they y.esd nOuT-
ishneat for brain. bo0e and muscle
having q soOth!nS r1e-t Upon Tie
nerves The apples should lot be
/ pared. ss ths ssh oCuteats os the akin
are vslus bic 20 tie human system