The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-09-01

closeted himself in his office one
day in 1905, pored over archi-
tects' sketches of massive con-
crete viaduets spanning miles of
open water, and visualized trains
running out to sea.
With all his imagination, little
did Flagler dream that another
day would come to see automo-
biles speed at 20 miles an hour
over those same huge viaducts
and bring promise of resurrection
to a dead city.
Scoffers called the plan to
send locomotives steaming over
viaducts and picturesque islets
to Key West "Flagler's Folly"
But the trains did rumble out to
sea, 10 miles to Key West; and
they kept running for % years
from the day tho overseas railway
was completed at a cost of $780,
100000 and 200 lives, until the
disastrous 1885 Labor Day hurri-
cane left those twin steel rib
bons useless.
Was Thriving City
Key West was "Ameriea's Gil
bralta-", then a thriving port, the
Nations leading cigar-manuiac-
turing city. Now it is only a
ghost; but when the overseas
highway is completed over Flag
ler's concrete and steel piers next
January it will rise again, its
people hope, this time as a tour
list resort.
FlagEer, then rs, began to plan
the extension to Key West soon
after the last rail of the Florida
East Coast railway was laid to
Homestead twenty miles south OF
Miami.
He accompanied engineers down
the keys with surveying and sound
ing instruments in comparative
secrecy. Actual work began few
smaaths deter
I Workers were recruited in the
North, most of them from New
York's Bowery, some from Chi
cago. For seven years they labor
ed to cut through jungle growth
and build thu roadbed through
snake-infested swamps and over
lagoons and straits through which
strong ocean currents coursad in.
to the Gulf of Mexico.
Concrete arches and pillars rose
tout of the ocean, at some places
from solid bedrock 80 feet under
water.
Many workers lost heart and
quit. There was a standing order
for 400 new employees a week.
| A hurricane lashed the keys ir
1908 and 149 men died in TIN
swirling waters. The next year an
other storm swept over. Key West
and up the coast. The workers
were better prepared this time
and only a dozen men wera lost
Accidents claimed additional
lives.
The second storm did greater
damage. Fiva steel spans were
swept away and the roadbed was
washed out in places. Plans we're
revised, the viaduets altered to
permit a freer flow of water into
ths Gulf. and work continued.
On January %, 1912, Flaglel
rode triumr hantly into Key West
on the first train to reach thc
Nations southernmost city.
! Proud Day for Flagler
It was a proud day for him.
Blaring bands and cheering thou.
sands greeted his train. A thousand
school children threw roses before
him as military units escorted him
! through the city. Ships in the
harbor saluted with booming can
non.
"Flagler's Folly" was now ''the
eighth wonder of the world"
F'iagler died the next year, but
the overseas extension earned
$40, 900 for his estate in the
first ten years Of operation. Much
+, OF that was due to heavy freight
traffic that went on 70 Cuba by
huge ear-ferries.
Dark days were ahead. however.
for the city which hailed its out
let to the mainland as = mighty
boon 70 commerce.
key Vests troubles. paradox.
ically, began almost with the At.
rival Of the railroad.
, Long before Henry NJ Fiaghss
thought Of his railroad, Key wess
! prospeFed--uas, in fact. tbs
states largest city for . decade.
Key Vest reached its peak Of e..
900 about 1896. Then. slowly. Il
declined when the railroad ar
rived ia 1912 the population was
10000.
Helplsssly. Key West watched