The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-07
TOpeka Magnificent Building of Collapse

Ia =l's office was noticed to be sinking
but no one was alarmed The sinking
process was rapid in both the treasur-
er's office and in the central hall, until
the time that WOrkTnen were hurried to
the basement to prop up the stringers
that held the entire wall above the I1rst
floor. by putting heavy timbers and
jacks under the wall
The theory was advanced that the
brick walls were injured at the time the
upper floors of the building were visited
by fire a great many years ago. the
large amount of water that was thrown
upon the blaze soaked. down through the
floors and found its way to the base
ment where it surrounded the walls, IN
juring the brick.
The walls seem to be intact every
where but the space about twenty feet
long directly under the treasurer's office.
The pillars We're built about one foot
wide and four feet long with several
feet intervening between each pillar that
Three of the pillars erumbled and the
wall above them has been propped up
by heavy timbers to enable the stone
masCns to rebuild the wall.
The doors on the first floor near the
point where the walls gave way can not
be closed and those that are closed can
not be opened because of the jam caused
by the floors settling.
MAY RETURN TO WORK TOMOR-
ROW
All the doors leading into the build
ing have been locked and no one but
the workmen and the watchmen who
are necessary to do the repairing of the
walls are allowed to pass inside the
building 1t is announced that the re-
pairs viii be completed in time to enable
the employees to return to the building
sometime tomorrow afternoon
Everyone about the building refused
to talk about the accident. w H.
Davidson. of the treasurer's office, where
the accident was first discovered, was
apprOa ched by a reporter for the State
Journal, but he refused to talk about the
probable cause of the sinking of the
walls or of what was to be done to rem
edy the difficulty.
Roy Johnson, the theatrical agent was
caught as he was leaving the bull ling.
I'm going home to handle the business
of our Office from the house for a few
days" he said. Il don't know how
soon we will be able to get back to the
Offices"
MAY GET TEMPORARY QUARTERS.
In event the repairs to the building
are not CON pleted in time to allow the
army of over soc clerks who are en-
ployed in the building TO return to work
within day or so the work Will Pile
up so as to make it imperative for tenn
pOrary offices to be obtained somewhere
in the c4y
The work in many of the offices is Of
such a nature that the loss of day or
two win not seriously interfere with the
however cannot get far behind or the
business of the road VIII be seriously
hampered.
1t is said that unless the building is
ready for occupancy soon temporary Of
fees will be opened in which to conduct
the most urgent and important Of the
many business details of the depart
ments that are hampered the most by
the accident.
CHIEF WILMARTH WON'T TALK.
Chief TVflrr7afsfh when DN a
reporter refused to talk concerning the
accident.
Il know nothing whatever about it
he said. Il have not been notified of
the trouble And until I have seen it
and had an opportunity to Investigate te
I would hardly be in a position to de-
termine what the cause could be. The
Santa Fe has a corps of engineers and
I presume they the taking care to re-
pair the walls without notifying any
one outside. I presume they would
naturally rather to keep it quiet than
to give the affair publicity