The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26


take the trains themselves straight
through, making the journey an all
rail one. The effect upon the gulf
ports of Mexico, the other West In
dies, Central America, northern South
America and the Panama canal will
be scarcely less far-reaching. The
soon-to-be terminus of a continental
railway system. the island city OF
Key West is already drea ming dreams
of a splendid future as a great COM
nercial port, to which shall come
ships and traders from all these coun-
tries. while its hotels are filled with
thousands of wandering Americans
fleeing from Northern winters to the
blissful climate where frost is I'M
known and islands OF palms and
white beaches bask in perpetual sun
shine amid azure seas
FIagIer's Hobby.
1t may have been vision some
thing like this, touched with the gid
ing of fortune for the man who had
the courage to make 1t a reality,
which inspired Mr. .F1agler to under
take the apparently impossible task
of building a railroad the foundations
of which for nearly half its length
must be the bed of the sea itself. The
East Coast of Florida has been called
-.r. Flaglers hobby, but he himself
has never mades any secret ofsstne
fact that his interest in IL and the
tremendous OUTLAWS made in construct
ing the railway and hotels which
have made it fayorite American win
ter restort were dictated by strictly
practical considerations.
If any of his various Florida en-
terprises could be considered the M
dulging of a hobby, the East Coast
Extension might have seemed TO de-
serve the term so out of rne realm
of practical things did the idea look
at first sight to all but its protector.
40 Mr.. Flagler, in whose mind, ac-
corning to his own statement, the
plan had been terminating since the
result of the Spanish war made it
certain that the United States was
henceforth to maintain closer rela-
lions with the island lands south OF
her it seemed steadily more destr-
able. until he determined that the
read should be built if it could be
done. Then came the preliminary
work of surveying, exploring and
drawing plans, upon which engineers
spent months. When their work was
done, Vice-President Parrot went
with the result to Mr.. Flagler
The One Real Issue.
Can it be done?" was mis- only
question.
1T can" was the answer.
Then do it," directed Mr. Flagler
Since then for three years filled
with hard work and with triumphs
over all sorts of obstacles and dis
couragements, they have been doing
1t to the reality that now stands ae
con1plished the beginning of the end
of the gigantic task.
ID : On that confronted the
builders was this: From the south
IA mainland of Florida in long
curving line to the southWestwara
the coral islets called the Florida
Keys stretch away to Key West, the
.4st Of the chain. Eastward lies the
Atlantic: westward the Bay Of Flor
.ua beginning at Homestead, 20
mIlss south of Miami, where the road
ended, they must build along the
line of these keys and across the
scores of channels and passages
which separate them one from an
ner. a road which, should be SO sol
idly based az to Withstand the dread
ed autumn hurricanes which have
their breeding place among the West
Ina.an islands. Some of the channels
are a few feet wide, some thousands
0f feet ana SOME uIllCc- 4 hO ."iOS7N
of all. the spanning OF which was the
LAST piece of worn in the completion
of the section now opened, is five and
half miles across from island TO
island. Everything Except the rock
for the road-bed and entertainments
had to be transported from the mann
land. for the keys are mostly barren
and could furnish no supplies. Even
water had to be brought in tanks and
lhe workmen had to be housed In
floating dormitories over much of the
distance.
Undeterred by Disaster.
In spite of these difficulties and OF
.-e obstacles of mud and water, SUN
currents, jungle, srsck, hest mosqui-
toes, and storms, the work, once De
gun, has ~een pushed steadily on
without a halt until the end IS IN
sight. A year ago the great storm
which ravaged Jamaica swept over
the keys and made wreckage OF much
of the exposed works but. the damage
was repaired and the road pushed on.
Then came reoprtss from some
mysterious source, printed in news