The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-05
Topeka Engineer Discusses
Prospect for Topeka.
Still Thinks River Channel
Should Be Wider.
THE LESSONS OF 1908.
Calls Attention to Height Of
Water AboTe Bridges.
Would Divert Channel and Make
Lake Of Present One.

John 4 Daley. who predicted the (
big food Of 1868. read a second paper /
before the Saturday Night club at a
recent meeting II is quite as inter T
esting as his former effort. and is as
follows.
Some Hoods cannot be prevented such.
for instance. as occurred Just prior 10
the advent Of the rainbow It is there
fore advisable that due attention be
paid 10 the voice Of Noah and when
such occur. make the best sanitary ar
engagements and the most liberal hu-
manitarfau provision for the mitigation
! OF the conditions following such disas-
tiers
That 7 differ radically from many
earnest and intelligent people as 70
some Of the measures that are abst}-
luEely requisite and essential Tor Lne
prevention Of local foods am Tree 70
admit. nor am I ObIiviOus TO the fact
/ that my success as a prophet may II
a measure blunt my judgment
7 am aware that il is 4 very eIerusT1-
I rary proposition, yet IL seems necss-
sary TO say, that a Hood is primarily
due to the presence OF large volume
/ OF water at a given point OF time. ana
+ the obstruction Of The channels through
( which d volume must pass. viii inev1-
! tally result IN a Hood. while It's rref-
dom to move, may. on the other hand,
/ entirely obv1ate the disasters incident
I to the phenomena attendant upon an
unusual or abnormal precipitation OF
water
+ It cannot be denied that this city and
county have. by their own direct acts,
/ and by failure to restrain others, serT-
\ ousIy Distracted and reduced the water
! way Of the kaw river, and there can Be
8 no doubt as to their duty IN the pre-
misses which IS nothing more nor less
I than to remove the obstruction thftL
{ they themselves have placed IN the
kaw river. 70 ascertain what TurCher
f Instructions have been erected by osn-
1 ers, and to whom such distractions are
I due; and then take such measures Is
may be necessary 10 compel other
I trespassers to restore to the people that
\ which belongs TO the people ana Wnl-4
I has been unIus1Iy appropriated
/ The catastrophe which seems Iu1ut1-
ent to ma IS. q sudden local prectpiti-
/ ton that shall bring with IT large gum
I titles Of drift and by accumulari f7Tl
I about the piers OF the MeIan arches
shall suddenly close one or two OF the
I openings and thus compel the passage
. Of the water over the lower lands upon
I the north
It is true that the danger Of q drift
/ dam has been materially reduced oy
I the replacing Of the street railway
Z bridge bv q. much more fragile strTrc-
[ ture and by its being placed below tfae
! adeIan arch instead OF above it. for 1
have no idea that the present street
railway bridge viii De able 10 resist 4
{ large accumulation Of drift as II y en-
/ tfreIy devoid Of lateral bracIng, eLcepI
/ such as is due to the stiffness or the
/ piles. wien ClTTllIllStl15 le1E4-AJ W -t--
every foot Of rise. owing both 10 me
increased leverage and augmented
II beuvar cy- and once the strIngers are
submerged they viii become but a
mere raft to lift the entire bridge TO its
sure destruction It can no longer re-
I cefve the sustaining iu1nl0btl1ty Of tne
Nelan arch. which for several days
held the trembling mass IN place At
[ our high water Of 1903
I The danger from drift dam is
therefore materially diminished. bit
: not altogether removed the great PERI
I from that source 6eI1E C1aE II THY
Weld sr11denIv after a somewhat pro-
= Ionged resistance and. together VITA
the accumulated mass. form 2 new
dam at the Santa F'e railway bridge 1
think II more likely. however III s1f-Ll
an event that the railroad bridge b@-
: ing unable to resist the pressure Woul1
: be quickly destroyed
we must not forget that the channel
Of the Eaw between here and Junction
I CITY has been shortened one eleventh
by the Hood Of 1868. and viii therefore
7 bring to Us q larger volume OF water
than ever. which, in the event or E.
p sudden precipitation to tne noftn alll
i west may quickly overvvhelru Us
From what I have been able e
Garner the Hood Of 1874 was very
Z Formidable food. although it IS entire
" improbable that We should not sun
have reliable data, had 1t ever reached
rms limits Of 1903 and I am free TO al
mir that IL It did So with TIE LE7e
aU4 T1u0bstrueted course Of that per
foe7. then North Topeka a. place 81
= residence must be said 10 be in per
uetuaI dan ger. and the more and more
- does II hehOove Us TO give the river a
iopU0rtuufty to sweep by u1Onsrrll ct@eA
The peril that IS possible Is Cnal
= sudden thavv with a general preciplta-
ton on a frozen river, may form a.
= ice e,1-ze which with present condi-
tiors would defect the swiftly NOV
= ing mass Of floating ice into the Only
: channel that could carry IT, l. e. oNel
me low lands between curtis stree
I'D Garfield park and IN the event 81
4 s4FrF a combination Of circuIrlsts noes
+Har part Of Topeza lying north or tn
north end OF the present MEAN afe1a
= must be utterly destroyed
It is however, true that We nave r.
record nor even tradition OF a nooe
Occurring in the kaW at q time or In'
- 49, early enough TO md The rive
ice bound. but that such an even
night happen Is. as have said a pos
= sIbfity- -,
z we have restricted the ordinary hIgl
= water area some sixty per cent and
= 17v reason Of the fat segmeutaI arches
rf.s PROPORTIONAL decrease Of waterVFal
i practically suicidal It is sheer stu
7f5ftv To measure the width and dept
Of the recent food area and say tha
r. n viii take 50 wide and 50 deep
= channel to pass the waite and nsglec
- 70 consider the element Of velocity
AZ M 4 F. Robinson Bridge engines
=