The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-23
GIVE US WATER!
Cry Goes Up From the "Dry
District"
Large Petition Filed With Wa
ter works Board Today.
WILL HAVE TO WAIT.
ether Improvements Have Been
Decided Upon.
viii Remove Choke in Main and
Repair Station Defects.
WILL HAVE TO WAIT.

A petition, signed by 222 resident tax
payers in the Fifth ward was handed to
the board of waterworks trustees. at
the board meeting last night, by Coun-
Gilman Samuel T. Howe. The petition,
asking for city water service in the dry
district of the Fifth ward. was received
by the board and filed. That was all the
action taken on it, but from the serti-
ment expressed by the board there is no
hope whatever that the trustees will
decide to give the dry district water
service.
Instead, the board contemplates spend
ing several thousand dollars in improv-
ing the service in that part of the city
now supplied with water.
The board has decided that the choke
in the big main shall be removed, more
boiler capacity shall be provided at the
pumping station, new boiler lhouse to
provide more room shall be built, %
new driven well points shall be sunk
in the river, and the smokestack at the
pumping station shall be raised 20 feet
before any move is made to extend the
water service into the dry districts.
Superintendent Shaw filed an estimate
with the board last night as to the cost
of removing the choke in the main to
the city. Superintendent Shaw estima-
ted that to lay a 14-inch main from
Nv est street TO western avenue, on OeN-
enth street, would cost $6,957.73. From
West street into the city the main is II
inches. From West street to the pump
ing plant the main is IS inches. Super
intendent Shaw says the first thing to
be done toward giving better service in
the city is to remove the choke.
The nearest point from which mains
could be extended into the dry districts
of the Fifth ward is at Sixteenth and
Western avenues, where a connection
could be made with a six inch main.
Superintendent Shaw submitted an
estimate that the cost of extending the
mains on Lincoln. Lane. Buchanan,
Clay, Fillmore, West, Bowles, Byron
and Euclid, to supply the dry district
with water. would cost 5,611.12.
Superintendent Shaw said this morn.
ing: cit is not only necessary to re-
move the choke but to put in new
boilers before we can get sufficient
water supply into the pipes we already
have. We have machinery enough,
that is sufficient pumping capacity, at
the pumping station to supply the en-
tire city but we will have to have two
new boilers of $50 horse power eachs
which will cost complete about $4,000,
in order to supply the water needed at
a boiler room for these new boilers.
and the building of a new zeal house,
IS contemplated. The building would
cost probably about $1,000. The
smokestack must be built up 20 feet
higher in order to give sufficient draft.
There must be a better water sup
ply The "a well points now in the
river should be removed and new and
more improved points sunk instead. I
do not mean to say that it would be
impossible to supply water to the Fifth
ward unless all this is done but the
proper thing to do is to make these
improvements first"
It is estimated that the net earnings
of the waterworks for this year will
be $4,000. The board contempIates
making improvements from out of the
earnings. AS these improvements con-
templated will cost, in round numbers,
from $4,000 to $4,000, without con-