The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-09
Petitions Are Being Circulated
to Build Gigantic One.
Include Orchard Place, Walnut
Grove and Martin & Dennis.
RUSHING THE WORK.
PlaA Is to Let the Contract
This Winter.
Would Join Sewer IA at Mon
roe Street.

Petitions are being circulated for the
creation of an immense new sewer dis
trict to include Dennis & Martins addi-
ton, Orchard Place and Walnut Grove
all of the southwest part of town which
is at present without sewers.
If constructed on the lines now pro-
posed, the sewer will be one of the long
est ever built in Topeka. The main will
extend for II blocks. and there will be
from 20 to Is blocks of laterals, making
total length for the sewer of about five
miles. The cost of building the sewer is
roughly estimated at from $4,000 to
s100, 000
Beginning at Euclid avenue and Will
liston Cor Bolles) avenue, which is the
northeast corner of the WaShburn col
lege campus, the sewer will extend for
Is blocks due east on Euclid avenue,
past the fair grounds, with laterafS
reaching out into Martin & Dennis adj
dition on the south. Orchard Place and
adjacent localities on the north, and
Walnut Grove on the south. At Mon
roe stree the main viii turn north. and
empty into the 5-fot brick main of
sewer No. IA at Fourteenth street.
The plan is to push the circulation OF
the petition as rapidly as possible, and
II sufficient signerS are secured to let
the contract for the work this winter.
In case there is too much opposition
to the construction of the sewer, the
orchard Place people will ask the conn
Gil to make a sewer district of that 80
acre tract alone. At the last council
meeting the owners of Orchard Place
asked permission to connect a couple OF
half blocks with sewer No IA, but as
there seemed to be some opposition to
that plan, it may be abandoned, and
new sewer built instead to cover all of
Orchard Place.
The proposed construction of this
sewer is almost certain to meet sonle
people living in Martin & Dennis add1-
ton and Walnut Grove who will find it
hardship to pay for the building of the
sewer, and they may be able to defeat
the plan
On the other hand. now may be the
best opportunity Dennis & Martins ad-
dltion and Walnut Grove will ever have
to get sewer constructed. Orchard
Place is certain to be in favor of the
sewer, and will build one independent of
the action of the other localities. If it
does this. it, will make it more difficult
and perhaps impossible to construct a
sewer for Dennis & Martins addition
and Walnut Grove. Both of these To-
calities are very low, while Orchard
Place is high. If Orchard Place builds
a sewer of it's own. it will not need to
put the mains low enough to take wa
ter and sewerage from Dennis & Mar
tin S addition or Walnut Grove. In this
way, Orchard Place to some extent
holds the whip hand over the other To-
calities.
The district which it is proposed to
sewer AlCluOeS the biggest part OF the
Fifth ward. Under the law the method
of creating a sewer district is for a pc
tition to be presented to the council
asking that this be done. The council
then passes resolution stating it to be
its opinion that a sewer is necessary
and the city engineers is instructed to
prepare an estimate on the cost and
define the limits for the proposed dis
trict.
The petitions which are being circu-
| 10 fnd do 49,
district desired, stating only in a gen
eral way that the signers desire a sewer
to include that part of the southwest
corner of town which is not now provid-
ed with sewer facilities. The exact linn
its for the district will of course de-
pend upon the examination of the city
engineer. 1t may be that some portions
of the proposed district are so low that
it will be imDracticable to reach them
with laterals.
The extent of the district therefore
depends to great extent on the depth
of the sewer at it's junction with sewer
IA. The laterals will be run as far as
possible, the limit being when the grad
nal raise in the grade of the sewer
brings it too near the surface of the
ground
Samuel T. Howe. the councilman from
the Fifth ward who lives in Dennis &
Martins addition, is at present in Colo
rado but he is said to be strongly in
favor of the construction of the sewer
James S. Warner, also a resident of
Dennis & Martins addition. said this
morning: "A sewer is one thing we need
very badly in our part of town. I am
very much in favor of the plan, and would
be willing to pay my share and more, too.
to have it built. The only reason I have
to regret living where 1 do is the fact
| that it is such a difficult matter for Us
| to get a sewer
One argument which will no doubt be
| urged against the construction of the
sewer in the fact that at present there are
no water mains in the district which it is
proposed to cover The fact that the cit )
is apparently about to get possession oi
4 the waterworks will have much weight in
influencing people to favor the sewer.