The weekly true Democrat., 1909-10-29
HAND On 30. 1LAGLER.

/
HARD on HR. TLGGLER.
There are but few people In Florida
who have not wished for Mr.. Flagler's
success IN his great railroad undertake
ing 70 Key West. These will read with
much regret the following report Of the
recent hurricane, copied from the Nj
ami Metropolis:
"RepOrts that come from the Key
West extension Of the Florida East
Coast railway are not encouraging.
The first brief statement given out by
the vice-pTesident Of the company that
the property lOss from the hurricane
was greater than II had ever been has
been supplemented here and there BY
fragments Of information which lead
10 the conclusion that the completion
Of the work has been seriously inter-
fered with. Some whose judgment
may b0 considered competent are Of
the opinion that the hurricane fur
nished the cause for q delay Of at least
q year IN seeing the enterprise com
pleted. Nearly all Of the floating
equipment was lost and will have 70
be replaced before the work can be re-
sumed with the same aggresSiveneSs
and strength with which Il was pro-
ceeding before the disaster Of last
week. Il will require therefore on lit
tie time many months, perhaps-be-
fore the forces can be organized IN the
same effective manner that they were
prior 10 the storm. This will eonsti-
tute the hrst delay; then the replacing
Of the damaged portion Of the rOadbed
and the tFestles viii take time, which
will constitute delay number two.
After q lapse Of probably no lees than
. year the work win have reached the
stage that it was three weeks ego.
The loss 10 the railroad company 10
greater by far than the value Of the
equipment and the track destroyed by
the storm. There 10 the cost Of roplac-
ing Il all In The quickest possible time,
which will be more expensive than the
FIRST cost, and then there 10 the Valua-
bic equaslOn Of hme--ths loss Of .
year under which the promoters and
the engineers must necessarily fret
when they reflect that they were with
IN sight Of the end and saw the work
Of head and hand swept away like q
house Of cards.
"But more serious. still. 10 the great
numbers Of people who are interested
In seeing this gigantic work completed
Iu the question whether the extension
will be made complete and permanent
In the event Of Mr.. Flsglsr's death.
THE ravages Of the recent storm is
said 70 have proved that all the earth
work on the keys will have 20 be COW
cred with cement In oruer 10 make Il
storm proof. There 10 no way 10 pre-
vent tropical hurricanes; the only man.
ner 10 combat them ls 10 fOrtify the
work against their attacks. The keys
are washed frOn shore 10 shore during
these storms and the water is Inn
pounded BY the embankmsnts Of the
railroad higher on one side than on the
other. No greater damage is done By
the force Of the storm Itself than by
seepage through the earthwork which
continues for days and weeks after the
storm This natural process Is said 10
be most destructive 10 the solidity of the
work and would b a constant menace
70 travelOvor the line. lfthls ls true the
engineers IN charge Of TIE construction
are appVisad Of lt and the difficulty Of
building this novel line beeomes more
apparent ~ the work proceeds. lt b
readily ssen that the eoastEuction ls n
danger Of beng delayed lonEor and
made more expensive as s4paFieaee 70.
veas the many obstacles. 10 b dsalt
with
cS~~