Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-25
FLACLER ROAD
IS COMPLETED
NOTED MEN RIDE ON FIRST TRAIN
OVER FLORIDA KEYS TO
KEY WEST.
BUILT AT BIG COST
Mileage Cost Of New Line $4,000
Sets a New Record IN Railroad
Building; Total Cost More
Than $15,00o,0o0.

l {, {. " g. @
/ Key West Jan. % Forty-six mile
! from the mainland a passenger trail
yesterday steamed across the sea t
Key West, supported by seemingl
frail masonry.
! The trains trip marked the openinl
of the 156-mile over-Water extension o
! the Florida, East Coast railway ant
was the signal for the beginning Of
three days celebsation. One of TIN
foremost figures among public mel
here for the ceremonies was Henri,
Flagler of New York. to whom is civ
Ell credit for completion of the en-
gineering feat. 1t was Mr.. Flagler, q!
| president of the railroad, who over
| came financial and physical obstruc
lions, forcing the construction of q
railway across the line of coral keys
between the Florida mainland and
Key West. II
Warshlps from Portugal and Cuba
and vessels of the fifth division of the
American Atlantic fleet are here for
the ceremonies. Assistant Secretary
OF War Oliver represented President
Taft and members of the house naval
affairs committee arrived yesterday
morning.
Special Trains Open Line.
A special train bearing the Ameri-
can and foreign dignitaries was sent
over the remarkable construction yes
terday as the feature Of the exercises
formally ommenorating the putting
into service of the extension. Many
foreign embassies and legations have
sent representatives to take part in
the celebration at the invitation OF
President Taft. among them Italy,
Mexico, Portugal, Costa RIGA, the
Dominican Republic. Ecuador, Guate-
mala, Salvador and Uruguay.
The United States armored cruisers
Washington and North Carolina and
the scout cruisers Salem and Birming
ham, representing the United States
navy. and the Portuguese cruiser Ar.
participate in the celebration
The completion Of the work on the
extension marks an important epoch
in railroad engineering. The line to
Key West extends 156 miles, nearly
half over open water. Forty.two
keys, or islands, are crossed. /
Time Shortened Twenty Hours.
\ The building of the road marks the |,
realization OF dream of Henry Nj.
Tlagler, Standard Oil magnate and
inancier. He has had the idea con-
SANITY in mind ever since the Span
war excitement, wnen !,
e conceived the proposition of max
ng traffic communication between the
United States and Cuba more prac-
ical. The project will shorten the
ime from the Florida mainland to
'uba by almost twenty hours. I,
The actual work was begun in 1905.
/ was then that the blue prints called
Or by Mr.. Flagler were submitted him
y engineers. The president of the
Dad glanced at them and turning to
!. r. Parrott, vice president and gen.
ight-hand man in all his Florida un-
ertakings. said:
''All I want to know is whether the
pad can be built"
Yes, ii can replied Mr. Parrott.
Then go ahead and build it, Mr.
lagler directed.
Cost More Than $4,000, 900. e
The engineers estimates were that
lie feat would cost $15,OO0,O0 It has )
)st much more than that and officials
the road several tines were oblig- e
to negotiate loans OF millions toi
sure its completion,
Since work was begun in 1905 i'm.
ense pile drivers have been sinking
huge dredges have been {
licking up sand from the bottom of :
e sea to construct roadbed and an
my of between 5000 and 1000 men Y
oh r,r e{~ n
uthward from Miami out over the G
ayes and tiny islands toward Key
est :
The difficulties we're SO many and !
e problems SO unusual that it was J
cessary to assemble steamboats,, ! c
gs, lighters, hundreds of barges, 2
inches, floating derricks, pumps, s
lie drivers and repair shops for the :
ork. u
A wide swath had to be cut through =
any of the islands. while others had :
be laboriously built up from below
the sea level. Much of the land
ossed consisted Of almost impene- c
able swamp. Although single track
ad, the cost of construction exceed ),
$150,00O per mile worlds record y ),
viaduct Seven Miles Long. e,
The longest of the viaducts over the
en- sea-that at Long Key-is NEARLY i
ven miles long from end to end. 1t !
has 1856 arches. Some idea of the
oportion of the undertaking may be
ined from the statement that this F.
e viaduct used up 2S6,000 barrels OF
ment, $4,000 cubic yards of crushed
ok. 100000 cubic yards of sand, 612,.
lineal feet of piling, 800 tons OF
rods and 100000 feet Of he
essed lumber for arch forms. cl
Tie longest stretch of track on any "
e of the keys is sixteen miles. For In
~ stretches the tracks are shaded a.
waving forests of cocoanut palm, ,su
itch, with the dazzling white of the ,st
raj. makes an enchanting scene. iG
The new road will make Key West a,
: all practical purposes part of b,
2 main land and it's harbor one OF
2 most important in the United
ates after the opening Of the Pan .
Ia canal, being. as it is, on the di-
49, i