Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-04-21
FOR CROSS KEY RAILROAD.
Millionaire Flagler's Plan to Connect
Key West with the Main Land.

Millionaire Flagler's Plan to Connect
Key West with the Main Land.
Key West is to be hooked to the
mainland by 40 miles of railroad, and
the island city will soon become the
most important port in the Southern
States, says the st. Louis Post-Dis-
patch. Such is the program announced
by Henry M. Flagler, whose engineers
are at work pushing the double line
of rails southwark from Miami, across
the keys that stretch to the southwark
from the homestead country. Along
100 miles of keys and forty miles Of
water the road will be run and in
three years Key West will be the
southern terminus of the Florida East
Coast Railroad.
These keys are all rich. low lying
hummock land. They are black with
richness and fruits and vegetables
thrive. Cocoanuts, pineapples and all
kinds of tropical fruits grow Justify in
the SOIL and as the land is absolutely
safe from the effects Of hurricanes and
cyclones, they are highly desirable
farm lands. Already extensive farms
and plantations are laid out and being
worked on Key Largo, the first key off
the Florida coast. The key is forty
miles long and is separated from the
continent only by shallow channel OF
some miles in width. Then the keys
extend on in chain farther and
farther south and all of the same de-
scription. They are rich and fertile.
They are we'll covered with foliage and
trees, and they form a perfect set of
links for the railroad that Flagler will
build.
Key West is 1854 miles from Miami
and 1873 miles from Homestead which
is the largest town in the southern end
of the peninsula The road, which has
already been built as far as Cape
Sable. forms the first Of the links Of
the chain.
Starting from the mainland the road
will go by trestle to Key Largo, where
a solid rock roadbed will be. filled in
for nearly forty miles. From Key
Largo the track will go by trestle from
kew to key until it reaches the Bahia
Honda, which is just north of Key
West, Here long trestle with draw
bridges will be built and the last link
of the line will be complete. Alto
rether 100 miles Of solid rock roadbed
on the KEYS and forty miles Of trestle
and bridge work will be needed for the
completion Of the line.
The tremendous advantage that this
remarkable plan has Is that 1t demands
no special or laborious engineering
work There are no intricate problems
mr. feats Of great difficulty in the way.
II Is merely a question of good roaooed
construction for most Of the way ana
careful trestling for the rest. The keys
oro high enough above the water line
n he amply protected In case OF
storms or winds. There is an outer
line of coral reefs for the whole dis
+ance which acts as sort or break
vatar. so that when the storms heap
tho Atlantic up against the shore the
revs are protected at all times. trees
o1ono the whole way afford another
-,.o+eetion on the keys. Most of the
channels are only five or ten feet deep
nd the bottoms are of good clay or
sof+ limestone, which make ideal hold
to Ground for the piles where perma-
nent trestles are needed.
Look Before You Shoot.
,,. +r,,a snortsman may be defined
&c one who looks before ne snoots.-