Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-01-20

H ----.-s
January is Witnessed the culmlna-
ton of an important stage in the
Erea. project being worked out by
Henry M. Flagler when the new rail-
road from Miami to knights Key was
opened. This line is the longest part
OF the. ambitious extension OF the
Florida East Coast railway, by which
the roads terminus win be moved
from Homestead, Fla, to Key West,
1913 miles further South. On January
Is the Miami, Key West and Havana,
steamer service was discontinued, ana
passengers for Cuba are now carried
to Knights Key before embarking.
This key is within forty-six miles OF
Key West, the ultimate goal OF this
unique railroad.
Referring to this great work The
Wall Street Journal says that con-
struction work on the extension was
begun on May /. 1905, and the fire.
ouent engineering problems met with
each step Of its progress have been
successfully solved. Stretching its
way from key to key over intervening
lanes Of water varying in depth from
a few inches to 30 feet, the new line
when completed win have been built
for "A miles on land, % miles through
swamps and % miles over water. 1t
has been appropriately nicknaned the
"seagoing railSoad." On the entire
route 80 keys Sre crossed, and the
delay accompanied the procuring Of
material for the connecting concrete
viaducts has prevented earlier COM
pletion Of the new section.
Included in the 1876 miles from Nj
ami are nearly six miles Of concrete
viaducts and 80 miles Of embankment,
rising 81 feet above the water to pro
tect the track from storms. The line
has ten bridges, two Of them draw
bridges with 4o-foot clear openings on
each side Of the pier, and one with
clear opening Of 100 feet on each side. |
The longest viaduct from Long Key to |
Conch Key is 10000 feet built in the
most substantial way. In places con-
crete work on the railway has cost
more than 100000 per mile. The road
is, Of course, single track, with TO
pound rails, and Is an excellent piece |
Of construction work. For the ex-
.tensive grading necessary 1000 men
were employed last winter.
The completion Of the road Is expect
ed to make a wonderful change in the
development Of Key West. With rail-
road facilities this city should take a
position az q port entry on a par with
Galveston, Mobile and New Orleans.
Kew West will obviously be the port
Of Cuban trafic, being but a little
more than four hours distant from
Havana, and will be the nearest rail
connection for Hayti, San Domingo
and the Panama Canal. From the
opening Of the canal large amount Of
profitable business IL expected to origi.
nate, while the winter tourist trafic
is q sure source Of considerable pas
senger revenue. Prosperity and real
estate In Key West have advanced by
leaps since the coming Of the railroad
vas made certain. The city's harbor |
II expected to provide wharfage space !
for 80 deep sea vessels, with wharves
500 feet long. This harbor has been |
filed in for an acreage of 500 by |
1900 feet by pumping mud from the
bay, and upon this newly-made land
VIII be built the terminal. There will |
also be erected here another Fiagler
hotel.
completion OF the last section OF 46 |
miles to Key West will be pushed but
will not be accomplished for many |
months.
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