The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-15
LOOK TO SEWERS.
North Topeka System Will Be
Cleaned of Sand.
Large Force Will Begin the
Work ON Thursday.
BUT SLIGHT DAMAGE.
Street Commissioner Snyder
Thinks System Is Intact.
Large Deposits of Sand to Be
Removed.
BUT SLIGHT DAMAGE.

On Thursday morning Street Commits
sioner Frank Snyder will undertake the
work of cleaning out the big main
sewer of North Topeka which was par
tally choked with sand during the flood.
During the past six weeks the street
department has been engaged in open
ing the streets of North Topeka for
traffic and has paid little attention TO
the condition of the sewers after dis
covering upon investigation that they
were not rendered wholly useless.
North Topeka's sewer system follows
an immense main which extends east
and west on Fairchild street, emptying
into the Kansas river near the APP
pToach of the old Sardou avenue bridge.
Owing to the almost level surface of
North Topeka there is but one foot
fall to the thousand feet in the sewer
main. AS a result the sand deposit in
the bottom extends the entire length at
a depth of from one foot to twenty
seven inches. According to Mr. Sny
der'S observations the deposit is deeper
near the central part of town where the
sewer crosses Kansas avenue than it is
nearer the mouth. The sand is settled
and solid and its removal presents a
problem which may be difficult of solu-
ton.
Three different methods have been
suggested for cleaning the sewer and all
of them will be tried if the first at
tempted fails. The attempt will be made
first by ordinary flushing. Two or three
hydrantS will be opened into the sewer
and men will be sent up from the mouth
to stir up the sand with shovelS- As the
sewer is fifty-four inches in height from
its mouth to Jackson street there VIII
be no danger of the mai filling with
water and drowning the men If the
sand moves readily and can be washed
out in this way the street commissioner
will keep at work at it until the task is
finished. If however, trial proves that
scheme impracticable the mouth OF me
sewer will be closed tight and water
turned in from hydrants until the whole
main is filled. Then the water viii be
allowed to escape with a rush in the
hope that it will carry the sand out with
Should both schemes fail of accom-
plishing the removal of the deposit that
is making trouble in the big sewer
Street Commissioner Snyder Will pa
tiently set to work to dig it out He ana
CITY Engineer McCabe examined the
sewer the other day and concluded that
if careful trial with water failed 10
I clean it out they would be able TO at
tach a pulley to the mouth of the sewer
or to manholes along its course ana,
with a team of horses. work drags by
which the sand could be dug out The
sand is not hard but is very closely
settled.
later connections along the east end OF
the sewer are stopped up by the bed
of sand in the bottom of the main the
sand would probably be left to wash out
in future rains. The fact that the main
sewer is shallow has made it necessary
to insert the later connections close 10
its bottom instead of above the spring
line in order to SECURE the greatest pos
sible fall for drainage. The sand now
covers many of these lateral openings
Street Commissioner Snyder said to-
day that none of North Topeka's sewer
system would be ruined by the deposits
left in it by the flood. Immediately
after the flood there was a general sup
position that parts of the sewer system
was so thoroughly choked with IND
and sand that it could never be restored
to use In places the main sewer was
thought to have been caved in and for
a few days the appearance of the big
sink hole at the corner of Quincy and
Laurent street was said to have been
caused by the breaking of a sewer But
these suggestions have been found to
be wrong and with a little work the
city authorities will be able to put the
entire system back in good working
order Mr.. Snyder said today:
Il have investigated the conditic9 Of
the big main from which all North To-
peka is drained and find it is all right
except for the sand deposited in the
bottom of it. I do not know how big
a task it will be to clean that out and
will not be able to judge until my men
have commenced it. But North Topeka
is not going to lose her sewers. They
will be restored for use as good as ever.