Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-10

road will cross many islets between
the mainland and Key West. there are
traverscd some broad stretches or
water where the traveller VIII be en-
tirely out Of sight of land. One OF
these is encountered when the line
leaves Long Key. Here for two miles
the tracks are laid on a concrete wa
duct, each arch of which spans 30
feet, and trains will run 80 feet above
the level of the open sea. There are
two other similar stretches, beyond
the temporary terminal at knights
Key, TO be crossed in like manner,
but as they present no problems OF
construction that have not been solved
already i'm the building OF the Long
Key Viaduct. it is certain that no ed-
cheering obstacles will arise TO pre-
vent the completion OF the work.
knights Key, which for the time
being is TO serve as the southern ter
minus OF the ocean-going railway, and
at which passengers VIII take the boat
for Havana, Is los miles below Miami
and Al mites from Key West. From
here to Havana the distance IS only.
rs miles, or but % miles further thai
from Key West. 1t has been selected
for a temporary terminus not only
because Ii is the point to which the
road has been fully completed. but
because the construction work which
is being done here will provide a safe
Z anu COilitilbhlOh1 ho ~ ~ W ~
of steamers.
In explanation of the reason for be-
ginning the operation Of the train
service from knights Key instead OF
from Key West, and a year earlier
than the date originally set. Vice
I President PARROT said:
In the middle of the past summer
we found on taking stock hat by
concentrating our efforts and our
working force on the section of the
road above Knights Key, we could
have this portion completed and open
to traffic by the middle Of January.
1908, That Is. we could put the road
in operation and have it earning
something during the coming season
instead of allowing IL to remain ioie
and unremunerative for another Nea"
practically so per cent Of ali the land
work on the Key West end Of the line
has been completed so that there
should be no difficulty in pushing the
work forward 10 completion on its
scheduled time"
one of the peculiar difficulties in
the execution OF MI. Flagler's ambi-
tious project was the discovery that
there was not sufficient space on the
island OF Key West TO provide railroad
yards. terminals and wharves. Ac-
cordingly a vast area is being flled in
which viii add approximately I7s
acres TO the area OF the island. This
NDdtt VIII w uAilAefh Wv AtA
minal of the lines and for the six big
piers which are to be built for the
use Of the ferries plying etwee this
point and Havana.
This ocean railway has In one sense
been in course Of construction far
longer than any other line in exist
ence. For thousands. perhaps hun
dreds of thousands. of years before
the existence OF America was known
10 the fUfbeats Of IT. present iuhab-
itants myriads of tirelcss coral insects
were rearing out OF the depths of the
ocean the islets which form the step
ping stones Of this novel railway in It's
seward course. For an equal period
the winds and the raves havc been NJ
work piling up the sand which forms
the abutments of the original struc-
ture. only the finishing touches were
left for the master mind of the Ameri-
can magnate 10 complete. And IL may
be added that these tiny Insects and
the elements are the only partners Mr..
Flagler has had I'm his unique enter
prise. Although the road, from the
nature of It's construction, Is one OF
the most expensive ever undertaken.
approximately 100000 per
mile. the task Of financing IL Is he
ing borne entirely by the man who
planned aud is building a. II repre-
an expenditure Of between
$4,000. O00 and 0.0O0.O 900 for tho
realization Of an idea-thc linking to-
gethcr OF Cuba and the United States
the peaceful but effective bond Of
the steel highway.