The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-14
Auditorium Not Properly Safe
guarded, They Say.
STATE LAWS ARE NOT OBEYED
Some One SwOre in City Hall
During Inspection.
Fire Department Too Small
and Without Authority.

not as well guarded against fire a.
| they should be, according to w. w
| Van Vall1enburg of Kansas City. Mr.
Van Nalkenburg is a member of thu
| Fire Prevention association committed
| of inspection. Also some one. hi
said, swore while he was at the Au
ditorium.
The condition of the city Offices wa:
made public in a report made at the
Commercial club room.
1.-THE city has a twelve year orphan
on it's hands" continued the speaker
THE Auditorium seems to have nc
custodian and all he did was to 'cuss
so took it for granted that he was
the custodian. The wiring is in very
bad condition, and the water was
streaming down the walls. Why
Because there is so much Indifference
that the snow was not cleared off the
roof. The water was coming down
within two feet of your organ. I do
not know whether any was coming
down behind it.
You have attacked the Audito-
rum. and ] have charge of it," said
Charles Overmeyer. Il never swore
at Mr.. Van Valkenburg. I was glad
to meet him.
ct have changed the seating ca
pacity to conform to the laws and the
house can now be emptied quickly"
City Should Be Ashamed.
Van Valkenburg: 81 met Mr.. Over
meyer-we agree on that part. Mr..
Overmeyer requested if I saw any
thing out of the way to let him know
A rag that was found in the wash
room was an old shirt saturated with
liquid veneer, combustlble SUB
stance. l left the shirt with the fire
marshal. The custodian who 'cussed
was not Mr.. Overmeyer. We went
with Mr.. Stotts and found boxes of
trash in the store room on his floor
Mr.. Stotts agreed to have the trash
i k0Ix Il tod in a
box outside of the building.
1.-THE city of Topeka should be
ashamed of the physical condition of
the Auditorium which is due to the
to go and inspect for themselves: I'm
der the stage is a big wad of unin-
sulated wiring that comes in through
the wall and goes under the stage.
There are other wires fastened with
wood cleats. and the Auditorium and
pipe organ are endangered.
Seats Not Fastened Down.
c. F. Hardy: MIR. Overmeyer, you
say that the state laws have been
with. Is it not true that
only the seats in the gallery are fas-
Overmeyer "That is true"
Hardy: Then have you complied
with the law p?
Overmeyer: NO
w. w. Webb: I'm view of the fact
that we are going to have an enter
-ainment in the Auditorium 1 wish the
president of the Commercial club
would take the matter in hand and
appoint committee of five to call
IN the mayor and ask to have these |
Kings attended to at once. Then we
IAN tell the people that it has been at |
ended to, and that the Auditorium is /
afe.''
President S. J. Hodgins of the Com
nerciaI club: We'll see that the COM
nittee is appointed tomorrow
81 want to congratulate the city of |
Topeka because you have more and
better fire protection ordinances than
,ther cities we have visited" said Mr..
remarks. I'D suggest
wo more ordinances. One concerning |
he installation of rubber tubes piping
as and another requiring metallic
rash cans 1 do not know of what
alue an ordinance is unless it is en-
orced.
Fire Department Too Small.
when your fire marshal makes in
pections he draws on the force of
aen that should be on duty to fight
anded. How far the department
anne from reaching all the risks you
ee from the report tonight.
THE business men of Topeka must
AXE up to the actual condition of af-
airs before the conditions will be
smedied. Cou can't expect good in
oection without an adequate force.
This is one of the worst wired cities
| the state-about on par with
Tichita-both were for the most part .
ired years ago, and the early install
ions have outgrown themselves. You
lould have in the fire department at
asst one man to do nothing but in
,ect The chief of the department
,ould not be called upon to call on
lie regular force for this work. The
commercial club should take up the
Pumping Plant Is Bad.
There are conditions at the city
lmping station that should not exist c
he engineer-I believe it is-lives =
the second floor over the pumps
,ere is a gasoline stove that is used
r cooking, and presume some gaso- =,
lie is kept in the building. Your
loIe water supply may be shut off
an accident in case of fire"
to c. F. Hardy the COM
tee inspected S54 risks, finding sos d
fects as follows: Defects from cleo d
c wiring, 1875; rubbish, 102; lack of b,
,odwork protection under and
ound stairs and near f1ues. 131; rub lie
r tube gas connections, III. n,
I'm general way the theaters have p
en- found to be in excellent condi- fl
n" said Mr.. Hardy, but in one or
O cases rubbish was found under Il,
: stage. The places that are main Sc
ned for the amusement of the pub
should be kept in perfect condi- "
n We don't want the people to nj
Q up and correct the defects after nj
ere has been fearful calamity fr
Firemen Have No Power is
t was pointed out by Capt. Joseph II
-nlon, of the fire department, that tie W
siness meI. do not give him the CO. VI
Grafton in his work of inspection r
1t he should have, and that it is diff II
t to enforce orders. It was the III
Of Of
1t the fire marshal should be clothed | II
tn the powers of a police officer III HI
Ter tina: the laws may be enforced. II
esse SGaM. in speaking for the maXoc | Ii