Wednesday; September 2
On this date in 1935 a hurricane hit the Florida Keys and killed several hundred people. But, also on this day in 1935, a dream died with that storm. Henry Flagler had made millions in business and industry and spent them in a variety of ways. One of his major accomplishments was to link the Florida Keys (along with the important port in Key West) with the rest of the United States. With a lot of work he was able to finish the Overseas Railroad in 1912. It would only function for a couple decades before one of the harshest hurricanes on record devastated it. In all, there were almost 500 fatalities, but the Overseas Railroad died that day too. Since then, a highway has been constructed to get people to and from Key West but, while portions of the railroad are still visible, the dream is gone. As I think about this disaster, I am reminded of Jesus’ warning, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy...