The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-11-14
FLAGIERS WONDERFUL RAILROAD
ACROSS THE KEYS OF FLORIDA

! building trestles and bridges. All
these difficulties had to be overcome
before the real problem of the road =
the building of the viaduct on the
high seas-could be reached. From
this point the keys or stepping stones
extend in a generally southwesterly
direction, forming a great crescent.
The channels separating these islands
vary from a few hundred feet to
seven miles in width. In the face OF
so many disadvantages of this route,
at least one solid advantage should
be mentioned. The islands along
the route are formed of limestone
coral, which may be readily excavat-
ed and which makes excellent ballast.
There are at present more than
three thousand men employed on the
work, although at times more than
four thousand have been engaged at
the same time. Much of the work is
being rushed by night shifts work,
ing with the aid of arc lamps and
searchlights. It has been found neces-
sary to especially construct for the
work more than $500, 900 worth OF
special machinery. The work at sea,
which must often be carried on miles
from land, demands the use of a
considerable flotilla Of boats of
various types. There are now engag-
ed on the work nine stern wheel
boats, three tugs and one hundred
barges and lighters, twenty-eight
launches and upward of fifty pile
drivers, concrete mixing plants, der
ricks, pump barges and dredges:
The difficulties encountered in this
unusual construction seem to be end
less. At the very outset of the work
it was found necessary to provide an
inland or protected route for the YES
sells of lighter draught used in the
construction off shore. Months of the
most laborious work were required
to complete it before the actual work
could be commenced. The water US
ed in mixing cement and for ordinary
purposes again must be transported
in tanks for a hundred miles as we'll
as the fuel and supplies. The attempt
was once made to shorten this trip
by bringing it from Manatee creek,
a point fifty miles nearer than Miami.
A water station was established. A
few days later, however, a northwest
wind blew the water out of the bay
so that it was impossible for boats to
get within two miles of the station:
A few weeks later a southeast wind
piled the water up in the bay in such
volume as to flood the wells and drive
them out again.
Just before leaving the mainland,
the line of the road was obliged to
cross a complicated junction of three
creeks which presented formidable
barrier. At great expense two OF
these creeks were damned and their
course changed so that single bridge
suficed.
Another curious problem was en-
countered on one of these keys, a
wide lake which the preliminary
survey had not considered a serious
obstacle. The lake was half a mile
wide and six feet deep, and had bed
of peat which made it absolutely i'm
possible to procure firm foundation
for the tracks. After much trouble
the peat was removed and the lake
filled in with rock.
The longest stretch of tracks on
any of the keys is sixteen miles.
When the track is not passing over
the open sea it traverses high en-
bankment which commands a beauti-
full view over the surrounding land
and sea. For long stretches the tracks
are shaded by waving cocoanut palm,
which, with the dazzling white of the
coral, makes an enchanting scene.
The new road will make Key West
for all practical purposes part of
the mainland. The distance from
Key West to Havana is only ninety
miles, a distance which even the
freighters will cover in four hours:
The passengers and freight cars will
be transferred to great ocean ferries
holding thirty cars to make the trip.
The position of Key West, being
directly on the line of travel on the
way to Panama, has obvious great
natural advantages. The railroad to
Kew West is the last link at the South
of the great through service along
the Atlantic coast. The completion Of
the great bridge at New York over
He'll Gate which is to connect the
Pennsylvania with the New England
railroads will complete an unbroken
line of railroad communication be-
tween New England and thesouthern-
most city of the United States.
Theisland city of Key West is mean
while building a great harbor worthy
of it's future. About. ITO acres of the
shallow water adjacent to the city is
being bulk-headed and filled in with
immense dredges. This newly &C.
quired land will be used for yards,
stations and wharves. The new
| ,,bo,1,oc will ho S00 foot in LENGTH