The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-05
DAILEY'SWARNING
He Called Attention to Danger
of InundatiOn.
Did This in a Paper Two Years
Ago.

The following is taken from the State
Journal of Monday evening, April 22,
1901-two years ago:
John A. Daley of the engineering de
partment of the Santa FTe railroad read
a startling paper before the Saturday
Night club in which he asserted that
the time will come when the Kansas
river viii leave its channel and sweep
through North Topeka, cutting new
channel down Kansas avenue to Sol
der creek.
MI Dailey's paper was illustrated by
sketches of surveys showing the level
of the territory which he says is threat
ened with inundation.
Mr.. Daley ascribes this menace to the
restricted water way caused by the
Melan arch bridge and the street rail
way bridge.
Concerning the Kansas river he said:
'One of the menaces to a large part
of our city and to the so-called City
park. is the miserable abortion upon
which the street railway crosses the
Kaw in Kansas avenue. said John
Daley in his paper on Some Municipal
Matters" read before the members of
the Saturday Night club upon the event
of their last meeting at the law office
of Stebbin & Evans. And continuing ne
said: The matter of providing some
means for the connection of the dis
tricts north and south of the Kaw is
worthy of serious and attentive thought.
THE calamity that may occur and
that is imminent at any high water is
the formation of a dam by the drift
lodging against the street railway trest.e
and the consequent injury to property
and indeed possible diversion of the
KaW itself.
THAT you may the more readily set
the Drobabl effects of an obstruction
of the river and the natural flow of the
water, I show you here a profile of part
of Kansas avenue. On the south side Of
the Kaw the lowest point is at Crane
street falling hence through Crane
street. Quincy and Monroe and via the
Wolff packing house. On the north side
a point of the same elevation as Crane
street is the Union Pacific railroad
crossing. but from there north and west
the ground falls until at Garfield park
the ground is five feet lower than at
Crane and Kansas avenue There seems
to be a natural depression rising but
little in the direction I'D the river to
say a half mile above the Rock Island
bridge, where the river will in all prob
ability break through and following
through the center of North Topeka
again resume its channel at the mouth
OF Soldier creek. which will then be alb
sorbed in the Kaw. In event of this
change of channel it is quite probable
that part Of Oakland viii be seriously
imperiled. We have had no serious
freShet since the erection of the Melau
arch bridge. on Sunday, April a. OF
tieally clear of drift. It was within one
foot of what / call danger line that is
the sDringing line of the arches As
you are aware the arches are segmental
and segment with very short ordi.
mates, so that the waterway diminishes
very rapidly Immediately the springing
line is passed and once passed with q
rapidly rising river. the bridge will be
practically dam. and if the bridge is
not totally destroyed there is every 5rea-
son to believe that North Topeka Will
The bridge is badly cared for and
for lack of proper painting of the iron
work, is defaced by iron stains that
are well nigh non-erasable
In my opinion the Street Railway
bridge should be Immediately condemn
ed and its removal be required at the
I earliest practicable moment. What pro-
visions should be made for replacing it
is one of the problems on which wise
heads should consult. and able hands
devise. No new bridge for the street
railway should be allowed within one
square Of the Kansas avenue arch, nor
should 1t be one that would Obstruct
the flow of the river by short spans.
While this may seem to be asking much
of the Street Railway company it must
be remembered that in the contingency
haze set forth the Street Railway
company VIII have little use for its
north side track. and 7 have serious
doubts of the advisability of the con
/ tinuance of the present menace for the
maintenance of its one mile track on
the north side.
s.It may be claimed that even with
/ the street railway bridge removed
great peril remains. which is all too
true but we shall at least have the
satisfaction of knowing that we have
not sat idly by without making an ef-
/ fort to remove a structure that plainly
/ invites disaster.
]