The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-30
MORE WATER.
The City Council FavOrs 525
Hydrants
To Secure Them 1t FaVOrs a
Vote On
BUYING THE PLANT.
Holding In Reserve the PrOpo-
sitiOn to Build
A New One-CounciI Unanf-
mOusly Endorses the Project.

uOuSIy EHuOfSeS JHe ETOJecbs
Topeka will soon vote on a proposi
ton to own it's own waterworks. The
city council last evening by a unani-
nous vote agreed upon an ordinance
instructing Mayor Fellows to call
special election to vote upon the propo-
sttion to either build new works or buy
the plant now in use This means
buy of course, for two waterworks
plants will never be built.
When the election will be held has
not yet been determined Mayor Eel
lows said today that he has not made
up his mind when it will be held but
it will be this fall.
The ordinance which was agreed upon
is of the alternative order 1t provides
that the proposition shall specify the
issuance of not more than $44O, 900 in
bonds to acquire or build new water
works. The first proposition is for the
building of a new plant, the second pro-
vides for the purchase of the plant now
in use and the third provides for the
acquisition of the plant now in use by
condemnation proceedings. He is speci-
fed that the purchase price shall be at
the actual market value and the law
provides for the appointment of ap-
praisers.
Mayor Fellows says that the mem bers
OF the council are afraid of the old
plant on account of the large number of
four inch mains. There are Is miles of
four inch mains in use while the spec
1hcatiOns for the new plant do not pro-
vide for any four inch mains The
smallet size is six inches.
No matter whether a new plant is
built or the old one purchased Mayor
Fellows says that the pumping station
will be above the asylum sewer and
the plans made by Engineer Barnes
contemplate the location of the pump
ing station in the vicinity of the one
now in use.
There are 43.75 miles of water mains
now in use and the plant provided for
in the ordinance cOntemplates 81. miles
and 525 hydrants. This is for the pur-
pose of reaching the portions of To-
peka which have for years been with
out fire protection. The number of hy-
drants now in use is 317.
A feature of the ordinance is the pro-
vision for the issuance of bonds Of small
denomination. The ordinance provides
that the bonds shall be in denominations
of not less than SO nor more than 5000.
This is for the purpose of allowing res
idents of Topeka to buy the bonds. In
two or three towns in Kansas which
have recently purchased water plants
all the bonds were taken by residents
of the county.
There is no opposition in the council
to the construction or purchase of the
water plant. The members of the city
council want to keep up with the times
and they are ready to take this import
ant step. The petitions for the calling
of an election contained the names of
over 1000 resident tax payers and there
will be little doubt of the proposition
being carried at the election.
The maximum amount of bonds
agreed upon is small when it is cOnSid-
cred that the Indebtedness of the pres
ent plant once amounted to over 81 000,-
600, which was created by an Outrag-
eous watering of the stock.
Following are the provisions of the or
dinance ornitting the instruction to the
O 0f n al
tion and the specifications relating to
the present plant, the size of the mains
and equipment:
''Sec. 3. The bonds hereby authorized
shall not exceed in amount $40, 900, and
shall be issued in denominations of not
less than $40 nor more than 5000 and
shall run for a period of not to exceed
20 years and shall bear interest at a
rate not to exceed 4 per cent per annum
which bonds shall not be sold for less
than their face value and no COM
mission or other compensation shall be
allowed for their sale.
Sec. 4. The waterworks plant and
system hereby provided for, if con-
structed by the city of Topeka, shall,
in a general way, consist of approx
mately the following:
Pumping station, one suitable stone
or brick building, boilers of 500 horse
power capacity, two high duty pumps.
one of 100000 and one of 100000 gal
Ions capacity per "a hours, and suitable
wells.
MAINS and dlSIr1Dut1On systemic
miles "A inch pipe; As miles of 20 inch
pipe; .48 miles of Is inch pipe; 40 miles
of Is inch pipe; 1O6 miles of IA ineh
pipe; 329 miles of II inch pipe; 6.61
miles of 10 inch pipe; 1856 miles of
inch pipe: 2974 miles of inch pipe
making total of 51.5 miles of pipe. All
of said pipe shall be strong, tough, of
even grain and satisfactory to admit
Of drilling and cutting, and shall stand
under pressure, a test of 800 pounds per
square inch.
HYDRA nts-Five hundred fire hose
hydrants and 25 steamer outlet hy-
drants making a total of 525 hydrants
with all necessary fixtures, appurtenan-
ces and connections to make a perfect
and complete system. Said plant and
system to cost not to exceed $40, ,000."