The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-18
TRACKS ON BRIDGE.
Commercial Club Committee Fa-
vors the Measure.

The committee appointed by the
Commercial club to investigate the
placing OF the tracks of the city rail-
way on the Melan bridge has formu-
lated a report favoring the plan. 1t is
as follows:
To the Mayor and Council of the City
of Topeka and the President and
Members of the Topeka Commercial
Club:
The undersigned joint committee ap-
pointed by the president of the Com
mercial club of Topeka and by the
mayor of Topeka, to act in concert
vising some suitable plan for the re-
sumDtion of street car traffic between
North and South Topeka, beg leave to
report as follows:
That North Topeka is entitled to
street car service is conceded by ALL
Unless it obtains such service and gets
it very promptly that part of the city
is certain to be seriously handicapped
in its efforts to restore former condi-
lions. A great many of the dwellings
still unoccupied and many houses which
have been cleaned and repaired are
standing vacant. This is due almost
entirely to the fact that there is no
street car service between North and
South Topeka. The same sympathetic
concern for the residents of North To-
peka which induced practically all the
citizens of South Topeka to sacrifice
lnelT OWN interests ana convenience IOT
the benefit of those who were damaged
by the flood. still demands that some
further sacrifices be made to enable the
people of North Topeka to get prompt
ly upon their. feet Nothing will aid
them much as the resumption of
street car service. To deny them this
privilege is to make certain that the
town will go backward instead of for
ward.
Not only is street car traffic demand
ed nv the interests nf North Tnnolxa
but by the interests of South Topeka as
well. Many of the people of North To-
peka trade with the merchants upon the
south side of the river. Many of the
people living along the line of the I'M
ion Pacific railroad are in the habit of
visiting South Topeka on business OF
pleasure; they come here to buy goods,
to attend conventions, and to patroniZe
our fairs and other entertainments. IN
less street car service between the I'm
ion Pacific depot and South Topeka is
provided within very short time and a
willingness shown on the part of To-
peka to accommodate the citizens of
other towns who come here over the
Union Pacific railroad, they will cease
visiting our city; and our own self-in-
terests demand that street car traffic to
North Topeka be resumed at once. Fur
thermore, the entire lack of street car
facilities with which to reach a portion
of the city containing one-eighth of the
enterprise and is a bad advertisement
for the town.
We are of the opinion that the tenn
porary use of the bridge for street car
traffic is entirely practicable, provided
the bridge is used by cars not exceeding
Is tons in weight while loaded, and the
speed of the cars is limited to eight
miles an hour. The bridge has recently
been examined by experts and their re-
port supports this conclusion.
Cos ~ 4
plans prepared for a permanent bridge
across the Kansas river and intends to
proceed with the work as soon as prac-
ticable. We are satisfied from an exam
ination into the matter that it will be
impossible for the Street Car company
to complete it's bridge across the kan
sas river inside of year, and unfore-
seen contingencies may possibly make
it is months before the new bridge can
be used for street car traffic. If the peo-
pie of North Topeka are compelled to do
without street car service for this length
of time it will very materially injure
that part of the city and cause them
great inconvenience, especially during the
cold, windy days of the winter months
when it is almost impossible for women
and children to walk across the bridge.
If the right is granted to the street
car company to use the bridge, we rec
ommend either one of the following
modes of construction:
FIrSt-IO DullQ the track upon the
top of the present pavement and upon
one side of the bridge. leaving clear
roadway of eighteen or twenty feet for
the use of vehicles.
Second-To take up the brick pave
ment, place cross ties upon the sand
Immediately beneath the brick, and
place the rails upon these cross ties.
Then raise the roadway and replace the
brick so that the surface of the road
way would correspond with the top of
the rails.
In order to satisfy the fears of those
who believe that the bridge might pos
sibly be injured by its use for street
car traffic. we would recommend that
competent man be employed to make
frequent examinations of the bridge
while it is being used by the street car
company, to see what the effect of the
street car traffic over the bridge may
be. We would also recommend that the
city reserve the right to at once with
draw any permission which may be
given to the street car company to use
the bridge if it is found that the bridge
is being injured by it's use for street
car purposes.
We further recommend that any or
dinance granting rights to the street
car company over the bridge be so