The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1912-02-01
"RAILROAD OVER
SEA- COMPLETED
Opening of Key West Extension of
Florida East Coast Railroad to
BE Celebrated-i56 Miles
Over Salt Water.

Miami Fla, Jan. 2i.-The COM
|pletion Of one of the greatest engi-
|neering feats Of the present age
was celebrated Monday, when the
first great railroad over the sea,
the Key West extension OF the
Florida East Coast railway, was
formally opened By using the
Florida Keys as stepping stones,
this steel highway runs over 1856
miles of salt water, from a point
a few miles south of Miami to the
island city of Key West.
The completion of the work on
The extension marks an epoch in
railroad engineering as important
as will be the opening of the PAN
lama Canal in the history of ship
lping. II is the same thing reversed.
In the one case, ships are made to
climb mountains; in the second,
railway trains are made to run over
| the sea.
In construction this feat is con-
lsidered the greatest accomplish
ment Of its kind in the world. The
entire line to Key West extends
a distance of is miles, nearly half
of which is over open water. Forty
two keys, or islands, are crossed in
this stretch.
| Consummaiion OF ii marks the
retaliation of dream of Henry NJ
Flagler, Standard Oil magnate and
lone of the foremost figures in the
financial life of the nation. He has
had the idea constantly in mind
lever since the Spanish American
war excitement. when he eonceiv-
led the proposition of making traf-
Ille communication between the
UNITED States and Cuba easier and
more practical. The project will
shorten the time from Florida
mainland to Cuba by almost TWEEN
lty hours.
The engineers estimates were
that the feat would cost fifteen
million dollars. III has cost much
more than that, and the officials OF
the road several times were Obliged
to negotiate loans of millions in
order to insure its completion.
Since the work was begun in 1905.
the dirt has been flying ceaseIess-
lly. Immense pile drivers have been
sinking foundations, huge dredges
have been sucking up sand from the
bottom of the sea to construct a
Iroadbed, and an army Of between
5000 and 1000 men has been push
ling its way steadily southwark from
Miami out over the waves and tiny
Islands toward Key West.
A wide swath had to be cut
Through many of the islands, while
others had to be Iaboriously built
lup from below the sea level. Much
lof the land crossed consisted of al
most impenetrable swamp. Al
though single track road, the
cost Of construction exceeded $780,
900 per mile. a worlds record.
The longest of the viaducts over
the open sea, that at Long Key, is
nearly seven miles from end to
end. II has 1856 arches. Some idea
of the proportions of the undertake
ing may be gained from the state
Iment that this one viaduet used up
l2S6,000 barrels of cement, i77000
Icubic yards of crushed rock, 100000
lcubie yards of sand, $4,000 lineal
fleet OF pIllng, 5,7OU, tons OF REIN
forcing rods, aid 2 s,6600,000 feet Of
dressed lumber for arch forms.
The longest stretch of track on
lany one of the keys is f6 miles. For
long stretches the tracks are shad-
ed by waving forests Of cocoanut
palm, which, with the dazzling
white of the coral, makes an en-
lchanting scene.
The new road will make Key
West for all practical purposes q
lpart Of the mainland and its har-
ibor one of the most important in
the United States. after the opening
Of the Panama Canal, being as it is
on the direct route from the open
ocean TO the great new artificial ar
| terry of commerce.
Also the extension is the last
link at the south Of the great
Through railroad service along the
Atlantic coast. II will now be pos
sible to take a train in Mamie and,
sitting in the same car. travel all
the way TO the sodthermost point
on the eastern coast Of North