Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-10-29
SEA GOING RAILROAD.
FlasIer's Wonderful Projection Across
Florida Keys.

FlaaIer's Wonderful Projection Across
Florida Keys.
BY using the Florida keys as step
ping stones a railroad is being built
over the open sea from the mainland
half way to Cuba. The railroad goes
to sea from a point below Miami on
the east shore and after crossing sew
enty- five miles Of open water by bridge
or viaduct, and traversing forty-two
islands or keys, terminates at Key
West.
It will soon be possible, says the
New York Herald, to enjoy the speed
and luxury Of modern railroad travel
practically out Of sight Of land. A
great harbor Is to be built at Key
West where trains may be run direct
ly upon great floats which will carry
them to Havana in unbroken pack
ages. This direct connection with the
mainland with its saving Of eighteen
hours time in transportation. 1t Is be-
lieved, will make Key West. with the
opening Of the Panama canal, one OF
the greatest seaports of the country.
Engineers Of the new road from the
first have been confronted. by new and
battling problems. Much of the road
being far out at sea. will be exposed
to all the storms to which these tropi-
cal waters are subject. A wide swath
must be cut through many of the is
lands, while others must be laboriously
built up from below the sea level.
Much Of the land crossed consists OF
almost impenetrable swamp. Although
single track road. the cost Of con-
struction will probably exceed 100000
mile, or about $15.000.0OO for $50
miles of construction. The idea Of this
ocean railroad originated with Henry
NJ. Flagler, who will spare no expense
in making 1t success.
One Of the most interesting parts Of
the work to the lay mind is the pre-
cautions taken to safeguard the ex-
posed viaducts against the sea- The
viaducts will be built Of reinforced
concrete, resting either on deep piling
or solid rock. 1t has been found after
careful examination that the maximum
height Of waves throughout these wa
ters Is twenty-five feet The railroad
will be kept at a level Of more than
thirty feet above high water. The
highest waves known to- this coast,
therefore, could not break over the top
of the viaduct. The engineers count
upon comparatively smooth water be-
cause Of the coral reefs which parallel
the track practically throughout the
entire distance This natural barrier
although in many places below the
level of the water, forms a breakwater
which turns back the toughest seas.
The longest Of the viaducts over the
open sea, that at Long Key, is nearly
seven miles. There are at present
twenty five hundred men employed on
this viaduct alone. working both day
and night. This army Of workers is
comfortably housed in a camp at the
western end of Long Key. The viaduct
will consist of 1856 arches and Of these
seventy are already complete.
Some idea Of the proportions Of this
undertaking may be gained from the
statement that this viaduct will use UP
2S6, 900 barrels of cement 177,000 Gu
bic yards Of crushed rock, 100000 Gu
bic yards of sand, $4,000 lineal feet OF
piling, 500 tons of reinforcing rods
and 100000 feet of dressed lumber
for arch forms.
Every possible precaution is being
taken to anticipate the action Of the
wind and waves against this ocean
going railroad. The support Of every
one of the arches rests upon twenty
eight piles driven deep into the cora
line limestone which forms the bed OF
the sea. After the pile drivers have
passed to the next pier great Golfer
dam is lowered from a catamaran into
place around the. piles. A long pipe Is
then used to lay concrete to depth OF
three feet. AS soon as this has hard
ened the water Is pumped out and the
pier forms are set in place around the
piles, which have been cut down to low
water level A great barge containing
the cement mixing machine Is ther
towed into place loaded with cement
and crushed rock The steel reinforc-
ing rods are put in place and the ce'
ment Is poured in. 1t Is allowed tc
stand for three weeks before the frame
Is removed. When completed the via
duct consists Of a thick shell OF ce-
ment which Is in turn filled In with
earth and crushed rock to the track
level. The water varies in depth from
thirteen to twenty feet. The tide un-
der normal conditions flows at the
rate Of four miles an hour.
The 1856 miles Of constructive work
between Miami and Key West presents
practically every problem known tc
the railroad engineer. The construc-
ton on the main land from Miami.
distance Of twenty-nine miles, presents
no unusual difficulties. Beyond this
the road passes through heavy man.
grove swamp. a distance Of nineteer
miles. Throughout the swamp there Is
not sufficient water to float the
dredges and not enough materials
within reach to allow wheelbarroW
work. 1t was found necessary tc
dredge two large channels to accom-
modate them. The two dredges ther
made their way through the swamp
digging their own channels as they
went along and using the mater1a
thus dug for the railroad embankment
Two other dredges were started mean
while from the opposite end OF the
swamp in the opposite direction.
| Between the mainland and the near
est Of the coral keys or stepping stones
there stretches a salt water marsh
which defies all efforts at building 9
permanent railroad. The only way te
cross this morass was by building
trestles and bridges. All these diff
culties had to be overcome before the
real problem of the road-the building
of the viaduct on high seas-coule
H. ,,oooba5 From this Doint the keys