Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-25
GOOD MEN NEEDED.

Naturally, one of the most important
| items in the problem was an adequate
supply of competent labor. From the
first 1t was recognized that only under
the best of conditions would men Of the
class required endure the isolation from
town life and the natural hardships of
the work. The fact that 20 per cent of
the men now engaged upon the work
are old hands who were there last year,
went North again to escape last sum-
mer's heat and the mosquito season, and
at the beginning of the winter returned,
goes far to prove that the construction
camps along the Florida keys are good
of their kind and that 1t is not necessary
| to subdivide the work among contractors.
At the Long Key viaduct camp a dvi-
sion of five hundred men Is quartered,
who work In day and night shifts. This
is one OF the points of permanent occupa-
ton. The buildings are of wood. Each
laborer has a clean bunk, n mattress
| filled with cut sponge. which makes
fine bed. and a mosquito bar in addition
to the wire netting with which doors and
windows of the houses are covered
There are also a barber shop, where
| charges are low. and in a separate build
| ing n free library, we'll stocked with pa
pers, magazines and books The field hos
| pital maintained at this camp Is under
the care of a competent surgeon. and is
supported in part by the $50 charged
each man for transportation on the com
pany's boats back to Miami. The addi-
| tional expense is borne by the company.
general hospital for the workmen is
| at Miami From 900 to $4,000 is spent
every year on medical attendance and
supplies for the men employed at the
various camps. an item of expense suffi-
cently large to make it a matter of self
interest for the company to see that
wholesome food and sanitary quarters
keep 1t at a minimum.
On some OF the work it has been ncces-
sary to house the workmen in floating
dormitories or houseboats. which are
| towed along the work proceeds. The
larger islands have permanent settle
1 ments with substantial frame buildings,
which probably will remain in use after
! the road is completed. At other places
tents are pitched at high points on the
rocky little islets, and the construction
force presents the appearance of a verit-
able army. with its neat rows of canvas
tents, its we'll kept temporary streets and
It's general air Of martial spick-and-span-
| ness.
At each camp there is a commissary.
where supplies OF best grade can be had
at prices corresponding to those prevail
ing in New York City. Many yachtsmen
cruising among the keys purchase sup
plies from the railway company's COM
missariat. General Shattuck who was one
of these recent purchasers, announces
that the rations of the railway workmen
| hate c1,a h.
regular army. and that the laborers are
fully as we'll housed and cared for as
are Urcle Sans troopers.
| WORK PROCEEDS RAPIDLY.
Under such circumstances It is not re-
markable that the gigantic task of build
ing this going railroad proceeds rap
idly and efficiently. Enormous engineer
ing difficulties have been encountered and
overcome. Many miles of swamp and
low ground have had to he filed in with
rock and sand in order TO secure a firm
roadbed. The embankmcnt across every
one of the thirty or more KEYS which the
road will cross is built up entirely OF
coraline limestone. the material of which
the islands are formed, After leaving the
mainland dredges were forced fairly "a
eat their way through nearly twenty
miles OF tangled manSrOVe swamp, a
dredge proceeding slowly down each side
of the cmbaukmcnt, digging a channel
for its own passage and building up tho
emhankment with the material excavat-
ed. Two arms Of Jewish Creek, which
separates Key Largo from the mainland
were filled in this way and the third has
been SPAWNED by steel drawbrdge
which is now In operation.
: Well within the island Of Largo and
completely obstructinGg the line Of grade
an inland lake was encountered which
had not beer disclosed by the preliminary
survey. The bottom of the lake. which
was half a mile wide and contained sN
feet of water. was composed entirely %
peat. To remove this peat and secure {
firm foundation for the entertainments tw,
: drcdgcs worked steadily Cor tifteey
months Connecting Key largo ant
Plantation Key is another steel bridge
with concrete piers ana abu,nrnts.
pcrh'ps ;hc most int'ros' ing p1r' o.
the worl however, Is th, reinforced con
'orcto area viaduct construction wh,c,