The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-12-16

An ocean journey by rail. Who ever
heard Of such a thing? Great heavy en-
gines pulling long trains Of heavy Pull
man coaches along the surface of the
water with the limitless expanse Of
blue ocean stretching out on either
hand. Incredible as II may seem this
very thing will be possible BY the first
Of next year; for the road being built
along the coral reefs Of southern
Florida Is nearing completion, and
when finished will enable one to get
within 1l5 miles Of Havana BY train,
and the rest OF the distance 70 the
Cuban capital can be covered by fast
steamer IN six hours time. From a
comfortable seat ii parlor car the
traveller will be able to look out on
one side across the rolling billows Of
the Atlantic and on the other side
over the bluer waters Of the Gulf Of
Florida. the two commingllng directly
beneath the tracks which support his
train. The tracks themselves Will be-
invisible Of course. 30 he can enjoy
the novel sensation Of going to sea
BY train
Here and there the voyager BY
ocean railway viii cross diminutive
coral keys and at intervals he Will
traverse larger islets through groves
Of tangled palms. He viii be set down
at length on Knights Key. the south
ernmost point In the United States,
reached BY rail, and the temporary
terminus Of the only seafAring rail-
road ever built There he may step
aboard a fast steamer and In ak hours
land in Havana. having travelled all
but It's miles Of the distance from
his starting point BY train.
The effect SO far as the traveller Is
concerned, w'ii be the same as II a
wonder-working genil should pick up
the Pearl Of the Antilles and move It
a hundred miles OF more nearer to the
United States. The journey to Cuba
from New York or Chicago. or any
point IN the eastern half OF the coun.
try. viii be shortened in point Of time
nearly onethlrd. Leaving New York
on any wintry evening. the traveller
viii be able on the second afternoon
10 step ashore In the Cuban capital
having made the entire trip in less
than IS hours.
This win be made possible by the
opening 70 trafiic OF a section Of the
railroad at sea" that has been push
ing out over land and water along the
thlckly dotted line Of coral islands
that curves from the Florida mainland
southwest to Key West. When worh
vas begun, about tuo years ago. Il
was announced that trains would be
running Ia three years. but so rapidly
has construction gone forward thai
already more than two.thifds Of the
distance has been covered. and the
line Is almost ready to be opened fol
more than 100 Of the i54 miles Of its
projected length.
The building Of this remarkable
ocean highway Is regarded by Mr.
Flagler as the crowning achievement
Of the great development that he hal
been carrying on in Florida Thougl
he has been engaged in other indus
trial enterprises. Mr. Flaglers rea
w0rk-or, at least. that IN which HI
takes the keenest interest--has beer
Transforming the eastern half Of Flor
ida from barren waste Of sand int
a thriving industrial section and thi
winter playground Of the country
Though sometimes spoken Of as
hobby. his development Of Ponce d
Icons land o. perpetual youth ha
been conducted as a business enter
prise pure and simple. The buildlnl
Of the ocean railway was undertakes
with an eye to the growth ia import
ance OF Key West that Is certain Z
follow the completion Of the Panam
canal. and to the steadily incFeasln
traflc between the United States an
Cuba. At the same time the man VIII
is responsible for these great enter
prises has devoted TO them all the en-
INMNAANNa AAnN sunny AAlNA 81" ~ D"'
or yachting or raising thoroughbred
In this sense they have been his hol
by. It Is true
According TO Mr. Flagler himself
the scheme Of carrying his railroa
line out across the coral islands Z
Key West and Of conveying his train
from there BY rapid car ferries direc
" to the Cuban capital frst took tar
gibie shape In his mind during IN
spanish-Ameriean war. At that tim
the certainty Of closer political an
trade relations between this countr
and Cuba became evident, as did th
commercial and strategic importanc
Of some means Of quickly reaching th
island republic from the United State
The dream grew IN Mr.. Flaglcr'a mlnl
and he directed that 8 survey be mad