The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-05
DOWN Goes DUMP
Cable i" Mysteriously Breaks
Early This Morning.
Evident That It Had Been
Tempered With.
AN EXPENSIVE GAME.
Board of Health Threatens to
Repair the Nuisance.
DIR. Judd Surprised That PeO-
pie Should Be SO Naughty.
SAYS 1T WILL BE FIXED
Will Run Expense Bill Up to
About 5000.
Filth Dumped Into River Was
Not Submerged.

At 9 o'clock this morning, as the first
big load of filth was being sent out
across the river at the city dump, the
lower one of the two great wire cables
came crashing to the river bed, taking
the loaded bucket with it.
Whether or not the people who live
in the vicinity of the dump We're the
ones who made this unfortunate ac-
cident possible there is some doubt,
but the general opinion seems to be
that a few anti-dumpits paid a silent
but effective visit to the cable tower
on the sandbar lying along the north
bank of the river some time during
the night of September 4. The block
which held the lower one of the two
ca bles in place was fixed" so that this
n orning the very first load sent out on
the cable caused the block to give way,
and the whole apparatus to be precipi-
tated into the river below.
4 don't think that the people of Oak
land would do such a thing" said City
Physician c. E. Judd this morning.
But we are not going to be bIumed
out this way. We are going to repair
the cable at once and resume opera
tions''
The man whose duty it was to guard
the dump at night stays at the dump
ing station on the east bank of th-
river This man is of course very pos
cable tower on the other side of the
river during the hours of darkness last
night. He says that the west tower is
made of rotten timbers, and that 1t
gave way because it was overloaded
The way in which the break occurred
indicates that the disaster was not an
accident. Whoever attacked the cable
last night had evidently been studying
the manner OF disposing of it with con-
siderable care. The plan to cut the
cable had evidently failed or been
abandoned. The next best thing was
to go to the central tower, Which sup
ports the cable from the sandbar To-
Gated along the north bank, and fix the
cable so that it would give way at
slight strain, and drop the dumping
bucket into the middle of the river.
With this purpose in view, the block
which held the ca able at the central sup
port was tampered with so that it gave
way exactly as had been planned.
Gable. bucket and all are now in the
bosom of the Kaw, or in the bosom of
the place where the Kaw ought to be.
People living in the vicinity of the
dump came to look at the disabled
nuisance this morning, and expressed
themselves as well pleased at the harm
less condition of the dumping appar-
atus as it now stands. The men VINO
haul barrels of filth from town were
disappointed. The wagons, loaded with
filed barrels, stood in long rows in
front of the dump, and the owners stood
around discussing what was to be done.
"A
loaded and left at the dump to be
emptied at some future time.
It will cost at least $3.50 to repair the
damage done last night. 1t may cost con-
siderab1y more than that. 1t will be
necessary to partially rebuild the cable
tower in the middle of the river which
was badly damaged when the cable
gave way 1t is pulled out of place, and
partly tipped over. To get the dumping
bucket up out of the mud, and raise the
tremendously heavy steel cable will re-
quire considerable time. and much ex-
pense. Tandy, the house mover, will
be engaged to do this work
The city dump has already cost in the
ghborhood of $500 and this new ex-
pense will run the bin well up toward
$500. And the city has not got thing
to show for the money expended When
the board of health started in on It's
dump scheme, it announced that the
cost would be about $50 for putting
the dump into good working order Up
to the present time. about a hundred
dollars has been spent in labor and
grading. another hundred in carpenter
bills. another hundred in lumber, and
another big bill for stretching the ca
ble putting in new guy cables, and re-
pairing the dumping bucket
One of the men who works at the
dump said this morning: They viii
never get that dump to working right.
1t is too old and rusty. l think that
this will be about the end of it. 1t will
be too expensive business to repair it,
and it viii take too long a time
Up to the present time. the dump has
been operated only about tWenty-fots~
hours A hundred barrels or SO of filth
have been run out and dropped into
shallow water near the east bank The
stuff is not submerged in water, and
one of the men at the dump explained
apologeticaIly this morning that when
the dump got to working right, they
would go out and shovel that all out
into the water.