The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-22
CLEAN THE PHONE
City May Install a System of In
spectiOn.
Claimed That Disease Is Spread
by Telephone Mouthpieces.
FOR NEW WATER MAIN
Mayor Green's Plan for Bust
ness District Favored.
System Followed in New York
and Philadelphia.
FOR NEW WATER MAIN

The city health department is in
terested in the sanitary condition of
the telephones over the city. In some
cities it is required of everyone using
telephones to cleanse the mouthpiece
at least once a day with some dis
infectant. 1t has been found that
hydrogen. 1t has been found that
many diseases have been spread by a
telephone which is used by different
people every day. The city officials
think that it would be advisable for
an inspector to make an examination
of telephone mouthpieces in the Of
fees, especially, over the city and re-
port to what extent they harbor dis
ease bacteria and whether they con-
stitute danger to public health. 1t
can be easily seen that the telephone
can be meaAs of spreading con-
tagion and the matter, though new,
would be a profitable one for the city
of Topeka to look into. Topeka is
constantly ''at home to conventions
and meetings of all kinds and in the
last month there have been on an
average of one convention here day.
This constant throng of people and
the public use of the telephone forms
| anample chance for the gathering of
the bacteria in the telephone mouth
pieces. The telephones in the down
town stores and on the larger offices
especially would bear a strict exam
AAAeNNASAA ~ NAAS ivy
Since the high pressure water mains
| suggested by Mayor Green have been
| discussed there has been considerable
comment going over the city as to the
advisability of the plan-and every
person interviewed has given an
unanimous "aye'' to the proposition.
Not only have the local men been in
| terviewed but the conditions in other
cities have been solicited. 1t has been
| found that New York city and Phila-
delphia are conducting their fire pro-
| lection in the business districts on the
| high pressure system. On the other
| hand Indianapolis has decided that
| they do not need it. In the Indiana
! city they have ITO pounds of pressure
at the hydrant and they feel that this
| is sufficient. Topeka can acquire
| 10 pound pressure at the average
| hydrant but it takes a steamer to do.
| anything with it. There are several
cities in the country sending special
| representatives to the two high pres
| sure cities-New York and Philadel-
| phia-and in a few years the high
| pressure system will be adopted all
| over the United States. Topeka has
| an excellent chance to build her new
| up town district water main at once
| considering the location and adj
| VantageS of the Harrison street sta
| ton and action should not be delayed.
| Mayor Green hit a responsive chord
when he mentioned the high pressure
| water main and while the irons are
hot it is time for the city to act. 1t is
| a we'll known fact that when the mem
| ory of the disastrous Copeland fire
| dies down the matter will receive lit
tie attention from the general public
| and at the present time when the peo-
pie are heartily in favor of the plan is
/ the time for the hammer to fall. Here
is an example of the work done this
| week by the fire department of New
York city under the high pressure
| system:
| '"Three fires on a cold night, with a
wind blowing, demonstrated the
| efficiency of the high pressure fire sys-
| tenn. Seven of the ten pumps in the
| stations were brought into action at
one time throwing a volume of $1,000
gallons of water minute, and over
six hundred fremen were on duty.
Forty-seven engines which responded,
| seventeen at one fire, ten at another
and twenty at a third, were of no use
after the high pressure was turned
on. The first fire alarm, on Hudson
street was turned in at 1922, the sec
ond, on the Bowery, at 1;45, and the
third at SIT. Chief Croker said that
never in his twenty-five years exper-
fence as a fireman had he known of
such a severe test of the capacity of
the department.
/, In city in Massachusetts, the
s1Inerintendent of the waterworks
satisfied the angry mob of water users
who claimed that their meters were
running too fast by taking meter
apart and exhibiting the parts to the
public and explaining the working ac-
tons Meters run all right on paper
, and in the factory but when they are
| placed down in the depths of the eel
lar they have a peculiar tendency to
run lust a little faster. But it is an
: | i'll wind that blows nobody good-who
would get the big plumbers fees if the
meters did not have to be tested?
What is this world coming to? The
height of mans ingenuity is to evade
the law by some clever scheme or
trick at the sacrifice of the public and
the danger of mankind
A day or two ago while little Ruth
Sheehan daughter of John Sheean
5O7 West Eighth avenue, was eating a
: slice of bread cut from a loaf pur-