The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-17
Tuesday, October IL 1905
MR.. FTAGLER'S KEY WEST RAIL.
ROAD.


The survey has been AIDE the
practicability proven and New York
and Key West are to be connected by
rail"
The above Is the opening paragraph
of a most interesting article in the last
issue Of The Manufacturers Record,
written by Thomas P. Grasty. The
words quoted were used by Mr.. Henry
M. F1agler in his reply 10 a request
by Mr.. Grasty for information in Ie-
gard to the proposed extension of :he
Florida East Coast Railroad from Mid
mia to Key West. We wish we could
give the article in full, but have not
the space. 1t takes up more tia a
page of the Manufacturers Record
Our readers, we know, will be inter
ested in such of the facts and figures
as We are able to reproduce from this
account of Mr.. Flagler's wonderful
undertaking, which is really the .bui.d-D
ing Of a railroad for about the distance
of one hundred miles into the Atlantic
NNbA' my 'Nott LIN plopooCu -
nus Of what Mr.. Grasty calls the
Oceanic" railroad land he says he
calls it SO because it crosses neatly
one hundred miles of what is part of
the Atlantic ocean") is 154 miles from
Miami. Of this distance % miles are
already built to Homestead, the pres
ent terminus of the Florida East Coasl
railway, and from this point the grai-
work Of building nearly 100 miles OF
railroad over ocean waters, ~treacherous
marshes and coral reefs, will begin.
Mr.. Grasty got many interesting
facts about this railway scheme from
Mr.. tlagler. The work south froru
Homestead will be made of sixty mics
OF rock e~mbankment through the
waters separating the mainland from
Key Largo ana the waters lying be-
tween the other keys. There will be
nearly 6 miles of concrete work With
a height of 81 feet above the level of
the water, spanning the channels VIII
arches and draw bridges. This work
is thus described in the specifications: |
These viaducts are to be constructed
OF reinforced concrete. 50-foot spans
resting on piers set into the solid rock
and strengthened with piles. The base
Of the pier at rock surface is % feet.
and at the springing line of arch 20
1eet I inches. From the water to the
crown of the arch will be 25 feet. To
that should be added the thickness of
the arcn at the GROWN ballast tiaS I
ETC.. making the track 81 feet above |
the level of the water.
OF water openings there are seven, |
20 feet each. These are in the solid
embankment. and are only intended
Tor oWboat n small craft.
Of drawbridges there are to be
three with openings ag~gregating 410
feet. The remaining distance. about
b5 miles. is made up of the islands or !
Keys over Which the road passes.
Mr., F1agler has had his mind made
up for some time to build this "Oee-I
anic" railroad, but until recently engi-i
neers thought the work impracticable. |
Now, though, it is found that it can)
be done and Mr.. Flagler's engineers
have made complete estimates of The
work and material needed to build the
road. He has the thing down so fine
that he can tell you not only the num-
Der Of lineal feet of dirt embankment.
of rock causeway and of concrete VIA
ducts, but also the number of cubic
feet of the different material it Will
take for each.
Judging from the plans made for
terminal facilities at Key West Mr..
F1agler must expect his road to do
a tremendous business. Among ;he
statements made to Mr.. Grasty were
the following, showing what these ter
minal facilities would be:
Terminal facilities at Key West will
comprise a dry-dock and 10 covered
piers. each 500 feet in length and 100
feet in width. with basin 200 feet be-
tween piers. h 10 piers will fur
nish berths for 40 ships 400 feet in
length with a depth OF water rangingl
from 20 to 80 feet. Mr.. J. c. Mere
dith at Miami. Fla. is constructinel
engineer in charge of all the work.
Mr.. Grasty says of this st~upendousl
undertaking on the part of Mr.. Flag
Ter:
The great work of this extension toI
Key West is a logical climax to theI
wonderful and successful endeavors ell
Mr.. Flagler in Florida. which have had
q marked influence in the recent re-
markable DEVELOPMENT of the south.
due largely to better facilities for get
ting n investing and upbuilding part
or the American public better ac-
ouainted with the south. it's people and
its
OF Mr.. Flagler's past enterprises inl
Florida Mr.. Grasty says:
Less than 20 years e Mr.. FIagler
set the standard for high-class con-
of hotels in his country and
abroad when he completed the Ponce
de Leon at st. Augustine. built to con-
vert Florida from a sanatorium into "a