ACROSS THE GULF BY RAIL TO KEY WEST 
205 
The distance from Ke}”^ West to the point where a railroad 
would connect with the mainland is about T20 miles, 100 miles 
of which would be on the keys. The construction of a railroad 
from Key West to Bahia Honda, an island 30 miles from the 
former point, presents no difficult problems of engineering and 
would be comparatively inexpensive. When cleared of a few 
inches of vegetable mold and loose stones, the surface of the 
islands is as level and smooth as a ballroom floor. From Key 
West to Bahia Honda the railroad wmuld traverse Boca Chica, 
Saddle Bunch, Sugar Loaf, Cudjoe, Summerland, Torch, and Big 
Pine Key. Between these islands short trestles, ranging from 
one hundred yards to half a mile in length, would be necessary ; 
but some of the passages could be filled with the loose rock which 
is found in immense quantities on all the keys, thus obviating 
the necessity of trestling and making a solid roadbed. Not 
more than seven feet of water has to be crossed until Bahia 
Honda channel is reached. This channel lies between West 
Summerland Key and Bahia Honda, and has an average depth of 
about 20 feet, the distance across it being a little over a quarter 
of a mile. Here it would be necessary to have a drawbridge, as 
the channel is used by the small vessels cruising along the coast. 
The most difficult and expensive i^ortion of the road would be 
from Bahia Honda to Knights Key. Between these two islands 
the distance is about eight miles, but dotted along the route are 
several small keys, surrounded by shallow bars, which extend 
a half-mile or more on all sides. INIolasses Key lies directly on 
the route from Bahia Honda to Knights Key. Between Molasses 
Key and Knights Key the water is deep and bold, and if the 
road was carried in a straight line throughout it would cross 
about half a mile of water varying from 20 feet to 25 feet in 
depth ; but by making a slight detour to the northward and 
tre.stling from Molasses Key to Pigeon Key, and from Pigeon 
Key to Knights Key, deep water would l)e avoided. Between 
the former islands lies the Moser cliannel, named after Lieut. 
Comdr. .Jeff. F. Moser, U. S. N., wlio located it during his Coast 
Survey work in this vicinity several years ago, and four miles 
distant and to the westward of Knights Key is the channel which 
bears its name; over one or both of the.se channels there would 
be another drawbridge. 
After reaching Knights Key there would be very little trestling 
for a distance of 30 miles, until the small keys to the eastward of 
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