The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-12

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water. This can be made the point OF
distribution for large part of the
Florida territory"
Mr.. Burchardi told him it would not
be difficult to build such pier, but he
doubted whether ii would be of much
service. TO dock ship out in the
ocean would be serious matter When
me sea was particularly smooth 1t
would he easy but generally the At
lant1c has a swell. Not infreou emily
II has more than a swell. To dock
when there was more than swell
would be extra hazardous. IL not i'm
possible. Everything that man knew
OF that could pe employed to assist in
warning ship in to a pier might be
utilized. yet the obstacles OF nature
we're such that he doubted whether
vessels could DC, brought to the pier
IN any but the SmootheSt seas
Mr. t'laglcr said that IL man had NOT
overcome the obstacles of nature there
would have been no prostess in the
world. With all due respect to the
engineers knowledge anu skill, he
believed steamers could land He
wanted the pier built.
1t was not long before Mr. Eurcha,-
di got busy. Out into the Atlantic.
foot by foot went an arny Of work
mon sinking, plling, laying lumber.
driving bolts and spikes. or the many
bridges and piers the engineer had
constructed not one got more Earnest
attention than this one. The best
ber the forests OF the land could
supply was obtained. Mr.. Flagier de-
sired a pier OF which hs would hi,
proud, and so far IS 1t lay within tho
power of the engineer he was going
TO have 1t.
Gut somehow there seemed to be n
hoodoo connected with that pier. One
day there was an accident, in which
Mr.. Burchardi was Injured. Another
day there Yves another accident in
which one OF mis- assistants was hurt.
This did not in any way affect the pro-
Eress of the work, but workmen ere
superstitious. They had doubts all
along as to the wisdom OF building the
pier. Now they We're satisfied 1t was
doomed TO failure They would not
have been surprised al anything that
happened.
So when the pier was completed
they were pleased SO was Mr. Flag
Ter, but for another reason lie saw
through that pier another important
step in the development Of Florida.
Along the whole long eastern shore
of the State there We're only TWO ports,
Demanding and JacksonvilIe Ternan-
dina was in the northern corner Of the
State. jacksonville was some dis.
tance up on the ST. johns River. and
could be reached only BY ycssels OF
light draft. t steamers could dock
at Falm Beach 1t would mean radical
change IN the transportation rates
between middle Florida and tn. North
Mr. F'lagler Inspected the pier with
the greatest interest, II certainly was
o fine piece OF work Wide and gen
crpus in all It's proportions, L Strctch-
cd Way out into the ocean, ane al its
end was equipped with tlc must clab-
crate system Of tenders ever used.
Satisfied with everything liz. saw.
Nr. lFiagler autographed . Sew York
70 the owners o! the Ward line OF
steamships thht the pier was ready
and that Florida awaited ;hc Inaugural.
tipn Of . service TO Palm Eeach. The
Ward line was To haze he nonor OF
christening tic pier. Following the
Ward linr otllc! lines. the Vessels Of
which went 80 Gulf or West indian
~ NJ Nt!H - nc ihNlteh &c make Pain
StI1:it a p"ft OF call,
ING hfs' sieHhler "i N" hNnid linz.
- hristei. tAot Pier Was re; gentle
N tae fnattsf. fherc vas no. much
- o $50 on just one OF ';iosc swcliS
lliai hppctr inhorcni, but are not. The
sca '.'e' Haa ciosa - the ric!, and tho
people on the pier and I'll. PEOPLE on
Tho steamer were clccyiusr wren ,b,