The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-01
CITY HALL NEWS.
No New Sewer Between Kansas
Avenue and jackson Street.
Laws Will Not Allow Property
to Be Reassessed.
SEWER is INADEQUATE
Is Not Able to Accommodate
Domestic Use.
Other Items Of Interest From
SEWER is INADEQUATE
Other Items of Interest From
City Building.


the United States government it will be
impossible to construct the new con-
templated sewer between Kansas ave-
nue. and Jackson street and Tenth ave-
nue. and the river. This is the discour-
aging report City Attorney Ralston
will give to the Topeka councilmen at
the next meeting of the city council.
The proposed sewer in the district
mentioned is one of the needs that To-
peka is absolutely unable to get along
without. The sewer between Jackson
and Kansas avenue at the present time
is only inches in diameter and is un-
able to attend to the domestic purposes
of the business section of the city
Nothing less than q inch sewer
would take care of this immense
domestic use is burdentng the sewer
and it will not be long before some new
arrangements will have to be made to
take care of this part of the sewerage.
The storm water in the business Sec
ton of Topeka after a big rain rusheS
like a flood down the streets and the
sewer Is forgotten. A small shower
will fill these sewers to the limit and
cause them to spout over into the cell
lars with filthy water and sewer gas.
This is an inconvenience that it both
bothersome and dangerous to the prop
erty owners along this district.
The water spouts over the city are
turned into the streets. The number
of new buildings with their large
drainage surface have overtaxed the
sewers and it is impossible to turn
anything else into them. Then there is
another trouble that will be a serious
problem with the contractor when he
bids on the construction of big build
ings along the west side of Kansas ave-
nue.. The average basement to a large
building goes down ten feet. The ele-
I vator pit goes below this. The new
buildings have been constructed lately
under great difficulties on this account.
When the old sewers were laid twenty
five years ago they were high and light.
An elevator pit strikes them now be-
| fore they go under the ground over
| ten feet. In the new Thompson-Hall
| building at the corner of Fifth and
| Kansas avenue it will be necessary to
! run the sewer connections down to
| Jackson street and connect with these
| sewers. The alley sewer cannot be
| touched.
City Engineer Rogers said this morn
/ ing that the city was facing very
serious problem-a problem that will
have to be solved in a very short time
unless the property owners risk their
| property-and probably a number of
| lives. The inch sewer is positively
| Inadequate and must be enlarged.
| When this sewer was built % years
/ ago Topeka was city of the second
| class. The property was assessed for
| this sewer and under the present laws
! it is illegal to make a second assess
ment while the city is still in the sec
| ond class. First class by this law
! means $4,000. Topeka has population
| of $4,000 people but the government
| records do not show it as yet Not I'M
| til an official census has been taken
and the first class proposition is ap-
| proved can reassessment be made
| and the new sewers constructed.
| Meanwhile the sewers will choke,
| clog up, run into the cellars and sinks
| of the property owners and make the
| surface water run to other streets for
a city of the second class along sewer
| lines
| At the closing of the May building
ant Fire Marshal Babcock found
| through the totals that May has been
| the biggest month this year-the per-
mits taken out amounting to $210,S25
| The last five months the amounts
| have equaled almost a half million dol
| lars. The largest permit of the month
was taken out for the Thompson-Hall
building at cost of $125,000. 1t is ex-
pected that June will go far ahead of
| May in both the number and n amount
A number of people over the city
have been kicking to the city officials
| and the newspaper wondering when
the paving for this year is to be laid.
| They do not seem to realize that the
| average contractor has weeks of
preparation before an undertaking. At
the present time the only active laying
of brick is on West Eighth street be-
| tween Kansas avenue and Harrison
| street. Out on Morris avenue between
| Sixth and Tenth avenues grading is be-
| ing done by r. s. Gilillan & Sons for
| the paving of this stretch. This morn
| ing the grading contractors for the Col
| lege avenue and Mulvane street in
| ouired at the office of the city engineer
| for specifications concerning the as
| phaItic concrete paving of these four
blocks. Grading will commence here
| as soon as the contractors can get to-
for good men in Topeka at the present
| time far exceeds the supply. Buildings
and paving is rapidly using all of the
| available material.
The city engineer has completed the
plans and estimates of the North side
| sewerage pumping station and it will
| be submitted at the next council meet
ing for the approval of the council and
| will be sent out Immediately for ad-
vertising. This will be good news to
the people of North Topeka who have
been roasting the city council and all
| officials for not rushing this sewerage
matter through promptly. When the
government reaches North Topeka the
people will turn out as man and vote
i for the proposition with glee, This
4 sewer pump was first introduced at the
/ council last winter. Councilman Jor-
dan realized the danger if a flood
caused another choke in the sewers
and sent the sewerage back into the
city. The new pumps are for the pur-
pose of pumping the water over the
bikes during high water. The matter
has been shifted from committee to
committee for months and the people
have at last demanded an action OF
some kind. 1t will be taken at the
next meeting of the council, June z.