The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-23
ORGANISC!RlPPLE
Gas Lights in Auditorium Cause
$500 Damage.
intermediate Valves Ruined by
Heat and Fumes.
CITY WILL PAY FOR 1T
Mayor Refuses But Commits
si0ners Agree to Foot Bill.
Little Attention Paid to the
Costly instrument.


] On account of the heat and fumes
i of the gas lights which have been
/ burning in the Auditorium for the last
| three years, the board of city commits
| sioners has found it necessary to spend
about $400 for therepairin of the big
pipe organ in this hall.
! 1t has been discovered that the in
termediate valves of the organ-several
hundred in number--have been prac-
| tically ruined and the use of the organ
! is crippled to such an extent that it
/ will be impossible to use it until these
valves are replaced or repaired.
In order to have the organ in shape
| for the coming International conven-
| ton of the Christian church, w. r.
| Roehr has wired to Chicago to the
Kimball company which built the To-
pelIa pipe organ, and a mechanic will
| be rushed to Topeka to complete the
work before the first of October.
There are a large number of conven-
| lions booked for Topeka this fall and
it Is to the interest of the city that the
| pipe organize in shape to entertain the
| crowds. The delicate mechanism of the
| intermediate valves requires consider
| able time for repair and the city pipe
| organ association is anxious about
| what can be done for the Christian
convention. ~
| The intermediate valves are called
puff valves in the simpler language
of the pipe organ expert. They control
| the air from the organ and the. con-
nections between the keys and the
| valves. They are of most delicate con-
struction and require attention. There
are probably 1000 OF these valves i'll
the big Topeka pipe organ and 1t is
| thought that all of them are ruined.
These valves are made of fabric
| and rubber. It is feared that the heat
| of the summer together with the heat
l Of on HeyhfG in fhA
Auditorium have sdisintegrated the
| rubber in the valves, making them
hard, unresponsive and useless.
| Because it was cheaper the city has
| installed gas lights in the Auditorium
When the building was first built the
electric lights were used and the effect
was one of the beautiful features OF
the building. Later, the city decided
| to use gas. Since then the electric
lights have not been used, most OF
| them are gone or broken and the hot
and ruinoIs gas lights take their place.
| These lights burn continuously
| that is, the Fighters" are ablaze at All
| times, summer ana winter. In the
lights heat the building until the tenn
/ berature is far above normal and II lis
I almost impossible to use the building
| at this time, of the year. =,
| The effect on the delicate rupper
valves can be seen easily. They lose
their strength, become hard and UNI
responsive and cripple the work of the
organ.
association and the Commercial cruz
called on Mayor Billiard asking MIN e
take some action in the repairing OF
the organ. The mayor refused to have
anything to do with 1t. He said the
organ was a white elephant on the
| hands of the city, was appreciated only
/ by the few who liked certain classes
/ Of music, was not a thing for the gen
/ eral public and would not be support
ed by himself as mayor.
| The manner of the mayor did not
please the delegation and the members
] Without an exception the commission
/ ers agreed with the committee ano
thew have promised that the city will
/ stand for the expense of repairing the
damage done by the gas lights.
Frequently people in the city have
attemnted to arouse the city officials
| in regard to the condition of the Audi
| torium lighting system but it seems
| impossible to awaken them to the fact
i that gas lights alone are poor for a
hall of this kind. It is hoped that
something will be done to change the
The Topeka pipe organ was Install
| ed five years ago and with the excep-
ton of the big organ at Salt Lake
City, is the largest and finest organ IN
| People have journeyed for hundreds OF
miles to hear the Topeka organ and it
| has been a lasting advertisement to
4 the city. f9s
| If the organ were. used moro regu-
larly, if it we're given systematic at
tention and If the City took better care
of the building there would be no
more trouble with this magnificent
organ. AS it is, something will appear
| every year to cause expense