The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-16
WHY NOT DYKES?
North Topeka People Meet and
Talk 1t Over.
Committee Will Be Named to
Take Necessary Measures.
HEART TO HEART TALK
One Will Be Had With the
County Commissioners.
Plans and Estimates Are Sub
mitted to Citizens.

At a mass meeting at Lukens'
opera house last night about 100
prominent citizens and property own
ers were present to discuss the build
ing of dykes around North Topeka.
J. B. Billiard was elected chairman
of the mass meeting, and Ed Arnold
secretary. Later Mr.. Billiard was ap-
pointed chairman of a committee OF
five, to be named by himself, for the
purpose of taking under consideration
all the plans proposed for the pro-
lection of North Topeka, and to deter
mine which one will be the most ad-
visable to adopt.
This committee will also take up
the matter of borrowing money to
carry out the plans which are adopted.
1t is hoped that the county commis-
sioners of Shawnee county will loan
the money for immediate use. under
a guarantee from sufficient of the
North side capitalists to make the
bond good, pending the meeting OF
the next legislature, at which time it
is planned to get enabling act to
allow the county to vote bends for
the payment of the cost of the im-
provements.
The North side citizens also gave
this committee the authority to go
after the city and county officials to-
secure at once the construction of a
permanent steel or cement approach
to the north end of the Melan bridge.
The argument was made that the
5000 people who left North Topeka
on account of the flood scare thia
year would not have done so had
there been bridge over the Kaw
which was safe and in which the peO-
pie had confidence.
The business men who talked at the
mass meeting last right were unani-
nous in the expression of their will
ingness to go down in their own pock-
cts to provide the money necessary to
build the dykes if a satisfactory plan
could not be arranged with the coun-
ty commissioners.
Congressman Charles Curtis was .
one of the most earnest speakers at
the meeting. He outlined the work
he had done in congress towards get
ting an appropriation for protecting
the people in the Kaw valley from
floods. all the way from Salina to
Kansas City. His efforts were dis
counted by the claims for six or seven
millions from Kansas City to dyke a
single mile of the river at that point.
Il have little hope of accomplishing
gress,' Mr.. Curtis said. although L
will not give up, but will continue to
make a fight for an appropriation
But the thing for US to do is to get
and go ahead and build the dyke It
will not cost so much as one would
suppose at first thought.
why, the damage the high water
did to property just this year would
more than defray the expense OF
building a dyke to protect u.s.
Jonathan Thomas was an enthusi-
astic speaker in favor of the building
of dykes. He reviewed the efforts to
raise the $4,000 necessary to buy the
land TO put the new Santa Fe shops
in Topeka, and declared that it ought
not to be difficult to raise the sum of
money necessary to build the pro-
posed dykes inasmuch as it would be
a protection to more than four mill
lion dollars worth of property.
The general consensus of opinion
was that all would be willing to give
if necessary, to get adequate
protection.
Mr.. Billiard will within a day or two
appoint the members of the commit
tee which Will go ahead with the pre-
liminary work to the construction Of
dykes.
Several different plans and estimates
for dikes were submitted last night by
County Surveyor John Rogers and c. L.
Dolman, railroad contractor, both OF
whom have made trips along the river
recently and studied the situation.
Mr.. Rodgers submitted plans for two
dikes as have been outlined in the State
Journal. The first is a small one, in
tended to keep out floods similar to the
one this year. 1t would be foot above
the highest mark reached this summer
and would cost 81, 800. 1t would extend (
from the Updegraff farm to the Rock
Island tracks. 1t is planned to have a
public road running along the top of
the dixie. Mr.. Rogers second plan is
for a dixie similar to the first one in
length, high enough to prevent a food
as large as the 1903 disaster. This one
is to cost S23,0 900. Both of Mr.. Rogers
dikes are so feet wide at the base and
40 feet at the top.
Mr.. Dolman submitted several plans.
The most elaborate and substantial, one
that seemed to be favored most by
those at the meeting last night, pro-
vides for an elaborate and substantial
dixie that will cost in the neighborhood
Of $48,500, not including the right OF
way, and will be a permanent safe
guard to all of North Topeka. This
like or levee will be 80 feet above low
1ood much greater than the one of
1903. 1t will be 40 feet wide at the
top, and will support a public highway.
Along the river bank it will extend
from the mouth of Soldier creek to the
city limits west of town. Here it VIII
turn and run north to the Shorey hill.
From the mouth of Soldier creek it will
run along the south bank as far as the
Did Curtis cemetery. Such dixie, Mr..
Dolrnan estimates will cost $4S, 500. The
right of way will not cost more than
SIS O00 This would make a total of $685.
500.
Mr.. Dolman submitted three other
plans One was for a dixie running
from the Curtis cemetery, around td
the river by way of the mouth of the
creek and from the mouth of the creek
west to the Updegraff farm. This levee
would not be as substantial as the other
one, being only ten feet wide at the