The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-08
Sixty Foot Monsters Will Be
Dug for City at Once.
Will Have a Capacity of 2,OOO,-
900 Gallons a Day Each.
WORK NIGHT AND DAY
Big Force of Men Will Be Placed
on the Ground
New Wells Will Do Away With
Dirty Water Trouble.

OllOWlnS d IHOTOuSh lHSpSClIO11
and a series of tests by Superinten-
dent Jesse Shaw of the city water
works department and John Purcell,
member of the board of water
works trustees, the city will dig at
once, two 60-foot wells out near the
plant. These wells will be built to
handle all of the water Topeka can
use for years to come and the water
will always be clear and pure without
the danger of overflow or ice jams in
the Kaw river.
The recent trouble in the city when
a number of the suction. pipes going
down through the river bed were
broken off and the river water had
entered has aroused the waterworks
board and the superintendent and has
given them Ieeway to come before
the city to ask for enough money to
build their new wells at once.
AS result of the existing condi-
tions Superintendent Shaw presented
the petition for the digging of these
wells on the part of the board last
night and the city council approved
the matter without any delay what
ever. Each councilman had in mind
the muddy water at home and they
sought to relieve the city from the
experiences of dirty river water.
The two new 60-foot wells will be
sunk some place on the bank of the
river near the waterworks plant.
These wells will be sixty feet in diam
eter and will be dug deep enough to
obtain good clear, pure water and a
good flow at all times thus doing
away with all possibilities of stagna-
ton.
The capacity of these wells will be
100000 gallons a day each. This
makes total of 100000 gallons a
day for the new wells alone. The old
in q OanaOifU of
1,500.0 600 gallons or about half mil
lion less than the new wells that have
been proposed. The city uses on an
average of 100000 gallons of water
each day.
1t will be seen by these figures that
the new wells will be in good shape
to handle all of the business in the
city without any need of depending
upon the water from the river. In
fact, one of the wells is larger than
the well that is now supplying Topeka
when there are no fires. Even with
long fire the city figures that the
new wells will hold out as long as
| the streams are turned on.
Keep the Present System.
The present system of drive wells be-
| low the surface of the river and dowr
| through the riverbed will be repaired as
soon as possible and this system kept
| in constant use in case of an emer-
gency. The water in these drive wells
| is as good as can be procured anywhere
but there is always the danger of ice
| logs, etc, of breakin~ them and letting
| in the river water and thus pollute the
drinking water all over the city.
The present system was first built
| because OF its economy. 1t cost very
| little to drive these wells down into Tx
sand-nuch less than it will cost tC
dig the big wells On the bank of the
river-but the city was steering cleal
| of expenses at that time and the water
was good so the drive wells were made
| The ice gorge trouble has never beer
| experienced before and at the condition
| Of the river when the wells were made
| the present conditions could not be fore
seen.
There is not nearly as much rivel
water in the mains as the people would
think said John Purcell in speaking
! of the conditions this afternoon. IT
| is just like dropping a little milk in {
| cup of coffee-the color changes in al
| instant and it doesn't take much mill
| to do it. There is river water in the
mains to be sure but not as much q
the color and the general appearance
| would suggest
| "I am sure,"~ said Mr.. Purcell, "tha
the new wells will handle the Topeka
| supply easily. OF course, 1 don't sup
! pose that these conditions we have beer
| having will come again for ten year!
and again, we might have them in
/
! dent Of good water at all times the nev
| 6O-foot wells are the solution of tn
problem"
Superintendent Shaw believes that tn
| new wells will do away with any furthe
| trouble along the water line.
"When we have these wells we vii
have good water at all times and un
Ger all circumstance" said the super
1ntendent. There will be no more trou
BILE with the river-the wells will Serv
as an endless supply-and a good one.
The men are still hunting for leak
at the suction pipes in the river. I
has been found that the massive ic
cakes bent the pipes over and brok
some of them off down in the sand-an
others near the valves up in the water
TIC repair this system In good shape an
make it do the city work in the futur
without trouble can hardly be done.
The construction of the new wells wi
begin at once I'VE will have me
there night and day." said one of tn
members of the board of water com
| miSSioners.