The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-14
Route Selected Yesterday by
Street Railway Officials.
GRADES ARE ALL EASY.
Big Cars Of VinewoOd Pattern to
Give 20 Minute Service.
Estimated That the Cost Will
Be Nearly 100000.


r-av oonananv began the work OF INC
preliminary survey for an extension Oh
The Gordon street line to the REFORM
school by way of Shorey this morhills
and the work Of completing the me
will be pushed with the utmost speeo
The proposed line has been under as
cussion with several others IoI so'ie
time but it was not until MI Meyers
was in the city a couple Of weeks ago
that a decision was reached IN reIer-
ence to the matter.
The fact that this extension which
viii be three miles in length, VIII oe
constructed at once, means that the
other lines proposed viii not be e1-
tended this summer The construction
Of this line win make Topeka accessl-
bic TO a large number of residents OF
the northwestern portion Of North TO
peka and shorey and give them ~
minute car service.
The route was practically decided up
on yesterday by group Of officials
who drove over the territory with the
engineer who is in charge of the sur
vey which began this morning
wing Kansas avenue at morse
street the new line VIII run four DlOcks
west to Topeka avenue, then norm on
Topeka avenue past the Grant school 70
Garfield avenue. then one block west
on Garfield avenue to Tyler street ana
north on Tyler street. then one DlocA
west on Waddel TO Taylor street, then
north for three-quarters Of a mile TO
the upper Silver Lake wagon road, then
again turning west and following TINS
cad to the Reform school This IS the
route proposed though there may be
some slight variations just before the
line leaves the city limits, as there are
q number of bad curves in the route
which it may be possible to avoid by
lf-s rs--f-A -Tras frr
After the survey reaches Tyler street,
instead of turning west on Wadden the
line may be built north on Tyler for
some distance and the purchase made
of a private right of way west and in
this way do away with compound
curve. This would strike Taylor street
about on q line with the lower Silver
Lake road which would be followed one
block west past the Shorsy postoffice
and then turn to the north until the
upper Silver Lake road Is reached
which viii be followed to the Reform
school.
The dyke which has been constructed
just east Of the buildings on the Re
form school grounds to keep the water
from Soldier creek from backing up
onto the lower grounds about the build
ings and which IS now being used as
wagon road win probably be used as a
grade upon which the line viii enter
the grounds and beyond which a loop
win be built.
changes in the line when the work of
construction is commenced the route
viii be practically as described and
VIII wind about in the more thicl1ly
settled portion Of the west side of North
Topeka and will be easily reached by
the residents Of ShOrey. Particular at
teDuOn viii be paid to the construction
of the line so that freight may be
handled with ease as the Street Car
company expect to handle most of the
supplies used by the state institution.
Last year the Reform school used 124
gar loads Of coal besides q number of
rsr loads Of other commodities for
which the state paid nearly 81 900 IN
freight charges, and then the coal had
to be loaded into wagons and hauled
to the grounds from the Rock Island
spur
It is more than likely that an ice
plant viii be built at the asylum to sup
ply that institution and the reform
school with ice which will make consid-
erable hauling for the street car com
pany- There is also the possibility Of
furnishing the reform school with cleo
tricity as the railway company claims
that it can supply electricity for light
ing purposes for less than the state can
manufacture 1t.
There are between two and three hun
dred inmates in the reform school all
the time besides about fifty emplOves
who have friends who visit them at the
institution About two hundred bOvs
enter and leave the institution during
the year, always being accompanied
there by an officer and the passenger
patronage of the institution alone will
amount to considerable each year The
company, however. does not expect that
the line VIII pay more than the interest
on the money invested until the country
becomes more thickly settled as the ex-
pense of building and eqUipping the line
will be heavy
1t is estimated that the new line viii
cost $4,000 as the expense Of construct
ing a mile Of street railway is estirnated
at $4,000 and there a re three miles to
be built The line viii be euuipped with
new rolling stock which will necessi-
tate the outlay of about $4,000 more
-Four new suburban cars similar to those
used on the Ninewood line and seating
sixty people VIII he added to the eouin-
Inent to be used on this line They viii
De especially constructed for speed and
VIII be furnished with four motors and
VIII be Of the double truck class These
cars Will be capable Of making a sneed
q thirty miles an hsur and a speed Of
thirty miles an hour viii be maintained
over good portion Of the route
me route chosen IS an ideal one from
the viewpoint OF the construction de-
partment OF the street railway as IT is
es almost as level as a floor and there
VIII be no grades or fills and not rail
road to cross or bridge or ei1I,-art 70
nulid- At one place the track will be
WITHIN less than q block of the Rock
Island road and will skirt Soldier creek
Tor some distance Just before II enters
the reform school grounds.
As soon as the survey work is com
pleted active work viii begin on the
construction work and # is not irnprob-
able that the line win be connIefsd sr,7
cars running by early fail.