The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-11
Manufacturing Establishments
Are Shut Off.
AOcal Officers Don't Know What
Is Wrong.
70 FIX 1T UP SOON.
Men Are ON the Line Searching
for Trouble.
Manager Says That Service Will
Soon Be Better.

gas for Topeka accompanied the cold
weather which Topeka is experiencing
today. The supply of gas is so short
that this morning the Consumers Gas
company which supplies Topeka with
the natural gas shut off the supply
from the several factories in Topeka.
AS result several of the factories are
now using coal and others are temper
arfly shut down on account of not be-
ing able to change from gas to coal on
short notice. The shutting off of the
factories was done in order to protect
the domestic consumers.
The main trouble seems to be a
shortage in pressure more than any
thing else. The change in the pres
sure is more noticeable on account of
the drop in the temperature. Accord
Ing to the local gas men there is no
known cause of the trouble. There
may perhaps be a leak between Tope-
= ka and Lawrence as the pressure in
= Lawrence and other places is normal
at the present time and the Lawrence
consumers are experiencing no trou-
BILE whatever. A branch of the same
pipe line through which Topeka's sup
ply comes runs to st. Joseph and
when there is any trouble in the main
pipe line it is usually felt in st. Joseph
first. but today St. Joe is enjoying the
usual amount of pressure. This leads
the local company to believe that the
trouble II there Is any Is between To-
peka and Lawrence Men have been
sent out from both Lawrence and To-
peka to locate the trouble if there is
any and to make the necessary re-
pairs.
The local gas company has no control
of the pipe line outside the city limits.
They are merely a local company and
purchase the gas from the Kansas
Natural Gas company and then retail
their product to Topeka people. The
Kansas Natural Gas company has con-
troll of the entire output of the Kansas
gas fields. A few days ago the COM
pany attempted to make a new connec-
ton with the main pipe line at SciplO,
a small town few miles north of Gar
net According to a rumor which has
been going the rounds today there was
trouble in making the connection and
that this is the cause of the local short
age. This however, is denied at the
local office and it is claimed that this
connection was successfully made sew
eral days ago.
Another rurnor as to the reason of
the shortage, which is denied at the
local gas office is the ruInor of a short
age in the pressure at Petrolia where
the main pumping station of the Kan
sas Natural Gas company is located.
The local gas office reports that the
pressure at this place in the main
shortage tank of the company is over
three hundred pounds.
Mr.. L. G.. Treleaven, manager of the
y.
State Journal reporter this afternoon
made the following statement: There
seems to be nothing more in the present
trouble other than a low pressure. This
In itself would probably not be notice
able were it not for the present spell of
cold weather. We shut off the factories
this morning not because we were
alarmed but because we wanted the do
nestle consumers to be protected in
case there was something radically
wrong. If there is any trouble or any
thing wrong it is undoubtedly between
here and Lawrence as conditions indi-
cate and we have a large force of men
running down the possible leaks on this
line. If there is any trouble it will be
remedied without a doubt before many
hours and tomorrow we will be in
shape to furnish a normal supply.
1.-The Kansas Natural Gas company
who furnish US the gas at the city
limits, are now making two improve
ments which will help us materially
One is new pumping station at
Scipio where more gas will be pumped
into the mains of the company and
the other Improvement is a new line
parallel to the line into Kansas City
This line runs sixteen miles this side
of Kansas City and will when COM
pleted relieve Kansas City so that
there will not be such a heavy draw at
this point. We will undoubtedly be
in better shape to furnish superior
. service in a very short time and will
nave better facilities than ever before
The conditions in Topeka are not bad
and I think we have passed the worst
of it,
There is an emergency supply in
Topeka which will be turned into the
local mains should it become neces-
gary. The tank of the old Topeka gas
company at the foot of Monroe street
IS filled with an emergency supply
which will run the city for a short
time. This will be turned on if it be-
comes absolutely necessary.
The low pressure in the gas supply is
not felt much in the residence portion
of the city except in Lowman Hill and
the west side from where there have
been many complaints to the local gas
office. The factories of the city, how
ever, are badly handicapped. The Con-
tinental Creamery company commenced
using coal three days ago, their supply
of gas being cut off by the company at
that time. They are, however. equip
ped so that the change can be made
without much trouble.
The Wolff Packing company have
been using a portion of the gas. enough
to run one boiler while in the other
boilers coal has been used for heat
gas was shut off by the gas company
this morning. At o'clock this morn
ing the Western Woolen mills in North
Topeka were shut off from the gas
supply and are now installing coal for
heating purposes. One of the mana gers
of the Western Wcolen mills in talking
with the State Journal this afternoon
said: I'VE are putting in coal and we
are putting it in to stay. We have lost
on the gas deal several times and we
are not going to experiment any long
err"
The Topeka Wooden mills. located in
northern Oakland. are shut down TO-DAY.
Early this morning their gas supply
was cut off and they have been una BILE
to get coal to use in their furna aces.
They have a proIniCe of a carload of Goa
for tomorrow and if it is delivered they