The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-03
RUSH WORK ON THE
FLORIDA KEYS R. R.
Hundreds of Laboers Sent South to Work the Fager
" Pro- ACompleton Certain Within Year Great
est Achievement Of the Age. Ae
,df belal9 "a

]
work on the completion of the great
Florida East Coast Railway, follow
l:ing the decision OF Judge Hough
| OF the United States Circuit Court,
in dsmissing, as without cause of
action, the so-called peonage cases
that had been brought by the United
States Government against the labor
agents of the railroad.
! While these actions were pending
in tine courts the men in charge of
the construction work on this sea-
going railroad, which is to be Henry
NJ. Flagler's greatest achievement,
were loath to push forward with the
same amount of energy that had
been displayed prior to the action
of the Attorney General in taking
cognizance of the reckless charges
of labor slavery that had been
made, Every effort to make up for
lost time now will be. put forward
by Vice President Joseph r. Par
rott, who has been in charge per-
sonally since the work began in
June of 1905. Fully 1000 men are
employed south of knights Key and
more workmen are being sent to the
field of operations each day.
Vice President Parrot, who now
is in New York on business con-
nected with great extension when
is jumping over a stretch of thirty
n,iIae c,f oman ncaa, apd oyo, .htr,,,
miles more Of submerged keys and
lagoons to connect Key West by di-
rect line with Miami, now estimates
that this, one of the most novel
engineering enterprises OF modern
times, will be completed and trains
running for its full length within
a year.
ALREADY the line is completed and
trains are running for eighty-four
miles south of Miami, right down
to Knights Key. Work also Is be-
ing pushed forward from Key Wet
up and over forty miles of roadbed
has beer constructed by the gangs
that are working northward to meet
the other workmen who rapidly are
moving south. This means that a
total of 124 miles has been COM
! pleted out OF the 1856 miles of road
surveyed from Miami to Key West
The greatest of all the engineering
feats on this wonderful line, how
ever, is yet to be completed This
is the eleyen-mile gap from knights
Key 10 Bahia Honda where the line
Is being carried over the open ocean
on concrete arches.
The effect of the great extension
on traffic to Havana, however, al
ready has been felt because now the
steamers for Havana meet the trains
| at Knights Key and take passen-
gers and freight from that point to
the Cuban capital instead of eighty
four miles north at Miami. When
the line Is completed to Key West
huge railroad car floats will take
entire trains across the Florida
straits to Havana, distance of
ninety miles wIthout. compelling pas
sengers to leave their car seats or
sleeping-car ,berths and without the
necessity of breaking bulk on a sin
gle consignment of freight, This will
mean, that. the Cuban sugar planter
will be enabled to load his product
-on-s freight ..sidetraeked at. his
plantation, have the car hauled
fright to New sYoek az Any other
point without any of the expense,
trouble or damage dangers Of a sec
ond handling.
This great project, which Is being
financed from beginning TO end, by
Mr. Flagler personally, generally is
regarded by engineers as the most
expensive stretch of railroad ever
built. the average cost OF construc-
ton. from end to end exceeding
100000 a mile while the additional
capital requirements for docks.
channelng, car floats and equip
ment WIN bring the total cost "p-
proximately to 100000 900 Already
Mr.. FlaglAr has expended upwards of
SIS 100000 stA
III was more than year and
half ago when this great work was
interrupted by the United Stale AT
ttorney General and charges were
|9made that laborers on the ,railinad
work were held in bondage, et9n-
Rpelled VI, work ,,pYactically, vwithput
Spay and sSAfgs slsBbjscted to1Narlous
sorts Of oppression, ,----.-. .,- t..
n The case was presented to the Ered-
eral Grand Jury in New York and
indictments, charging conspiracy,
were found against l1duard j. TRAY,
of Jacksonville, Fla, resident labor
agent for the road; against Francisco
sabbia, who has a private bank at
225 Bowery in this city; and
against Frank "A. Houg.i and David
IL. Harley, who were employed by
the company to take south the gangs
of workmen that were engaged in
New York. At an expense that has
been estimated to be as high as
100000 the Governments attorneys
after three years OF preparation.
had their eases literally thrown out