The Washington times., 1924-12-17
Gross FLORIDA
line OPENS
JAN. II
Seaboard Air Line to lnaugd.
rate Through Service Over
Its Own Rails

4 Opoch-marking point in development
OF transportation to and through
the South was passed today when
S. Davies Warfield, president and
chairman Of the board OF directors
OF the Seaboard Air Line Railway,
announced the opening Of the Flor
ida Western and Northern Railroad.
an extension Of the Seaboard Air
Line Railway, through central Flor
ida to West Palm Beach, and the
'Cross-F Florida short line. connecting
the east and west coasts of Florida
by direct route between st,
Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota and
West Palm Beach, shortening the
time coast to coast by many hours.
The line will be opened between
Coleman and Sebring on Sunday,
January IL; through to West Palm
Beach on Saturday, January "a;
across Florida, coast to coast, be-
tween st. Petersburg, Belleair,
Tampa and West Palm Beach,
Wednesday, January %.
Through Service.
with the opening Of this new
extension Of the Seaboard. is in
augurated the first service over its
own rails (south OF Richmond Of
any trunk line entering Florida
without delivering its trains to a
connecting or interchange railroad
for both east and west coasts Of
Florida.
The new construction embraces a
204-mile link in the Seaboard sys-
tenn between Coleman ION main line)
and West Palm Beach, through Gen.
ter Hill, .Auburndale, Winter Haven
09orence Villa), West Lake Wales
lake Wales, Mountain Lake Park,
Highland Park, Babson Park,
Avon Park, Sebring and Okeecho-
bee: with a cutoff across the lower
peninsula, giving Florida a new
north and south short line to the
east coast and the only direct route
across the State between st. Peters
burg, Belleair, Tampa, Sarasota,
West Palm Beach and intermediate
points.
Effective from New York on
January 9 and Jacksonville Janu-
ary 10. through sleeping car service
will be established to Sebring and
intermediate points, and effective
from New York on Friday, Janus
ary %, the famous Seaboard Florida
. Limited that has been operated
successfully for twenty-four winter
seasons will now carry through
sleeping and observation cars direct
to West Palm Beach over the new
route.
New Fast Train.
Effective sfrom New York on
January &c. q new fast train will
be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as the
"Orange Blossom Special" direct
to West Palm Beach through the
picturesque region Of central Flor
ida by daylight: and coast-to-coast
night and day service win be estab-
1ished on January % between Tam
pa, st. Petersburg, Belleair, Sara
sofa, West Palm Beach and inter.
mediate points.
In solving the Seaboard's destiny
IN southern territory, Mr.. Warfield,
when he conceived the idea of ex-
tending the lines of the Seaboard
to the east coast, inaugurated a
policy never before followed in
railroad construction.
He realized not alone the benefits
which would accrue to the State of
Florida, the travelling public and
shippers of a new line to the East
Coast Of Florida, but. he conceived
the idea of carrying along with
this railroads. development the de-
velopment of a contiguous territory
on. gigantic scale. In the sale of
the 100000 of bonds, the proceeds
OF which are building this railroad,
he arranged that each purchaser of
bond should share in the enhance
ment In the value of the lands ac-
CURED, over 100000 acres. to accrue
through the advancement coming
from the development Of the rail-
road. To accomplish this the Land
Company of Florida was ORGANIZED
in which the bondholders secure q
common stock interest in connection
with the price paid in the purchase
OF bonds, the Seaboard Air Line
having also a common stock inter-
est. -
In order to visualize the new
Cross-Florida railroad, start at
Coleman q31 miles south Of Jack
sonville on the Seaboard's Jackson
ylle.Tampa-St. Petersburg short
nne) and draw direct line through
Central Florida to West Palm
Beach. Then draw a direct line
from West Palm Beach to st. Peters.
burg, through Tampa; then follow
the Seaboard's st. Petersburg-Tampa-
Jacksonville short line, passing
through Coleman. This forms a
great triangle which, combined with
the other extensions Of the Sea.
board nearly covers the State of
Florida.
Another feature Of the expansion
policy Of the Seaboari is the estab.
Hshment of three new fast trains
two from the Northern cities to
Florida, and one from New Orleans
90 Florida in connection with the
Louisville &. Nashville Railroad.
Additional Trains.
The full significance Of the open.
Ing of this new railroad and the
establishment Of the new service to
the future OF, the great Southern
region served by the Seaboard is
seen when it 3 pointed out that
these new trains are in addition "a
the four other high-class trains. OBJ.
Grated the year round by the Sea.
board.