The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-30
BAD, VERY BAD.
Topeka Crematory a Menace to
Health.
Refuse Dumped Into River and
Not Burned.
LOOKING FOR A DUMP.
Board Of Health Trying to Re-
establish a Nuisance.
North Topeka Sewer Outlet
Found to Be Bad.
LOOKING FOR A DUMP.

The board of health. accompanied by
several members of the council COM
mittee on sanitation. visited the crema-
tory this morning. Things were found
to be in bad shape.
The board of health found that the
furnace at the crematory had not even
been started; that the foul odors were
strong enough TO test the stonach-en-
durance OF the most hardy mortal that
ever lived. They watched the semi
liquid substances pour out of the slulee
box, triclxle in an oozy stream downoVer
the high bank Of the river, and collect
in Shiny pool on the wide sand bar
below.
There is a sign on the front Of the
building in which the name OF the
place is spelled "creamatory." It is
sad sort of a joke.
quite a number of the people living
in the vicinity of the crematory gave
testimony about the condition OF the
place They say that they believe that
stuff has been dumped into the river
all this summer, and they assert tnat
they believe that If the crematofy II
not overcroWded with work. the Whoie
bulk OF the refuse can be burned ~
1t should be. They say that Wneh tue
crematory is run properly, ana every
thing burned, there is no odor from tile
place at all. One man, VINO ushes III
The river for a living, says that ali the
fish have deserted the river Tor q nllle
below the crematory- -, -
The principal object or the trip ~
4ha crematory which was made TINS
morning in the patrol wagon was 70
look for a new location for a CITY o1tlP
where stuff can be dumped INTO NY
middle of the river by means of chute:
About half a mile below the site o.
the cremarory, at quite a distance from
the public road, there IS location
which seems to be in all respects satls-
fartorv provided the city can pur-
chase the land The land belongs 10
J. B. Billiard, the North Topeka miller,
and it is not known whether or AoS
he would sell a few acres 1of use ~
The present location of the crematory
Is not at all satisfactory, ana WIN soon
fact that the new Oakland bridge Is "
be built close to it. and it now STANDS
directly on the public highway
make an estimate on the cost Of build
ing a chute of the kind necessary 70
dump the city refuse into the river. me
plan is to continue the present nas1noo
OF burning dead animals Dt. oM@tl'
secretary Of the state board or healln'
| threatens to stop the city dump ousi-
ness and he ought to do so.
While the board was in the lnVesti-
eating business it decided to inyestl-
gate the condition of the outlet OF tne
North Topeka sewer of which there
has been much complaint.
The outlet is directly across the river
| from the proposed site for the new clty
| chute. and so a boat was borrowed and
DIR. Judd, DR.. Powell. DR.. Davis ana
! Councilman Nichols roWed across
TT was found that the sewer was
/ simply emptying itself onto sandbar
| It is two or three hundred teel away
from the water of the river There Is
/ no xvav for the sewage to. get to the
! I-y the
and this is what it has been doing
The board Will probably have the
/ street commissioner dig ditch 70
allow the sewage to run from the sewer
Monday afternoon the board and the
| committee went to the WaterWoriks, ana
4 conducted an investigation OF the water
/ supply The board suspects that water
| Is being pumped direct from the river
/ into the city mains, and conducted It's
/ investigation on that line The seem
/ ing reluctance of the assistant engl-
/ neef- who was in charge OF the plant,
I "a show the board what 1t wanted to
see aroused suspicion, and some evil
| dence was found which seemed TO IN
1 dictate that the board was right IN It's
| theory that water is being pumped
| direct from the river.
The well at the plant was found 70
be in bad condition, and the company
| viii have to clean il out.
| This morning Jesse shaw manager
1 OF the Topeka Water company, met the
board when it was assembled to go TO
| the crematory, and made this state
| ment:
II understand that you gentlemen
are suspicious that there is something
! wrong about the way we supply the
/ city with water. I want a chance TO
prove to you that what we are doing IS
all right If you viii set a date, I VIII
have carriages come and take you all
out to the plant. 1 viii hare all the
point wells dug up, and you can meas
ure them for yourselves, and see Just
what the condition Of affairs IT, You
can find out whether or not it Is nee
essary for US to pump direct from the
river All I ask is a chance to prove
that what 7 say Is true
The members of the board admitted
that this was fair proposition, and
viii probably accept MI Shaw's inVi-
tati0n
Specimens Of water from the wells
and from the river We're taken for
analysis, and the future course OF the
board will depend considerably upoH
what condition the water is shown "a
1 be IN from the analyses to be made