The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-24
NEW CENTRAL
FIRE STATION
May be Built East of the City
Building.
NEW TELEPHONE COMPANY
May Use No ! Hose House as
an Exchange.
TO OPERATE JUNE 1ST
New Telephone Company VIII
be Ready at That Time.
TO OPERATE JUNE 1ST

+ The Independent Telephone company
may. purchase Of the city hose house No.
on North Market street and remodel 1t
and use It for an exchange. That was
a plan made yesterday and preached TO
Frank L Brown by Chief Walden. The
{ telephone company is going TO build &
building Just south OF the FIRE house.
Their building VIII be almost exactly the
same size and style as the FIRE house and
while talking with the IRE chief yesterday
it was asked Il that building cannot be
used. Mr.. Brown studied a moment and
said he had never thought OF il before.
but it was a good thing. He said that
this might be done If the city could find
another place for new hose house and
that he was willing TO buy the building.
Then plan was told 70 him that has
been II the minds OF the city officials for
years.
( The city owns two lots just east OF the
I city building on Williams street These
/ lots were purchased several years ago Tor
/ the purpose Of bringing the companies
+ from Nos. 1 and : hose houses and con-
soHdsung those two companies and also
/ putting the police patrol and ambulance
/ in the same building and operate 1t on the
same order. II the city can sell the hose
house on Market street 1t viii Immediate
F IL begin working on the new building and
as soon as il is finished the house on
south Topeka VIII be sold and both COM
panies come 10 the central part OF the
city.
Today the FIRE committee and Chief
Walden. Mayor Mclean and Mr.. Brown
VIII meet in the city building and it Is
probable that some conclusion viii be
made as TO the disposition OF the hre
house 10 the telephone company. Mr..
Brown said yesterday:
4 came here from Chicago 10 let the
contracts for building the exchange build
ing. and I viii let the contract this week.
Now If 1 can buy the fire house, I VIII not
let the contract. but / must know in
very few days what viii be done. The
fire house VIII suit our purpose as IL is
just such q building as We intend - build
and with a little remodeling and putting
in partitions VIII be as good 10 US as a
new building.
Vow If the city can build a new fire
house Is they think of doing and VIII va
cate the fire house in time 10 install the
switchboard by the first OF June we viii
bay that house ~ any reasonable figure
and thus save building a new house and
then the city would have all Of its fire
companies concentrated. That is the two
big ones and besides that the police pa
troll That would make it better for Us in
giving the service to the department and
would enable the department to give bet
ter service TO the city
The matter viii be discussed at length
today by the committee and the IRE Of
fcials and a definite decision may lie
reached before the meeting adjourns.
There VIII probably be an engineer pres
ent who can tell how soon q building 0f
the size and style wanted for a central
fire station can be built Chief Walden
already has a plan for the building thar
he would Ike 10 have and a sort Of plan
may be drawn from this and thus a con-
tractor will be enabled 70 set his date as
to the time the building would be com
pIeted.
Frank I. Brown said 70 a reporter for
the Eagle at the Carey hotel last night;
Il have been east for two weeks buying
the switchboard for the wichita exchange
and also material. The Specifications for
The switchboard provides that IL must be
set up and be in operation by June L
heavy penalty has been fzed for every
aav after June 1 that the switchboard
is not ready for use. 50 can say 10 the