The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-13
Commercial Club Takes Steps
For New Union Depot.
Committee Appointed to Cam
Vass the Situation.
PLANS ARE SUBMITTED
H. V. Hinckley Shows How De-
pot May Be Built.
Believes That Union Pacific is
Ready to Act.

DIR J. G. McClfntOck was HdIhcu 0
chairman of the Commercial club com
rnittee to investigate and determine
upon the possibility of a union pas
senger depot for the four railroads en-
terms, Topeka. by President John E
Frost today. The other members of the
committee are NJ. d. Henderson. W. 3
Rergundthal. G. w. w. Yates, Fred W.
Freeman. Frank p. MacLennan and
Dell Keizer.
The Commercial club committee VIII
Sc every effort within it's power to
induce the railroads to adopt the union
depot project The committee will hold
consultations with the officers of the
various roads just as soon as it is pos
sibIe to do so.
The matter of securing the union
depot will first be taken up with the
local officials of the Santa F'e railway,
because it is an admitted fact that II
will require more influence to get the
Santa Fe interested than any other
road. The plans for union depot If
adopted will require the loss of from
three to five minutes on through trains
getting in and out of Topeka on the
Santa F'e. The trains that are made
up in Topeka of course would not be
affected, as a minute or so lost or
gained is of no great consequence.
The Union Pacific, it is said, will glad
" enter a union depot. Any move that
will give the Union Pacific an entrance
to the south side of the river Will be
welcomed.
The Rock Island will be in favor of
the plan for the reason that the fast
growing business of the road is en-
croaching on the office room in the pres
ent depot building and the offices are
beginning to be just a little crowded
already. BY transferring the local pas
senger business from their depot to the
union depot a whole door of the build
ing is gained for the increasing office
work
The Missouri Pacific would only have
to go farther to secure the advantages
of good depot, and in event the To-
peka branch of the road is built to
connection with the Central Branch the
union depot project would be of great
advantage 1t would only be neces-
sary for the Missouri Pacific to cross
the Kaw river on the Rock Island
bridge and build its tracks to the Cen
tral Branch connection from the north
side of the river in North Topeka.
h v Hinckley, who prepared the
plans for the proposed station, said in
a letter sent with the plans:
The plan shows proposed location for
tWo-story passenger station and the
general layout of the new elevated ter
minals necessary in connection there
with. The station would extend from
Kansas avenue to Quincy street might
be on either the south or north side of
First avenue and the entire block should
be acquired for station purposes. The
terminal company would build new
bridge over the Kansas river at Jeffer-
son street. There would be about eight
tracks at the station and these would
be elevated above the traffic on Kansas
aven6e and above the other north and
south streets from Jackson to jefferson
inclusive; above the electric railway
lines and above the Santa Fe freight
m. into
would be installed. The Union Pacific
would save the stop at the Santa Fe
crossing and would lose not to exceed
two minutes by coming across the river
10 the Union station and would get rid
or passenger trains in the North To-
peka yard The Rock Island St ice
trains would run exactly as they do
now. while their through trains wo11ld
avoid running round the " and back
Ing ln-thus saving from three TO five
minutes. The Missouri Pacific would
simply have farther to go to reach a |
better station.
THE Santa Fe on its throurh trains |
would 1ave an increased distance to
travel and would have to turn on the |
new Y, losing probably three to five |
minutes on through trains but Canine
the freedom of its entire main trar2 |
ana yards from the annoyance due to /
stoppage OF switching work for passen- |
ger trains and giving them their present |
passenger tracks and depot for their in |
~A-ANs77=
would put all the passenger trains |
Whlle on terminal tracks-entirely out /
of the way of street traffic All grades |
could be kept below / per cent
The second plan shows cheaper b77t-
TO the writer's mindless satisfactory
terminals. The terminal tracks cross /
all streets at grade. On Kansas avenue |
from Second to Crane is a viad11ct COR /
ry1ng the street railway and the main /
traffic of the avenue over the terminal /
tracks This viaduet would have a /
large. covered, elevated landing con- /
Meeting, by steps. with the trains a17
leading into second story of depot as
Well. The Santa F'e by this plar doag
not entirely rid its freight yard of rba
passenger train nuisance as the Kansas
City trains still cross the yard. -
NlNEWOOD PROJECT INDORSED
The Commercial club passed the follow
ing resolutions commencing sthe Vfnevoo5 |
Park railway project:
W hereas. The Topeka and Vinevoo5 |
ton to the honorable nnaVor riaIe a1s1 appiicaI
Tor an amended franchise to build eorSin |
sasS st II, tte a modern electric railway over
certam streets of said city: and
w hereas, 1t is represented that said |
~, tt Pts1iis = reauy 10 and will begin work
u nll ! siie SoilSlr uctlon and equipment of the |
IT3ad 7 as soon as the franchise is granted: |
the road VOTE '5I, OF building and equippfng |
I ehe Ioa1 S.d, VIII involve the expenditure of |
ABOUT Sic5.ouJ. much of which will he snan+ |
IN ~, l,opeKa p!sj Tor labor and material: that the
1 I IVau Ss VIII connect the city of Topeka with |
Y rlneWood park tract of 400 acres Ivbict, |
ne, ne company agrees to at once improve bV
.1illullg q summer theater and cafe q |
lake 1or boating grounds-for games .a,,S1
genefal amuSements. such as the civ fs
done without the voting of bonds or a,,s7 D
tbs 49, tfl Sc 70 tls taxpayers and will at
the rolls for assessment: therefore he ~ ~
Resolved. That the CommerciaJ cJ,,b oe
IopelIa respectfully requests the honorabIe
mayor and council of the citv Of TonaIe 1aple
to grant a franchise under such restric-