The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-04

fire engines IN the station). A gen
eral alarm would be turned in as IS
customary and every company In the
city would respond With these COM
panies would arrive the six steamers
They could be connected with six fire
plugs and as each steamer throws two
streams this would mean twelve ten
story streams OF water pouring into
this burning building. Each stream
would come out of the hose at ESQ
pound pressure Twelve streams of
water at ESQ pounds would Quench
any fire that could be QUenched- And
that the suction of the engines does
not affect the water from the direct
pressures down the street The water
IS continually crowded through the
supplies all OF the water the steam
ers can use without reducing the
efficiency of the direct connected
hose Twelve steamer streams to-
gether with all Of the hose the ire
men could stretch from other
hydrants would be as good as the d.
rect pressure and would cost $780,
600 less At the present time Topeka
has two Steamer-one of them is
new modern steamer. as heavy and OF
the same make as those used by the
Kansas City fire department These
engines cost S4.790 each Four of
them would cost $1s.s00 or S1s1.20O
less than the high pressure system
morning:
City Nor Large Enough.
Topeka could make lots better
use out OF four new steamers than
she could out of high pressure plant
and as for the thousands of dollars
debt with such an amount to pay or
interests
Topeka is not large enough to
support a high pressure water main
= r. .
city that reach the seventh story.
most Of them averaging three and
four stories in height It seems al
most foolish to keep such a tremen-
dous pressure OF water underground
when it Is not used but once or twice
q yeaF-Or rather when it is not
needed but once or twice a year The
fire department needs the new steam
ers anyway and it would be a mighty
good plan to hide the expenditure IN
der the protecting wing of an emer-
gency and then there would be no
question OF an immediate purchase
The large cost of remodeling and re-
building the Harrison street plant can
be seen at a glance It would be nee
essary to install new pumps The
pumps at the present time are baby
affairs compared with the modern
pumps at the big station and they are
for immediate action it would be nee
eSSary to always have a fire in readi-
ness or else connect the plant with
electricity This is another safe drain
ing expense. The laying of the water
mains would be a big undertaking. The
streets would have to be torn up and
a benefit district created. New high
pressure pipe would be purchased This
stuff costs a small fortune It is war
ranted to stand 800 pounds pressure at
all times and at that il is full of weak
spots and liable to cause an upheavel
and miniature food in the middle Of
the street at any time. The labor, the
profit, the equipment and the mainten-
ance OF such d pressure plant would
make the city funds look like dime
bank
Undoubtedly the new steamer sugges-
ton made by the councilman from the
First ward is the best thing the city
of Topeka can do At the next coun-
ell meeting some one will probably in
troduce such a resolution. It is what
the city needs to block the old one and
start on the right path.