The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-30
This Will Lead to the Removal
of All Poles and Wires
To the Alleys Or to the Under
ground COnduits.
TOPEKA AS ANEW CITY
Will Look Many Times Hand
sOmer When This is Done.
Council Can Supplement Mr..
Mulvane's Work by Ordinance.

Topekans have become thoroughly
aroused over improving and beautify
ing the city. The awakening of last
summer when the city gave it's great
Festival has been growing and send
ing its inspiring influences through
every part of the city's corporate body.
This spring it has broken into fresh life
in the building of the auditorium. There
is a general desire to make Topeka the
most thriving and the handsOmest city
of its size in the United States. The
people, from the humblest day laborer
to the richest banker, feel a genuine
personal interest in their home city
This is the kind of feeling that must be
fostered and nurtured; with this kind
of public spirit prevailing, nothing will
be impossible with Topeka. The Jour
nal has today to announce that John
r. Mulvane, one of our foremost citi-
zens, is contemplating a plan of i'm
provement which will do more than
anything yet attempted to beautify the
city; the improvement contemplated
will cost not less than $4,000 When
Mr.. Mulvane completes his project To-
peka will not be troubled with the un-
slightly poles and overhead wires. 1t
will not require an ordinance by the
city council to have the wires removed,
either The first steps to accomplish
this much TO be desired end will be
taken by the telephone company, prob
ably this year
Journal reporter that the company Will
put the wires of his company under
ground Just as soon as they can get to
it. which Will be this year or next The
company is now engaged in placing all
its wires in Kansas City under the sur
face, and this is requiring a great deal
of expense and labor. Mr.. MulVane
rays the company will spend more than
n 1iSnOSR
Kansas City plant
The company figures that it Will cost
$50 900 to put the wires in Topeka un-
dergrOund AS the telephone wires are
by far the greatest number in Topeka,
the action of the telephone company
will not leave many in the street. Be
sides the city council will undoubtedly
order the rest put under ground, or at
least in the alleys, after the wires of
the telephone company are put out OF
the way When all the wires are re-
moved from the streets, even Paris
cannot excel the beauty OF Topeka
streets.
President Mulvane says that the com
pany will put the wires in the alleys
wherever practicable. There VIII De
one pole in the middle OF the Dloch,
where the wires will be brought up TO
be distributed to the buildings, but the
pole will not be tall nor unsightly and
besides it will be in the alley.
There are several reasons for the pro-
posed move of the telephone company.
Underground wires are not subject to
destruction by sleet and wind storms,
they never cross and life is not en-
dangered by live wires" because they
are not in the streets
The company has had some large los
ses by storms and while the cost of the
Improvement will be large it will be
saved in case of single disastrous
storm There is frequently trouble with
wires in cases of fires and this will also
be avoided when the wires are under
ground.
There will be no damage suits from
iinemen injured by falling from poles
and the new system will have a thOus-
and other advantages over the old pole
system.
The wires will be laid in conduits of
vitrified clay and they will be impre-
vious to water. It is figured that the
cables will last considerably longer
when under the ground where the ele-
nents will not be present to cause dis
integration.
President Muivane says that the
wires will be put underground only
down town where they are numerous.
1t would not pay to extend the under
ground system to the suburbs where
there may be but one wire. 1t is on
the business streets that the net work
of wires is most noticeable and it would
improve the strets more than any
thing else to have the wires removed
leaving the outlying districts for the fu-
ture when the plant shall have grown
large enough to justify the improve
ments. But the poles and wires can be
put in the alleys In the residence streets
so that the trees and parkings will not
be disfigured as they now are.
If the improvements in Kansas City
are completed this summer the work on
the Topeka plant may commence at
once.If the completion of the improve
ments in Kansas City is delayed the
work on the overhead wires in Topeka
may be deferred until next season but
the work is sure to be done sooner or
later
When the removal of the telephone
poles and wires from the streets is be
gun, the city council should at once
take action to compel all other cOmpa-
nies to also place their poles and wires
in the alleys. The expense will not be
great, and if the work is done now it
Will not need to be done later on: for
the time is inevitably coming when the
ugly poles and wires must disappear.