The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-18

bed is S1z miles in length the new chan
mel would cut off over half of the flood
flow.
This proposition was approved in the
government report this morning but 1t
was limited that it might be too ex-
pensive. However, the government en-
gineerS did not know the land values
or the conditions of the cutoff. In
fact they are not supposed to know
these facts of the case, it is not in their
The land affected by the canal is not
valuable. 1t is low and uncultivated
and has always acted as a mud hole
and water basin. When the river over
flowed during the flood this canal was
the natural course for it to follow and
as a result every flood has made the
valley deeper and the land less valua-
BILE To procure this land would bN lit
tie trouble and little expense compared
with the expense of dredging the river,
raising the bridges. broadening the
channel and forming levees and diket'.
Some have complained about the new
bridge system which would have to be
used to cover this overflow. 1t must be
remembered that only during great
floods would the channel be in use. The
rest of the time it would be a d2y sink
and could be spanned easily by the two
bridges which be necessary. At Cen
trail avenue the old bridge which will
be removed some time this spring could
serve the purpose. The city and county
could buy ten bridges at the cost of
raising the Melan and condemning all
of the property in the bottoms and
near the river banks.
What Bridge Elevation Means.
There are many reasons why the
government report which calls for the
raising and frightening of all the
bridges across the Kaw, is entirely out
of the means of the city treasury.
If the Melan bridge be raised thirteen
feet, for instance, and heightened 576
feet, it would be necessary to put all
of the manufacturing district near the
river, on a level with the river bank
itself The Wolff packing house would
be down under the bridge and all of
the plants along the river would be out
of protection consideration
Then take the Rock Island and Santa
Fe yards. If the Rock Island raised its
bridge thirteen feet and added on $40
feet the whole yards and terminals
would have to be raised and the grades
changed for miles. The stations them
selves would be under the level of the
yards and to pull out the Rock Island
station would almost require a push
err and a freight train could not stop
near the yard limit without using every
bit of air in the cylinders.
The Union Pacific would be in the
same fix and millions of dollars would
be required to remedy the evil-and
then another 1903 flood would probably
come along and destroy it all. As one
man SAID TINS would tame
a span from College Hill to the bluffs
to allow another 1908 flood to pass I'M
der" The flood discharge in 1903 was
271. 500 feet per second. The average
slope of the present river for 20 miles
is 1888 of a foot This is not a very
strenuous slope and does not oause any
waterfalls or steep inclfnes. The aver
age width of the bank line for twenty
miles, according to the government
statistics, is 1927 feet. The average
width of the river is 927 feet. Taking
the figures in round numbers-a width
Of 1000 feet and depth of 30.3 feet at
of S97 feet per second the new
flood height above low water would be
25. 8 feet and the levee height should be
-hree feet more or 2S3 feet. This Will
give an idea of the tremendous task of |
1isposing of the water.
Government Survey Valuable.
A supplementary channel would have
to carry nearly as much again as now
passes under the Melan bridge-but in !