The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-15

There is slippage in the pumps, which
we are going to rectify as soon as pos
sible. The material for making these
repairs is now coming in. inc or
twice we have been able to give pres
sure of over 100 pounds at the fire de-
partment since the flood, but 1 know
very we'll that usually the pressure has
been below this. This is due entirely
to the injury which the plant sustained
and which we are now repairing as
rapidly as We can. AS soon as we get
the plant back in the condition it was
before the 1oo we will be able to give
the city the same fire pressure we used
to give it."
HOWE SAYS BUY THE PLANT.
Samuel T. Howe, who has always
been opposed to city ownership of
waterworks, but who has consistently
voted for it because he considers thai
the people of Topeka want it, said to-
day.;
1.-The city council can do nothing, in
my opinion, but go ahead and close up
the deal The voters of the city~have
on two different occasions expressed
themselves in favor of city ownership,
NJ we nave no other official expression
to guide us.
In my judgment, the inability of the
water company to give pressure is a
strong argument in favor of city own
ership. If the water is unable
to give the necessary pressure, it is
about time for the city to take hold of
the plant, and see what is the matter
with it. I doubt whether the water
/ company would make improvements If
improvements were necessary to insure
better pressure.
Il believe, however, that whether the
city buyS the plant or not a competent
hydraulic engineer should be employed
at once to inspect the water plant, and
tell us officially why we do not get bet
ter pressure. n explain what i'm
provements enc changes ought to be
made. This would serve as a guide to
the future actions of h city, Wheth-
err it buys the plant or not.
II don't like this criticism which GER
tain people have INDUCED in of Fire
Marshal Wilmarth. He fought that
fire just as well as it could have beer
fought by anybody, with the kind OF
facilities he had. BY directing his at
tention to the Rock Island depot he
probably saved the whole town from
burning up. If the depot had caught
! the Chesterfield you'd have gone, ano
who knows what else?"
FLOOD THE BASEMENT.
After throwing water into the smoul-
| dering ruins of the Parkhurst-Davis
building for two days and a half, it has
been decided by Chief &c
flood the basement. The flooding VIII
be done this afternoon.
Apparently there is about as much fire
In the mass of ruins as there was Sat
urday noon. The smoke and steam Is
rising in dense clouds. although the
heavy blackened timbers are covered
| with ice an inch thick, and the long
icicles hang from every projecting rock
Down in among the debris are all
sorts of interesting things.
of cans of various kinds of fruit, veg
| etables and meat are lying about. Most
of them are ruined, but in some por-
tons of the fire pit there are dozens
and dozens of cases which are prac-
tically u%ninjured. They are simply
well cooked. In some cases the fire did
not even burn off the boxes in which
they were packed. These were prob
ably the cans which were packed into
the middle of large piles and thus
escaped the flames. Great quantities
of tobacco. water-soaked n unfit fol-
use. are stacked up in the center OF
the buildings and over he whole mass
is deposited about a carload OF very
much swelled up tapioca. The firemen
while they sit on the ICY rocks and
play the hose into the ruins, refresh
themselves with canned peas, came
salmon, sardines, and maple syrup.
There will be a good deal Of stun