The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-07
Another Leak Found at City
WaterwOrks Plant.
River Water Flowing Through
Mains Freely as Ever.
CAN'T FIND THE BREAK
Force of Men Hunting for Men
ace to Health.
State Press Talking About To-
peka's Unhealthy Water.
CAN'T FIND THE BREAK

There is still another leak in the
suction pipes at the city waterworks
plant and muddy Shiny unsan1tary
river water is coursing through the city
water mains today
The leak that was found last Thurs
day afternoon and was repaired with
general satisfaction and rejoicing over
the city has been substituted in agony
by another such leak and the prospects
for a siege of bad water lasting a few
days are exceedingly bright-and
gloomy.
After leak No. 1 had been found and
repaired and the waterworks officials
were. heaving a sigh of relief the sec
ond blow came Sunday. 1t was thought
at first that the cloudy water was sim
ply the gradual parting shots of the
cid leak-that it would take number
of DAYS for the bad water to get out Of
the city mains.
However. it has been found that there
is no relief and the bad water is still
being pumped in from the river. Sup
erintendent Shaw Immediately set
force of men to work hunting for the
leak and up to late this afternoon they
" ere still working around in the raging
torrents hunting for the hole that does
the damage.
The first leak was repaired temper
arily and when the river is down II
will be fixed permanently. 1t is not
possible that the old leak allows the
river water to enter because of It's con-
struction. The leak was found just in
side of the valves and as 1t could not
be stopped by simply shutting OF the
valve the pipes were filled with plugging
material and the whole valve and
break cemented. Afterwards it was
tested
1t is thought. however, that the leak
is in the vicinity of the first break:
1t was found that some object had
weighted down on the pipes and sprung
them in such a manner that the threads
in the connections were stripped. II
would take a quick heavy jerk to do
this and it is feared that some of the
other connections We're effected.
Using Rogers Plan.
The test is conducted along the line
of the ideas expressed by John Z.
Rogers, ex-city engineer. Mr.. Rogers
thought that the best scheme was to
force air back through the suction
pipes and by watching the surface OF
the river bubbles could be seen to ap-
rear wherever there was leak.
The first and most troublesome leak
was found in this manner. The same
air pumps have Sheep reversed today
and THE workers are trying to ind
bubbles along the surface OF the river.
Together with swirhng eddies, mud
holes, mud-cats and the like the men
are having a hard time finding the
right kind of bubble. 1t is not a
case of mississippi bubble with the
Topekans but a "Kaw bubble"
The water over the city is now as
bad today as it has been since the
first leak in the river. 1t is muddy ano
unhealthy as we'll as dangerous fol
drinking purposes and is worrying the
population of the city. The people OF
Topeka have been boiling their water
for a number of days and they are get
ting used to the inconvenience.
The prevailing epidemic of stomach
trouble and general sickness on ac-
&C unit of the bad water is still raging
The whole cause has been laid to the
nasty water pumped into the water
mains from the river.
superintendent Shaw of the water
works department had just recovered
from his ecstasy over the finding of the
first leak and was rejoicing with the
consumers when the second break was
found. AS a result he is a Man with
8 Million Worries today and will Spend
10th day and night at the scene unit
the leak is found.
The fact that the Topeka water has
become so dangerous to the public
health in the past week or so has beer
made a newspaper serial story over thu
state the last few days and has giveI
The city a black eye in this respect
1t is for the good of the city as vel
as for the health of the population tina
the citizens be given pure water a
once.