Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-02-01

were not heard of again. In the storm OF
1909 miles OF wooden trestle were tossed
aside like jackstraws by the wild rage of
the elements. Rocks weighing many tons
implanted in the earth embankment, were
displaced, and the result was the decision
TO substitute concrete viaducts for the
vulnerable solid dikes. Where the earth
wall was retained it was faced with tine
plastic mari, which, turning to smooth,
hard surface, successfully resisted the
waves impact and the subsequent under
tow.
Sometimes the storms have been so
destructive that the engineers deliberately
sank their floating equipment and pump
ed the water out of it and raised it after
the storm had passed. 1t meant loss of
thousands OF dollars to suspend opera
tions for the length OF time necessary to
do this, but it paid in the end. During
August, September and October the en-
gineers have labored under the severest
mental and nervous tension. They were
compelled to send away members OF their
families and give their sole attention to
their defensive and offensive outposts in
the sea. GLOW does the barometer read?"
was the query necessarily telegraphed to
and fro. Weather bulletins from Wash
Ington were received every ten minutes
after their issuance. In the hurricane OF
1909 the wind attained velocity OF l25
miles an hour the barometer touched
the lowest point ever recorded by the
Weather Bureau. The arches and
bridges stood intact, built as they were to
withstand wind pressure four times as
great as that to which they were subject
ed. But, however Stanch and strong the
masonry, the trains making their transit
between the isIets at 10 miles an hour are
not exposed TO the risk of being hurled
into the sea. Wind gauges distributed
along the viaducts are electrically con-
nected with automatic devices which set
signals against approaching trains when
the winds velocity exceeds so miles an
hour.
AT Key West il has been necessary to
create a terminal without the least help
from nature except the provision OF mud
which was dredged up from the shadows
until 200 acres of Gland" was reclaimed
from the ocean. A huge drydock will be
built and ten wharves, each OF the latter
800 feet long and 100 feet wide, giving
wharfage simultaneously to 4OveSSels 4OO
feet long. The present Iail-and-water
route between New York and Mexico will
be shortened 900 miles by the use OF
this new commercial terminal. 1t will
substract 20 hours from the time it now
takes to go 10 Havana, reducing the length
OF the ferry-tralnsit between Florida and
Cuba 80 miles, which last boats can COW
er in four hours. The importance OF the
shortened route to the Caribbean terminus
OF the canal at Colon will increase, to say
nothing of the development of steamship
lines that will radate hence to the West
Indies, to Central and South America.
Even without this terminus, the volume
of traffic along the peninsula has grown
to immense proportions. In 1897 there
were 5000 crates OF vegetables carried
on the railway in 1909 there were
10000 crates OF tomatoes alone. The
road earned a little over $500. 600 in 1907;
the next year if earned more than s. 3,OOO,-
0O0-and it carried in this year more than
100000 passengers. That is part OF the
reason why it has seemed worth while to
carry the rails to the futhereSt tip OF Un-
Gle Sans possessions. Presently it will
be possible to enter Pullman car at
Montreal and not alisht till one arrives al
Havana or Santiago. "Our Lady OF the
Shows" will be taken TO the tropics with
four hours of sea travel on the car-fery,
and the dominions OF palm and pine will
be vitally interlinked.
No wonder 1t was thought worth while
to send to the opening ceremonies the
representatives of nine foreign countries,
besides the American officials, while war
vessels of the fifth division OF the Atlantic
fleet were also present with the ships OF
Portugal and Cuba. A titanic engineer
ing undertaking, that is the monument OF
the man who saw it through to the end
from the beginning, has been consummat-
ed for the lasting benefit OF this country
and OF all the nations OF the earth.