Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-28
RICHMOND HAS CHANCE
TO GET CUBAN TRADE
Car Ferry Service Between Key West
and Havana Will Start on
January 6.
WILL LOWER FREIGHT RATES
Local Jobbers and Manufacturers
Have Advantage Over Rivals in
North and WeSt-Goods Go
Through Without Change.


! with the opening next week of the
| car ferry service bctwee: Key West
| and Havana. Richmond manufacturers
ana jobbers Will have Il decided adj
! vantage over rival concerns I'm the
| NORTH and West. az this city will be
| many hours nearer, and will have con-
siderably lower freight rates to the
cuban metropolis. On January s the
| first trip will he made from the main
land of the United States to Cuba, and
freight ears loaded with through car
goes from points on that important
| island Will soon DO common sights as
! they go rolling through this State and
! city.
! The car ferry Henry 81 Flagler
named after the great dreamer who
/ conceived the idea of an oversee route
| TO Cuba, Will be the first barge Of the
Florida East Coast Railway Company
10 steam out of Key West for Havana
IT Will be laden with cars shipped from
many points In the United States.
which will be transported from factory
[ ana mine to destination without being
| handled.
RICHMOND HAS DIRECT
RAILWAY COMMUNICATIONS
Richmond. being several roads
having direct connections with the
Florida East Coast Railway, viii be
| IN position to benefit by the opening
or the new system. The products of
locai factories are used extensively in
| Cuba, and much more trade can be de-
Neioped there, rs the freight rates will
be considerably lower. and jobbers and
manufacturers Of this city will be bet
ter able to compete with their rivals
! VINO have heretofore depended upon
| the ocean rs their means OF communi-
cation. In addition to the cheapcr
! rates. this city Will be much nearer
| IN point of time, and consequently can
nil orders much more quickly.
The Florida East Coast Railway is
, known as Flagler's Folly" because
few railroad men could grasp the great
proposition suggested by Henry NJ.
| flagler This scheme called for the
| building OF concrete and steel links
! between the innumerablc keys" or Is
lands extending from the mainland OF
| Florida TO Key West. only eight hours
/ distant from Havana by water The
line has been completed to Key West.
ana piers and warehouses have been
! erected there and at Havana. All that
| remains to be done is to start the ferry
service
SPECIAL FERRY BOATS
TO CARRY FREIGHT CARS
cars Will be run on the big, spe-
! cially-designed ferry boats, and on ar
rival at their destination will be sent
! out over the connecting lines. Cuban
| products Will In this manner have q
l
! benefit BY the increased use Of Amer
| lean goods OH the island
The success of Mr.. Flagler's scheme
| has already led to plans being made
Tor railroad up the Alaskan coast.
! tapping the vast mineral resources OF
that country. Siberia has been pierced
! with rails. and a similar ferry service
as that to be put in operation by the
tlorida East Coast Railroad can unite
the two continents OF North. America
ana Asia, and bring this country into
|! direct rail communication with Europe
| and Africa.
The new line, it is believed. will
reVo!utionize business between this
! country and Cuba Coal from Vir-
ginia. West Virginia and Pennsylvania
mines can be loaded into cars and
sent through to Havana and other
cities without having to be loaded into
/ the holds of vessel. and then re-
loaded into cars. Likewise. sugar from
the great mills on the island can he
loaded In BULK in cars and sent to the
big refnerics in New York without
! other manual handling.