The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-09
Material Taken from Park
hurst Davis Ruins Inspected.
Canned Goods Is Nearly All Fit
for Use.
HEALTH BOARD ACTS
Examines the Salvage and Pass
es Most of 1t.
That Rejected Is Dumped into
the River.

Food Inspector Farnsworth called DR..
fC. F. Menninger, president of the board
of health, to the Parkhurst-Davis
building Tuesday afternoon to make an
examination of the canned goods which
are being dug out of the ruins, and the
two chief authorities of the food de-
partment of the city decided that the
contents of the cans are uninjured by
the fire, and are fit to eat.
On the strength of the recommended
ton of these officials the local dealers
have been supplied with the salvage
goods, and Topeka is enjoying one of
the biggest fire sales in it's history.
Everything not fit to sell is being
used to fill in the river bank where it
was washed out by the June flood at
the south end of the Melan bridge.
The food inspector has advised the
! Parkhurst-Davis management to sta
ton a guard at the dump on the river
! bank to prevent poor people sorting
over the debris for canned goods which
are still in edible condition. Only the
culls of the salvage are dumped, and
| it is feared that some of it may be
spoiled and dangerous to health So
far this precaution has not been taken,
and a great many people are at work
all the time sorting over the debris.
All the canned goods which are put
I
through the hands of two inspectors.
The first inspection is made when the
stuff is dug out of the ruins All the
cans which are broken, or have sprung
a leak, are rejected, and are loaded into
wagons and carried to the dump. The
cans which seem to be good are carried
across the street to the Freeman build
] ing, where they are carefully sorted,
the different kinds of vegetables being
put into different receptacles, and ;Hly
Id, yf,r-o ms
ed are cast out.
! There is a vast quantity of salvage
from the ruins of the building. A good
many carloads of stuff have already
been taken out, and the people who are
digging in the ruins are not more than
half done. The cans of maple syrup
! are practically uninjured, some of them
being almost as bright and fresh as
when in the company's warerooms. In
the salmon cans the oil seems to have
all vanished, leaving the salmon in a
large dry chunk. 1t is thought that
the heat caused the oil to solidify and
stick to the sides OF the can The meat
of the fish seems to be unlnIured. and
to taste as good as ever. 4 The canned
tomatoes and canned peas seem to be
about as good as ever, though the
| wrappers of the cans are all burned off
| Food Inspector Farnsworth said to-
day: Il was called to inspect the
canned goods being taken out of the
Parkhurst-DaViS ruins, and under the
Nterms of the new organization OF the
health department, l called DR.. Men
ringer to make a decision in the mat
ter DR.. MenningeF spent a couple Oh
hours inspecting the stock, and decided
that it was all right and safe for peo-
pie to use. 1 think that this decision
is all right. l don't believes anybody
will be injured by eating the canned
goods. 1 am especially sure of this II
regard to the vegetables and maple
syrup. In regard to the canned meats
I am not SO certain, but DR.. Menningei
thinks they are all right.
81 do not see how any harm car
come to these goods merely by bein&
heated. They were all heated once
while being prepared for canning. q
course the question is whether or no
it will iniure them to be heated II
their cans
I'm regard to the cans which are be
ing dumped over the river bank,
| think there is some doubt, and l ad
vised the company to station ma
there at the dump to keep poor peopl
: from taking away the canned good
which have been rejected by the IN
spectors employed by the company
A $250, 600 DUMP.
For a city which is obliged to coun
its pennies carefully. and save none
2 at every opportunity Topeka IS ~
t dulging in the luxury of $25O Vt
/ dump All except the few hundred dol
I lars worth of canned goods sorted OF
the Tu1IlSr lie etA r>iANA . - -
/ is dumping all that remains OF its ID
7 | wholesale stock and 5-story buildin
: into the hole on the river bank at tn
0 city material yard. Frank Snyde
i street commissioner, allowed the con
0 pany to do it's dumping here, and hur
e 1reds of wagon loads of brick an
: stone and mortar, besides the debris {
t the stock, is going into this hole. Twer
a ty-five or thirty thousand dollars wort
e of cigars is part of the filling which
c being used. These cigars dld not pui
: mn in the fire. but fell into the wat'
e which had accumulated in the bas'
ment.