The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-09
FLAGLER'S GREAT RAILROAD.
THE EAST FLORIDA COAST RAIL
WAY NEARING COMPLETION.
Solid Trains From New York TO Kcv
West Will Then be F1Oated to and
From Havana.

New York, Dec. 2.-Hundreds Of
| men are being rushed southwark to
work on the completion of the great
Florida East Coast Railway, following
| the decision Of Judge Hugh of the
| United States circuit court in dismiss
+, ing, as without cause Of action, the So
| called peonage cases that had been
brought by the United States govern
ment against labor agents Of the rail-
road.
While these actions were pending
In the courts the men in charge of
the construction work on this sea-go-
ing 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 dis
played prior to the action of the at
torney general in taking cognizance
OF the reckless charges of labor slav-
cry that had been made. Every effort
to make up for lost time now will be
put forward by Vice President Joseph
r. Parrott, who has been in charge
personally since the work began in
June. 1905. Fully 1000 men now are
employed south of knights Key and
more workmen are being sent to the
field Of operations each day.
Vice President Parrott, who now is
In New York on business connected
with the great extension which is
jumping over a 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 Maimi. now estimates that this,
one Of the most novel engineering en-
terprises 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-fo
miles south Of Miami right down to
Knights Key. Work also is being
pushed forward from Key West up,
and forty miles Of roadbed has been
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 completed out of the
156 miles Of road surveyed from Mia
mi to Key West. The greatest of all
engineering feats on this wonderful
line, however, is yet to be completed.
This is the eleven-mile gap from
Knights Key to 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, 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 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,
a distance OF ninety miles, without
compelling passengers to leave their
car seats or sleeping-car berths and
without the necessity Of breaking bulk
on single consignment Of freight.
This will mean that the Cuban sugar
planter will be enabled to load his
product on a freight car side-tracked
at his plantation, have the car hauled
by rail to Havana, floated to Key West
and then rail-hauled right to New
York or any other point without any
Of the expense, trouble or damage
dangers of a second handling.
This great project, which is being
financed, from beginning to end, by
Mr.. Flagler personally, generally is
regarded by engineers as the most ex-
pensive stretch of railroad ever built,
the average cost of construction, from
end to end, exceeding 100000 a mile,
while the additional capital require
ments for docks, channeling, car floats
and equipment will bring the total
cost approximately to $40. 900. Al.
ready Mr.. Flagler has expended up
wards of $15.OOO.Oo0 on the work.
| 1t was more than year and a half
ago when this great work was inter-
rupted by the United States attorney
general and charges were made that
laoorers on the railroad work were
heid IN bondage, compelled to work
practically without pay and were sub
]ected to various sorts Of oppression.
The case was presented to the Fed
eral grand jury in New York and in
dictments. charging conspiracy. were