Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-02-06


great violence by the force Of the
wind. The track b thirtg-One feet
above high water, so mat the pas
sengers in the railway trains may Sit
IN the windows Of Pullman cars in Sc
renety and have an opportunity Of
seeing how the Atlantic Ocean looks
In gale.
Some OF the keys are very small,
merely an acre or SO OF sand that has
been piled up by the action OF the
water upon foundations of coral that
have been constructed through the
ages by these wonderful little insects
that set as all a good example in pa
tience and industry. On the Atlantic
side they have hard beaches OF clean
white sand bordered with groves of
stately cocoanut trees which grow
Wild everywhere in that latitude. On
the western side the keys slope OF
into mangrove swamps and the inter,
Tor OF the larger islands Is usually
dense mass Of luxuriant tropical vege-
tation. These lands are admirably
suited to fruit culture, and Mr.. FlagleF
intends to colOnize them in the near
future Except in a few scattered
patches the soil has never been dis
turbed by cultivation. The few In
habitants have made their living in
the fishing trade and in gathering
sponges from the bottom of the sea
for the market In Key West Some
OF our best sponses come from that 10.
cality, and are cut from the coral rock
with curved knives dashed. to the ends
Of long poles. In early days the In
habitable keys were haunted by
wreckers, who lured passing vessels
upon the shoals by treacherous false
lights and then looted them as they
lay helpless. Horrible stories are told
Of the cruelty OF the "copohes," as
these desperadoes were called. But
their descendants are now engaged in
more humane occupations. Wrecking
as an industry has been abandoned
ever since the line Of six lighthouses
was built along the shoals between
Miami and Key West.
On some Of the keys are mahogany
groves, With trees Of great value, and
orchid Hunters have found rare varie-
ties OF air plants and parasites among
them. The soil and climate are espe-
cially adapted to pineapples. bananas
and lines, and several pioneers have
already started small plantations now
that the railroad will furnish means
Of transportation TO market Hitherto
the Inhabitants Of the keys have been
sn(lrsly dependent upon their own
sallboats. but their wants are few and
both Key West and Miami are thriv.
Ing cities.
knights Key, the present terminus
OF the East Coast railway system.
has q safe and almost landlocked
harbor made by the outlying reefs and
keys, and a drop channel from the
ocean permits ve0sels OF twenty feet
draught TO come alongside q dock
which M Flagler has constructed
1000 feet southwest OF the key. The
railway trains pass over trestle and
run alongside steamers which pick
up their passengers and carry them
on to Havana.
Experts who have studied the work
Of construction consider II one OF the
most remarkable pieces Of engineer.
Ing OF modern times. II was begun In
1905, and has since been carried on
without contracts under the direction
Of J, G, Meredith. an Iowa man, who
was educated at the State Agricultur.
al College at Ames and afterward took
a course In civil engineering at Stew.
Gus Institute. Hoboken. n, J. He then
went into river and hNrbor work
under the army engineers, assisted TO
construct the great bridge over the
Missouri at Kansas clty, and was en-.
gagged for u time On harbOr Improve.
ments and Ia building docks at Tampi.
co. Mexico. until Mr, Flasler sent for
him In 1904 and placed him In charge
Of the great work which he has now
nearly accomplished. Nearly all Of
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