The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-11
Mysterious Chasm Appears in
North Topeka.
All That Is Thrown
Into Mouth
TO FILL IT.
That Is the Question Confront
ing Street Force.
Has Continually Enlarged Since
the Water Subsided.

A hole. engulfing the width Of L.au-
rent street and swallowing sidewalks
on each side. has formed in front Of
the Episcopal Church of the Good Shep-
herd on Quincy street in North Topeka.
Around hole of twenty or thirty feet
in diameter left by the receding waters
of the recent food the earth has caved
and fallen in until the chasm has
spread to a width of seventy-hve or
eighty feet. It is partially filled with
water of unknown depth.
Extending from the very walls If
the Episcopal church on the north side
of the street the hole has extended
rapidly during the past two days until
the foundations of R. K. Grahams
house on the opposite side OF the street
have been undermined The combined
efforts OF a dozen men with four or fv-s
teams at work all day yesterday have
been insufficient to appreciably chech
the rapidly widening chasm. A large
elm tree which formerly stood in The
parking in front of the church has
gradually sunk, as its roots We're wash
ed out, until its trunk lies entirely
within the hole.
A BED OF QUICKsAND.
A devouring bed of quicksand is be-
lieved TO be the cause of the alarming
J
has left The surface of the water is
eight feet below the level of the street
and is believed to be ten or fifteen feet
in depth. No accurate estimate OF the
extent or depth OF the bed of quick
sand that is supposed to underlie the
! locality can be obtained. The water IN
4 the hole is much shallower than that
4 in many OF the holes in North Topeka
but none of the others had manifested
rounding earth that this has shown
+ 1t is believed that the water in the hole
remains about on a level with the river
itself.
In no other place in North Topeka is
/ q similar phenomenon known to have
been produced by the flood Just how
be stated as the fact that it was
spreading was not noticed at first
From the accounts given by the work
men who have been trying to check its
spread, it appears TO have caved OUT
ten or twelve feet in every direction
during Wednesday. Early Yesterday
the sidewalk on the south side of the
street fell in. The earth for six or
eight feet between the walk and the
house followed during the day until
yesterday afternoon a part Of the north
foundation wall of Mr.. Graham's resi-
dence collapsed and sunk
During that time four wagons of the
street cleaning department We're con-
stantly hauling dirt from the streets
ing thrown in from the west side alone.
At the same time wagon was busy
hauling spoiled hay and similar refuse
which was being packed along the edge
of the hole nearest the house. Last ev-
eninB this work was believed to have
been successful in checking the en-
croachments of the hole on the south
side On the west side, where it has
caved back until the edge of the asphalt
pavement of Quincy street is slightly
undermined, the work of filing in has
shown some results. If this work proves
successful in stopping the widening of
the hole further work on filing it viii
probably be abandoned until the water
in it has disappeared.
One block north of this point simi-
lar hole has formed about a manhole OF
the sewer This place, shows no tenden-
cy to grow The hole is about 20 feet
in diameter and probably six feet in
depth At the corner of Gordon ami
Monroe streets one block east a very
deep hole has been discovered in the
rear of T NJ. Forbes residence. The
corner of the foundation as well as the
masonry of cistern has been laid bare.
The depth of the hole can not be ascer-
tanned on account of the water sur
rounding it. Across the street from Mr..
Forbes residence a deep hole has form
ed in Gordon street. Between Monroe
and Quincy also. on Gordon, the street
is under water for the length of half
block where the flood made an excava-
ton Of three or four feet.
The east side of North Topeka IS hon
evcombed with holes formed in most
cases around the sewer built there q
wear ago. None of these holes present
the aspect of the one at the corner Of
Laurent and Quincy streets and appar-
emily their filling will be an easy task