The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-08
BUY SOME COAL.
ftde
Significant Warming by Mana
ger of Gas Company.
Advise People to Prepare for
Emergencies.
HAVE MORE CAPACITY
Pressure and Supply Should Be
First Glass.
Patrol Wagon Question Is Puz-
HAVE MORE CAPACITY
Patrol Wagon Question Is Puz.
cling the Council.

Extract from letter from G. S. Ire
leaven, manager of the Consumers
Heat, Light and Power Co., read in
city council meeting last night: THE
transportation of natural gas by pipe
line for distance of approximately
l25 miles is an undertaking of con-
siderable magnitude and one that is
surrounded by a multitude of Difficult
ties any one of which is liable to af-
rect the uninterrupted flow of gas and
Tor this reason our company would
urgently advise all its customers who
use natural gas for heating to provide
themselves with a supply of some 9TH
er fuel as well as means of burning
1t. The company will do all in its
| power but it will be the part of wis
dom for all customers to be prepared"
me above letter from the local
manager of the gas company was ac-
eompanied by an insert letter from
J. G. Mcdowell, manager of the Kan
sas Natural Gas Co., in which the lat
ter declares that his company has
doubled the pacity of the compress
sor station at Scipio, added one thou
sand horse power to the Petrolia sta
ton and is building thirty miles of
additional mains, all for the benefit
of the cities north of Ottawa which it
supplies with natural gas from the
southern Kansas fields and adds that
only an unexpected accident can de-
prive Topeka of a sufficient gas sup
ply at the required pressure this win
ter. He adds that there will be none
of the gas shortage troubles of last
winter
These sub rosa statements from the
Zig chief of the natural gas fields of
the west would sound very encourage
ing but for the sinister note from Mr..
Treleaven which warns Topeka people
to prepare to burn coal while they are
burning gas. Pretty big job for the
average householder to rig up appar-
tus for burning both gas and coal.
There is quite a difference in the pro-
cess required for the consumption of
the two fuels.
These expressions from the heads
of the gas companies were called out
through the action of the special
committee appointed a few weeks ago
by the council to wait upon the Con-
sumer's company and find out what
had been done to increase its capacity
for supplying Topeka with a sufficient
supply of gas this winter. L. E. Fra
ger, C. Fl. Kutz and H. p Miller COM
posed the committee
The council received the report of
the committee and the letters from
the gas magnates without comment,
and then passed a resolution instruct
ing the city attorney to prepare an.
opinion of the rights of the city under
the gas company's franchise to be
read to the council not later than next
Monday night, when it will be made
a special order of business. The coun-
ell appeared far from satisfied with the
assurances and explanations regard
ing the gas supply for next winter.
A petition containing the names of
twenty-three tax payers residing in
sewer district No. 80 was read in
m
size of the pipe for this proposed sew
er and allegations made that this pipe
was not. of sufficient size to care for
the immense volume of water that
flows down Seventeenth street from
the college campus to Lane street
during and after a storm, and the al
ley between Seventeenth and Eigh-
teenth also overf1ows. The petition
asks that the size of the pipes in this
vicinity be changed from s. II, IL,
48 inch. Referred to public improve
ment committee and city engineer.
AS simple matter as the badly
needed new patrol wagon for the po-
lice force occupied an hour of the
councils time last night. and still no
progress was made toward letting the
contract for the new vehicle. The
clerk had been instructed to advertise
for bids last week and the ad brought
| IN the lOtlOWtHB lOuT OII6TS- D.
Lannan. 1888; Warner & Potter. 1925;
Wycoff Bros, s445; E. G. Kinley, 1915
The police committee. after con-
sideration of these bids recommended
to the council that all of them be re-
jected and the clerk instructed to ad-
vertise for new bids. Carried. Then
Howard moved that the council adopt
the specifications prepared by the
committee, the chief of police and sew
eral patriotic citizens for the new
wagon after several weeks of hard
work This motion prevailed and then
Howard insisted that the specifications
be read in open council He carried
his point and upon General Hughes
devolved the task of laying before his
colleagues these elaborate plans for
this patrol wagon. The general was
in good voice and he read gracefully, |
smoothly and with uneQualled elocu- |
tion His accent was perfect while |
his commanding presence made a fine |
impression. During the first half hour |
the audience sat so quiet that the |
sound of a pin falling to the floor was
distinctly heard. Then as the general |
began to roll forth in resonant per-
iods descriptions of handmade and |
Norway iron, brass-hubbed wheels, |
panels of yellow poplar, New York |
platform, steel bulkhead and false bot
tom the crowd got excited. It sounded |
liks the plans for battleship or a |
locomotive or a big hotel and hang
ing garden combined. After the read |
continued for some time and Hughes |