[By James Richards in Bahia Honda Key, Florida, USA] A first glimpse of the historic Bahia Honda Rail Bridge from Highway 1 between Miami and Key West is a jaw-dropper. Once a key link in the only land route through the Keys, the stunning remnant stands silent and rusting, a witness to a century of history. Opened in 1912 as part of the Overseas Railway, it carried passengers through the Keys until the infamous Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, which destroyed much of the line. The hurricane was one of the worst in living memory, with winds of 250 miles per hour. Hundreds drowned. Ernest Hemingway, by then a resident of Key West, wrote a scathing account in Esquire magazine, furious that the weather service had downplayed the seriousness of the storm, contributing to the deaths, which included scores of war veterans working on the new highway.
The railway was abandoned, and the bridge was bought by the State of Florida. A roadway deck atop the trusses was created for highway use in 1938. It was closed with the opening of a new 4-lane bridge in 1980, and two segments were removed to aid boat traffic. It still stands as a witness to the colorful and sometimes tragic history of the Keys. This scene was sketched from Bahia Honda State Park; you can see park visitors viewing the surroundings from the top deck of the bridge.
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