The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-14
ALAS,TISTOOLATE
Kansas Avenue Must Look Like
Fort.
Excavations Which Should Have
Been in Alleys.
5-YEAR PLAN NO GOOD.
Gas Company Regulation That
Will Not Regulate.
Mayor Davis Thinks 1t Will Be
All Right in End.

After it is too late. and most of the
work has been done, a number of citi-
zens and tax payers are beginning to
wonder whether or not the tearing up
of Kansas avenue and Jackson street
by the gas company was absolutely nee
essary. They wonder why, as the old
gas mains were rotten anyway, and
should have been replaced entirely, that
the mains were not relegated to the
alleys, and entirely new mains laid
through the business section. Some peo-
pie are also hazarding the guess that
the section of the new paving ordinance,
which prohibits the tearing up thereof
until after the expiration of five years,
is not worth a tinker's Whoop. These
gueSsers guess that gas mains will have
to be repaired and new connections laid
to accommodate new buildings which
are sure to be built on the sites of some
of the one story shacks in the business
district Rents are becoming SO high
that the renters are liable to kick over
the traces and demand something for
their money. Then the shanties will be
replaced by good buildings, and gas
connections will have to be made. It
follows that the pavement will be torn
up, and the city will find itself very
busy if it attempts to stop the gas COM
pany from supplying the additional con-
Taking all this into consideration, the
average citizen begins to wonder why
the mains were not relaid in the alleys.
alongside of the sewers, like the tele-
phone conduits.
People are shy about publicly express
ing their opinions on the subject at this
late hour, and wear an air of strain
ed patience while climbing over dirt
heaps and bitches between the street
cars and their places of business. Per
haps they use pFofane language sub
rosa, while trying to load or unload
goods in front of their stores, but they
are hoping for the best.
Mayor Davis is of the opinion that 1t
will turn out all right.
It don't believe the new pavement
Will be seriously affected by these ex-
cavations," said the mayor this morn
ing. s"Flley are tam ttlg the dirt down
solid, and our Inspector, Mr.. Engle,
is right after them as they lay the
concrete lid, which is wider than the
excavation proper, and calculated to
prevent any sag in the paving surface.
The gas company is piping every 25-
foot lot to the sidewalk. so that the
erection of new buildings will not
neceSsitate the tearing up Of pave
ment. unless, of course, the supply
pipe is too small. do not anticipate
any serious trouble with sinking pave
ment and it looks like the gas COM
pany was doing its best"
Major Harvey says: Il think this
gas main on the avenue is going to
prove considerable of a nuisance. 1t
will have to be torn out frequently,
and the pavement will have to suffer.
This talk about keeping the pavement
intact for five years sounds rather
foolish to me. Gas mains must be re-
paired, or escaping gas will damage
the asphalt to a greater extent than
excavation would. And people who
take a notion that they want a greater
supply of gas in their buildings will
not wait patiently for several years.
They will demand the increased sup
| ply and the gas company will give It
to them, regardless of what the city
says about the pavement. Knowing
nothing about excavations I am not
prepared to venture an opinion as to
whether the company is substantially
filling the holes but it seems to me an
Improvement could have been made
by laying the gas mains for the avenue
business district through the alleys on
either side.'
The Independent telephone company
Is digging up a lot of dirt but seems
to be very careful about replaing it.
After a block of their conduits have
been laid, there is nothing left to mark
their route except two narrow seams
in the asphalt The blocks and strips
of asphalt are numbered as they are
removed, and after the excavation has
been filed they are carefully replaced
and pounded into their original posi-
ton. The gas company is not replac-
ing the asphalt with the same care and
precision. but is covering the filled ex-
cavations with a lid OF concrete, which
is a foot or more wider than the orig
inal hole. It is the general opinion,
however. that the line of gas main re-
pairs can never be as solid as the main
street bed, which has been packed
down by traffic for twenty years, and
that the pavement will sink, making
a secondary gutter or "chuck hole