The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-30
TRIUMPH OF RAlLRoAD BUILD.
ING.

ING. s
F1aglor's Ocean-G Going Railroad Down
Tho Florida Coast to Key West.
The greatest achievement in rail.
road building in this country in re-
cent years--and peRhaps the greatest
OF all--is the construction Of the Flor
ida East Coast roads Only a few
days ago United States Judge In New
York dismissed the, charge of peonage
brought against the labor agent OF this
most remarkable railroad. II has
since been shown that the psonage
agitation ayaini't the road was started
by some irresponsible workmen. who
after the manner Of hoboes had run
away from their work and sought To
justify the breaking OF their contract.
When the road was projected the use
Of tho Florida convicts was offered
at forty cents day. but Mr.. Flag
lsr. the head OF the undertaking, de-
cidsd to use free labor. though more
expensive.
A news story Of this great enter
prise says In part:
Vice President PARROT. who now il
In New York on business connected
with the great extension which is
Jumping over q stretch of thirty miles
Of open ocean and over thirty miles
more Of submerged keys and lagoons
to connect Key West by direct line
with Miami. now estimates that this,
one Of the most novel engineering en-
terprisss Of modern times. will be COM
pleted and trains running for its full
length within year.
Already the line Is completed and
trains are running for "a miles
south OF Miami. right down to knights g
Key. Work also Is being pushed for
ward from Key West up and over
forty miles OF roadbed has been con-
structed by the gangs that are work.
Ing northward to meet the other work.
men who rapidly are moving south.
This means that total Of 124 miles
has been completed out Of the 1s6
miles Of road surveyed from Miami
TO Key West. The greatest Of all the
engineering feats on this wonderful
line. however, IL yet to be completed.
This II the eloven-mile gap from
Knights Key to Bahia Honda whers
the line IL being carried over the open
ocean on concrete arches. -t
The effect OF the great extension on
trsfic to Havana. however. already
has been felt because now the steam
ers for Havana meet the trains at
Knights Key and take passengers and
freight from that point to the Cuban
capital instead Of eishty-four miles
north at Miami. When the line 10 CON-
pletsd to Key West huge railroad car
floats will take entire trains across
the Florida Straits to Havana. q Ids
tance Of ninety miles. without com-
pelling passengers TO leave their cor
seats or sleeping car berths and with
out the necessity Of breaking bulk on
. single consignment Of freight, This
win mean that the Cuban sugar plant
Or win Be enabled to load his product
on = freight car sids-tracksd at his
plantation. have the car hauled BY
rail- 10 Havana, fioated to Key Yves,
and then rail-hauled right. to New
York or any other point without any
OF the expense, trouble or damage
dangers Of . second handling.
This great project. which is being
financed from beginning to end. b,
Mr.. Flasier personally. generally I,
regarded by engineers a. the most ex.
pensivs stretch Of railroad ever built
the average cost OF construction. from
end 70 end. exceeding 100000 a mile
while the additional capital require,
ments for docks. channeling. car float,
and equipment will bring the tota
cost approximately to $4,000. 900. AL.
ready Mr.. Flagler has expended up,
ward Of siS.ooo.ooo on the work.
Americus Times Recorder. #