The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-26
Work on Topeka X. G. Line
This Week.
That Is Report That Comes
From Kansas City.
BEGINS AT LENEXA.
viii Build Both Ways From
That Point.
Deal Made With the MetropOIi.
tan for Terminals.

Kansas City, June 26.-W. b. StranE.
OF New York, president Of the Kansas
city, Olathe, Lawrence & Topeka Elec-
1rlc Railway company, who is at the
Coates house, announced Sunday night
that grading on that line would BEGIN
the nrst Of this week at Lenexa, a sta
ton on the Frisco railroad. about twelve
miles south Of Kansas City, and that
work would be pushed as rapidly as
possible in both directions from Lenexa.
That is selected at the starting point on
account Of the possibility of getting
tools and material there by rail.
Mr.. Strang and Bernard Corrigan
also Joined IN announcing that arrange
ments had been made by which the new
line win enter Kansas City over the
track of the Metropolitan. The exact
way IN Which the road will enter Kan
sas City has not been definitely decided
upon, owing to difficulties which have
been experienced in getting the land de-
sired for right of way near the city linz
It's, but there are three or four lines OF
the Metropolitan with which it might
easily connect.
It is practically assured, however, that
1t will be either over the Westport line
or through a connection with the dunn
my line at Seventy fourth street. It is
expected that the latter line is to be
electrified in the near future, and in
that case the interurban cars will strike
the Westport line on South Broadway
and come into the city over that line.
Either one of these routes is considered
especially desirable as an entrance for
a suburban town line, as in entering the
city it would pass through the very
best residence section, instead of strik-
ing the undesira bic features which are
so often found on the outskirts of a
city.
It is promised that the line will be in
operation to Lenexa by October Is.
The time which it will take to reach
the other towns on the line will be de-
termined by the difficulties experienced
with land owners, which have so far
been much greater thaHS have been ex-
perienced by the promoters in locating
similar lines in other sections Of the
country. It is claimed that it could be
constructed to Olathe, ready for the
wires, in go days, If clear sailing could
be secured on the right of way propo-
sition Although there are many spots
where trouble in that connection is still
to be unraVeled, the general route has
been determined for the whole line. ex-
cept for the first seven miles out of
Kansas City. It will pass through
Lenexa, Lachmann, Olathe, Eudoras
Lawrence and LeecOmpton, and have its
western terminus at Topeka.
The line will pass through a remarka-
bly, beautiful stretch of country, and is
in addition almost an ideal one from an
engineering standpoint, as the grade, as
now located, IS nowhere more tnsan =
per cent. It is an entirely new line from
Kansas City to Olathe, using none OF
the right of way of the old Kansas City
Olathe line
The power for the line viii for the
present be obtained as far as possible
from the Metropolitan. It is thought
| that the entire distance between Kan
sas City and Olathe can thus be cover
ed by the establishment of substations
for the conversion of the current at
Lenexa and Olathe.
The regular cars viii be of much the
same pattern as those in ordinary use
on interuban lines or on the Metropoli-
tan's lines in this city. Trial will be
made, however, of q car of an entirely
new type, which Mr.. Strang is now hav-
ing built from his own designs at Hobo
ken, N J., and which is called for
want of a better name, a gas-electrfc
can. It carries a 1O0-horse power gaso-
line engine, which runs an electric
I dynamo to generate the power for the
pI opulsion of the car.
Mr. Strang left for New York last
evening to be gone a week, but says
/ that the work will be actively pushed
/ from now on. The company has estab-
| lished Offices in the New England
| building. with Charles 2. Cole, its sec
! retary. in charge. In addition to Mr.
/ Strang and MI Cole, the directorate Of
! the company includes Alex Monroe, Of
Lawrence, vice presidents J. n. Roberts
/ OF Lawrence, and Colonel s T. Scott OF