The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-11-30
Fifty Cents a Month; SIS a Year
KEY WEST EXTENSION
WILL Be COMPLETED
Only Forty-Five Miles of the Railway
Over the Sea Remains to be
Built

Jacksonville, Fla, Nov. 2S-Every
indication points to an early resump-
ton of the actual construction work
on the Key West extension Of the
Florida East Coast Railway Mr. ]. c.
Meredith, constructing engineer Of this
great project was a visitor TO the city
yesterday. being en- route TO Miami
from New York, where he has been
soIhe weeks on business in connection
with the Florida East Coast Railway.
MI Meredith was seen By a Times
Union representative and he talked
interestingly Of the work which has al
It ady been accomplished and also of
the future, when the actual work of
completing the connecting link from
Knights Key TO Key West island will
be resumed
MIR. Meredith seemed reticent but to
the direct question said: ITO COM
plete the work is the only logical on
clusiOn which can possibly be arrived
at. l see no reason in the world why
the work will not be completed. We
have no new problems Or conditions
to cope with in the remainder of the
construction; in fact the worst of the
difficulties, which confronted the en-
gineers in this startling proposition
have been successfully surmOunted,
and the twenty-o odd miles To Key West
will only be a matter of course. when
we finally commence operations again.
I'VE have completed some eighty
miles Of the extension from the main
| land of Florida to Knights Key the
present terminus. and the remaining
distance to Key West island is only
| fOrty-five miles. OF this forty-fiv i've
miles practically twenty-five miles
have already been completed. so you
can readily appreciate the fact that
| the completion of the work is a tam
| gible fact
Continuing. Mr.. Merldith said:
Prior to July of last year, we had
| $500 men employed on the work: now
We have between 500 and 1000 hands.
This force has been engaged in vari-
Gus operations, such as improving the
terminus at Knights Key and the
| roadbed of the extension. This road
bed, by the way, is now the finest of
the entire Florida East Coast system.
| with the possible exception of that
| portion between Jacksonville and St.
Augustine. 1t has all been rock bal
! lasted and placed in the best condition.
Having a solid concrete foundation,
fast time can be maintained in per-
! feet ease and safety over the railroad
over the sea.
Another wonderful work in cOnnec-
| ton with this big task is the construc-
! ton of the Florida East Coast termi-
nails at Key West. which have been
| three fOurthS completed. When the
| people of Key West realize the fact
| that the Florida East Coast railway
will De actually extended over the con-
| Meeting keys to their city, they natur-
! ally took the position that the railway
was compelled to have terminals on
| the island and consequently asked
| fabulous sums for the necessary land
| upon which to build the terminals.
TO Obviate this difficulty We have
| been making our own land. dredging
| in along the island and dumping sand.
mud. etc, in a space which covers
! about IA acres. This work came to
a cessation last winter by reasons of
/ interference of the Navy Department.
| II was feared by the government that
/ the place where we We're dredging and
! filling in may at some time be needed
! by the department. This matter,
! however. l am sure will be amicably
I adjusted and the work will be resumed
! in the near future"
! Mr. Meredith was asked what he