The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-28
Contract for New Santa Fe Of
flee Building Is Let.
Bennett & Allen, Topeka Con-
tractors, the Lucky Bidders.
EIGHT STORIES HIGH.
New Structure Will Be Built of
Reinforced Concrete.
Santa Fe Will Occupy New Office
Home About December 81.

| The contract for the superstructura
OF the new office building of the Atch-
| ison. Topeka & Santa Fe railway was
let this morning to Bennett & Allen, a
| firm of contractors doing business in
Topeka. The cost of the structure will
be $S5O,000 when it is finished and
placed in the hands of the Santa Fe.
The immense concrete foundations
for this magnificent office building are
in place just south of the present gem
eral office building of the Santa Fe, be-
tween Ninth and Tenth avenue on
jackson street, The work on the su-
perstructure will commence at once
and it is expected that it will be fin
tshed by the end of this year.
The building will be eight stories
above the subbasement and will extend
up two stories above the present office
building. 1t will be 75x150 feet with the
front facing on Jackson street and the
state house square. The building will
run along side the old office building to
the alley in the rear. The two build
ings will be connected by "aerial-ways'
above the ground.
1t is planned to make this building
at least IL stories in height. when the
office force demands such an addition.
The walls of the structure will be built
to accommodate a number OF extra
stories in case the Santa Fe wishes to
increase it's work in this city.
1t was thought at first that the new
Santa Fe building would not cost over
$150,00 and the stories to this effect
were not denied by the officials. Later.
short of $500, 900 would build a building
suitable for the purposes of the COM
pany here, and the above mentioned
structure was planned.
All of Concrete.
The walls, floors, etc, will be of solid
anr q
work will be similar to that of the
Thompson-Hall building at the corner
of Fifth and Kansas avenue. The latest
science in architecture has proclaimed
the reinforced concrete building the
real structure of the day and the Santa
F'e is not behind in anything.
The new office building will be alb
solutely fire proof. The present build
ing nov used by the general Offices IS
of brick six stories in the air and OF
imm ense proportions but it is not f1ra
proof. fire not many years ago did
untold damage to the records Of the
company. With a fire proof building
they will preserve their valuable rec
ords and keep them in absolute safety
at all times. -'
The walls, floors and all partitions
will be of concrete and the only wood
work in the building will probably be
in the windows themselves. The latest
plans in office-large, roomy, airy-will
be used. With the room offered in this
new building there will be no more
crowded offices, and stuffed record
storage places.
The Santa Fe will have no trouble
in filling the new building as soon as
it Is done. There isn't a department
in the general offices In this city at
thi slime but what is crowded to the
limit for storage and for clerical room
The private offices In many depart
ments have been Dartitioned off from
the main rooms. In one department
in the building it is necessary for the
'boss himself to look across a table
and out of a little door in the face OF
his clerk who is "at the bottom of the
ladder" OF course this is a rare case.
Used by Accounting Force.
The new building will be occupied
entirely by the accounting depart
departments have the upper
three floors of the Office building here.
This whole force composed of about
500 people will be placed in the new
building to be completed by the end OF
the year.
There are plenty of Offices scattered
over the city at this time to fill the
vacated offices in the old building. The
signal engineer and assistant and office
force, the chief engineer and assistant
and office force. the immense tie and
timber department, the time card de-
partment, the general tax commission
er of the system and his Office force
and few of the departments under
the freight auditor are all situated
here and there over the city. Most of
these offices are in buildings along
Kansas avenue.
The Santa Fe has for long time
tried to make arrangements to get
these departments. together in one
building. But with the big increase of
business at all times, the road found
it necessary to increase the office
forces in proportion and as a result the
office buildings at Topeka were filled
up.
With this expenditure of $350,O00 on
a general Office building, the Santa Fe
completes in about a years time a
total expenditure of over a half mill
lion dollars in this city. In truth, the
sum IS much nearer a million than
half million.
The new shop office building which
Is up to about the third story, and all
Of the improvements and additions at
the shops brings the total up into the
hundreds of thousands.
With the construction of this new
office building on Jackson street. To-
peka has in one block, undoubtedly the
richest collection of modern architec-
ture in the west. The Santa Fe gen
era1 offices, six and eight story struc-
lures; the Mills building, an all steel
building of immense proportions and
extending seven stories in the air: the
state Memorial building at cost of
100000 and other buildings in this
block. The Santa Fe office building.
the Mills building and the Memorial
building are now under construction.
Taft WieIds the Az