The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-12
he VETOES IT.
City Engineer McCabe Doesn't
Like Sewer Plans.
Refuses to Allow Orchard Place
to Be District.
MUST TAKE IN MORE.
Wants Walnut Grove Included
in Proposed District.
Much Need of Sewer in South
Topeka.

CITY Engineer McCabe has placed his
veto on a, scheme of the owners of Or
chard Place to organize sewer district
to comprise Orchard Place alone, to the
exclusion of Martin & Dennis addition
and Walnut Grove. He says that Wal
nut Grove people want a sewer, and
that they should be allowed to come into
the proposed district
Orchard Place prefers to be in a dis
trict by itself because it is situated on
high ground and by comparatively shall
low and inexpensive excavation can
build a sewer which answers all its re-
quirements. Walnut Grove is mostly
very low, being in fact below the top of
the banks of Shunganunga creek. To
help the people of Walnut Grove the
sewer main down Euclid avenue will
have to go deep. and probably will
strike rock in large masses. This will
make construction work expensive
If Walnut Grove is excluded from the
proposed district, it will Droba bly, mean
that this part OF town can never be
severed, because the people there can
not stand the expense of building their
own deep sewer main The same main
which sewers Orchard Place can be
made to answer for Walnut Grove by
simply digging it deeper.
.'Out in Martin & Dennis addition, =,
said Mr.. McCabe this morning, they
don't seem to be very much in favor OF
a sewer. The people are rather slow to
! take the matter up, and in order to in
clude that part of town, the council
would likely have to act contrary to the
wishes of the majority of the people
there.
Walnut Grove on the other hand. is
in favor of the sewer provided it can
arrange it to cooperate in building the
sewer from Orchard Place and save
such a heavy expense.
Il can't give my approval to any plan
which contemplates building sewer for
Orchard Place alone. because it will
practically shut off Walnut Grove from
what is its natural sewer district
Orchard Place people have prepared a
chart showing the location of the sewer
which they propose to build. The sewer
main extends down Euclid avenue with
laterals to the north. 1t empties into
5-foot sewer at Thirteenth and Monroe.
City Engineer McCabe proposes that
the outlet be made at Thirteenth and
the railway tracks. which gives several
feet more fall. and makes no material
difference in distance. At this point
sewer, which was evidently intended by
eX-City Engineer Kingman to be the
connecting point for another sewer.
The levels in Walnut Grove, as shown
| by the city records will enable a sewer
to be built which will run 9 feet below
the surface and will take sewage from
/ the Walnut Grove cellars. This is one
OF the things especially needed in tina t
part of town. Owing to the proximity to
the Shunganunga creek and the lowness
of the ground, almost every rain floods
the cellars in that part of town. With
this defect remedied Walnut Grove
would be one of the prettiest residence
districts of the city.
1t is proposed to build a 36-inch sewer
main up Euclid avenue This will be of
such a size that either sewer pipe or
brick can be used in the construction,
and will result in lower prices because
of competition between the tile and
| brick -~en.
There will be approximately % blocks
| IN, h. ir nd
| ed. Two blocks just west of the railway
! tracks between Fifteenth and Euclid, nine
| blocks in Walnut Grove. and twelve
blocks in Orchard place and the Douthitt
estate comprise the territory.
| In case the sewer is built low enough
for Walnut Grove, it will. at its western
terminus. also be low enough to enable
Martin &, Dennis addition to connect at
some future time. This is important
consideration for the welfare of that part
of Town. which otherwise would be beyond
| all hope of ever getting sewer facilities
without enormous expense.
1t is likely that when the city water
| mains are extended into Martin & Dennis
addition. the sentiment out there in favor
of building a sewer will be greatly
strengthened. The chief objection which
the people out there make is that the
proposed sewer would be a dry one, and
might do more harm than good.