The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-16
RAILROAD JUMPS
FROM ISLE TO ISLE
FIAGLER's NEW ROAD BUILT ON
CONCRETE vLADUCTs.

F'I.AGIER'S NEW ROAD BO4hI YIN
CONCRETE vIADUCTs.
Construction of Remarkable Line
from Miami, Fla, to Key West Offers
Unusual Engineering Problems.
a. Augustine, Fla.-While the
ranrssentatiyes Of more than TO-
600 900 of persons are struggling WIN
the problem Of how best to construct
the canal that will unite the Atlantlc
and Pacific oceans, one OF these persons,
Henry NJ, Flagler, is rapidly pusshlag
across the line Of islands or keys form
ing Florida bay that. partly separates
the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic
ocean. This project is the extension
of the Florida East Coast Kallroad
south from Miami, it's present southern
seaport terminus, to Key, West ,;,os
This piece Of road will be ,lo4 miles
long. Twenty-eight miles of this,
from Miami to Homestead. was built
during 1905. Of the 1875 miles remain
ing to be constructed, about slxty-hve
will be built on natural foundation. Ac.
cording to the present plan the rest OF
the road will be laid on concrete arch
viaducts.
Scarcely mile Of this part Of the
luton Of questions that have never be-
y Witbo @tiS9 precedent. The project has
BEEN favorable one With Mr.: Fiaglor
for number Of years. Its compile
ton will crown his life work and bene-
fit his fellow, men for ages.
$4,000, 900 and $12,ooo,00 The con:
struction Of this remarkable roadbed
above the rushing waters Of the Gulf Of
Mexico as they pour into the Atlantic
is not the only problem to solve. There
remains the question Of maintenance
and operation.
l. Three Thousand at Work.
" There are about three thousand labor
ers now at work. These are cared for
in fourteen camps located on high
ground at convenient points along the
route. The camps are well drained and
arranged. They consist of tents fitted
above ground and are foored, hos.
ipital tent, cook tent, with range and
other conveniences, and a large tent
with tables where the men are fed.
Negro laborers do tho pioneer work,
clearing out the Jungle and dense trop-
Zeal growth on the keys not cultivated,
the white hborers, Greeks, Irish and
Americans, completing the roadbed:;
water between the keys dredges throw
mp the embankment. This is afterward
1iprapped and later an will be ballasted
The sixty-ive miles Of roadbed on q
natural foundation will probably be
completed by the first Of May, when
most Of the present working force viii
Altho Mr.. Flagler has had thu pro
for years, it Is only since the rapid de-
velopment Of Cuba following the Span
ish war that the plan has seemed feast
BILE and serious study has been given tc
the different routes and best method:
to be employed to overcome the great
difficulties nature presents.
Wide Channels to Gross,
AS now determined upon tho route
60, at Jewish Greek. On this key
fifteen miles Of track will DO laid. The
line then crosses from key to key tt
Key West. Nearly thirty miles Of
these small islands are used many Of
and oocoanue groves upon them. Some
Of these are not more than two hundred
feet apart, while wide open channels
some more than one thousand feet
across, separate others.
Where the water Is shallow dredges
will throw up on embankment that vii
be riprapped and ballasted with rock
These will have twenty-fve-foot open
iings, permitting the passage Of row
boats.
In the wide channels and where ther,
is deep water and the openings ar
more exposed to storms, owing &
breaks in the outlying reefs, concret,
arch viaduct will be constructed. Th,
great pro blems Of the project lie MOI
so much in the construction Of these
as guarding them from the violen,
storms that prevail here, while tn,
work is in progress and afterward.
There are four Of these long via
ducts to be constructed, aggregatin,
SIS miles. The distances are, From
Long Key to Copch Key, 10,50o feet
Knight g Key channel, 1900 feet; No
ser Key channel, 1900 feet, and BAH.
Honda channel, ID. $50 feet.
The viaducts will consist Of a serie
of reinforced; concrete, circular, arc]
sRans f snd pTfT5s 5 S.nh aft 4. Other
varies from ten to Thirty feet, The bot
storms will make it very difficult t,
place the concrete, and it viii be nee
essary to anchor the piers to the bot
tom to prevent their shifting out O
line. Piles will also be sunk Into tn
rock and carried to within two feet O
the springing lines Of the arches
Reinforcing the Arches.
At every fifth arch an abutment Die
will be constructed. The arches Wi
be reinforced with circumferent1a
square, corrugated bars near the Out
side surface, and transverse bars who
are tied together with o4e-half Inc
round radial iron bars. Earth film
will be put between the spandrel wal!
and the ballast laid on top of th1
above the level of the concrete coptn,
This will bring the base Of the ra
about thirty-one feet above the mea
lowwater level. ~ .- ... s.
Material to be used in the conoret
arches is 206,1O0 cubic yards Of san,
286,800 barrels Of hydraulic eemen
176,9OO cubic yards Of stone and 4,81
tons Of steel. A working base will /
established at Bahia Honda, 40 mile
north Of Key West, where there
from eighteen to thirty feet Of waite
(which would afford an excellent 90,
port terminus, as the outside reef
broken by wide deep approach cha,
n9el, permitting the entrance Of dee
draught vessel without danger.
Although forty miles from Key Yves
it is but twenty miles further from III
vana than Key West is, and Q line {