The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-16
Connect Tt Directly With Har-
risOn Street Station.
USE FOR FIRES ONLY.
This Is the Plan Now Followed
in New York.
Would Solve the Question of
Fire Insurance.

has millions of excellent ideas stored
away in the archives of his well
formed Uranium but he waits for them
to force themselves out before he will
allow anyone to follow up the clues
that gradually slip after conversa-
tion or cross questioning of from three
to four hours. This morning the
State Journal reporter what does
city hall' discussed the Copeland hotel
fire with his honor for two hours be-
fore he could make him express an
opinion as to the Improvement of the
fire pressure and service in the busi-
ness districts of this city. But when
the mayor did finally allow one OF
those million ideas to leap forth with
out warning and before he could
stop 1.-THE efforts OF the poor scrfb-
bier were repaid. Mayor Green has
an idea that will or should be taken
up by the city council and given due
consideration before it loses its
ginger. The plan is to give Topeka
a new and additional fire service on
Kansas avenue and along the business
streets Of the city from First street
1t will be remembered that To-
peka has a pumping station at the
foot of Harrison street which is there
for emergency sake only and when a
very bad fire occurs or something han
pens out at the headquarters of the
water department this little station
down near the river on Harrison is
started up and used as a supply
The plant is in good order, the pumps
are good. the boilers are as solid as
any in the city and the engines are
peerless. The plan of the mayor is to
utilize this plant for other purposes
use 1T as direct pressure and high
pressure plant-on the plan of the
new system in New York city where
fire steamers are useless when the
high pressure plant is connected.
Topeka could construct from the
Harrison street station to First street
thence up Kansas avenue to Tenth
avenue new city main. 1t would be
pipe that will stand a 200 pound pres
sure as easily as a politician stands
pat. This single main could be
built up Kansas avenue at a cost equal
to the loss of one big fire. Now since
the new water main is supposedly con-
structed-take notice of the old water
station. The plan of Mayor Green is
to sink the "draw'' of this station into
the river, and then connect the big
high pressure water main directly
with the little plant and with nothing
else. This main is to be used for fire
purposes only and the station would
proper appliances to get up steam in
very short time and work the pumps
If this would not be advisable IL
would be an easy task to keep a fire
and keep a reasonable amount OF
steam until an alarm was turned in
and then st8rt the pumps. This sta
tion could get up a pressure of zoo
pounds in very short time and it
would throw a stream capable OF
reaching to the roof and floating over
any building in Topeka. 1t would
have the pressure of regular fire en-
gine and would be quicker. handler.
cheaper, more effective, and more re-
liable.
Mayor Green has not consulted any
of the city officials. He has not hinted
it to city councilman-in fact he did
not say a word about it until tapped"
by the reporter who is well aware of
the fact that the mayor has a vast
amount of available ammunition hid
den away for future emergences.
When the State Journal reporter
spread the news of the mayors new
plan all of the city officials who could
be interviewed were radically and en-
in favor of it.
Mayor Green is not a man who Will
boost his own plan but he need not fear
as there are any number of city OFF,
cials and councilmen who Will fight over
the chance to take up the matter. The
next meeting of the city council for mis-
cellaneous business occurs on Monday
night and several of the councilmen are
the presentation of the mat
ter before the august body. Whatever
happens Topeka is goirg to improve her
Ere protection in the business districts
Ino people over the city Will not
have a chance to kick on the new
plan as suggested by the mayor be-
cause the business men on Kansas
avenue and the territory in the bene-
fit district are the ones who viii
stand the price of the construction.
City Milk Inspector DIR. d. NJ. Camp
bell has an interesting tuberculosis ex-
hibit in his Office at the city hall. He
had five samples of lungs from hog
given to him by the Wolff Packing
company. These five samples show the
different stages of the tuberculosis ef-
feet upon an animal-first the lungs
are spotted with the tubercuH. then
harden gradually after which the puS
forms and the lungs are worthless
and pressed up against the bones.
to the office all day long looking at the
samples and the exact process of the
disease can be traced with much more
accuracy than by books and pam
phlets.
Street Commissioner Frank Snyder
is one of the those men who does not
consider the head of a department as
an office roller top desk and swinging
chair job. From the looks of the
gentleman this morning his theories
are well exhibited. During the Cope
land hotel fire he was the first man. to
crawl down among the ruins and in
spect the sewer connections to see II
the immense amount of water in the
cellar would be drained quickly and
spoil the chances of a softening of the
thus weaking the walls
and making them dangerous After
he had been the target for the hremen
for a few hours he went up and down
Kansas avenue overseeing the work