The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-08

kind under any circumstances.
When system of this kind
of $4,000 it looks like a gift of great
measure and we should take advan-
tage of it. 1 can see no flaw in the
idea and I think that the city should
appreciate the interest taken by Mr.
Purcell. The city would be under a
great expense in remodeling the Har-
r1son street station and personally
am against the idea. The Santa F'e Of
fer is one that should be commended
If not put into practical use-and if
am not badly mistaken the city will
make quick use of it,
City Engineer Rogers, has been
holding a quiet hand in all of the fire
protection deals. 1t is known that he
has been extracting little after little
from all of the inventions offered and
his new plans are expected any day.
But when informed of the Purcell
matter by the State Journal reporter
himself very favorabIy, conceding the
many advantages of the system COM
pared with the one he is himself COM
piling. The city engineer remarked:
This is almost too good to be true
If it will only work out for the city.
The Santa Fe is fixed to handle the
greatest pressure and it would equal
our contemplated high pressure system.
This idea of connecting with the city
mains and used during a flood or ac-
cident of some sort is also appealing.
have not heard of this matter from
Mr.. Purcell or any other Santa Fe Of
f1cial and L do not know the details of
the scheme but from a general point of
view it has every mechanical advant-
age. An emergency system of this
kind would give the city of Topeka a
better fire protection than any city in
the west
There were a number of other city
officials interviewed this morning and
they were all in favor of the Purcell
project. The benefit and utility of
such a plan is apparent at first sight
and when the matter is detailed there
is reason to think that it will increase
in value. Chief Wilmarth will have
nothing to say on fire protection mat
ters until he can go into them more
the way people are taking the matter
up and making suggestions but he has
great faith in the water department.
Mr. Wilmarth has the right idea when
he says that it takes more than men
and water to fight gas.
Superintendent Goodrich's Idea.
Superintendent H. K. Goodrich of
the city electric light plant, sends the
following comment to the state Jour-
nal regarding the mode of fire pro-
lection as recommended to the city by
r. F. Cofran, formerly mayor, and an
expert along mechanical lines:
"I have been reading the items
| about fire protection. As machinist
I
Harrison street station and as chief
engineer in running for fires. We al
ways made an allowance for 20
pounds in North Topeka and the Bot
toms. One hundred pounds at the
station equaled 120 pounds at Tenth
and Kansas avenue. Ex-Mayor Cof-
rams ideas are not only good but they
are along the lines of modern en-
gineering. We did not want the water
mains to be filed with dirty water
from the river every time a fire alarm
was turned in so the water supply
was moved up to avoid this condition
of affairs. Now for comparisons-the
old station was supplied by open wells
in surface water reinforced by pipes
to the river for fire purposes. The
depth of the open wells at Harrison
street was about thirty feet. At the
upper station the closed wells are the
same depth but at Harrison street
better water could be obtained at sew
enty feet, and "a good supply of
100000 gallons can be pumped
daily.
"The steam turbine engine is COM
ing to the front fast. Pump builders
are building them for all pressure
purposes. If the light plant had not
recently purchased a new Corliss en-
gine they would have had one of the
turbine DumpS.' -