The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-13
Still Measuring Water by Feet
Along the River. S
KNOWS EVERY NUT AND Bolt
Commissioner Newland Doesn't
Overlook q Detail.


Jesse Shaw, are now satisfied that the
water comes from wells. There was
some suspicion that it was manufac-
tured en- the prer.' -es, but under the
guidance Of Mr.. Newland, the pipes
were traced through the sandburs to
the river bed. Mr.. Newland has known
this for some time. In fact he knew
something about the water supply be-
fore he was elected or the commission.
form of government was invented by
Galveston. Tex. He does not claim to
be an engineer Of hydraulics. but he
does know every bolt, rust spot, inch
of pressure and gallon of water that
figures in a report of the Topeka water
service.
The trip to the plant was made in
the Water Wagon. the city auto,
cna uffed by Jesse Shaw, chauffeur and
aqueous superintendent. The sign on
the auto hood cxempts him from arrest,
otherwise he would be pinched-not for
speeding. but for turning SO many cor
rers There are more corners between
Eighth and Kansas avenues and the
pumping station than between any 9TH
or two points in or adjacent to our fair
village. He turned the corners at the
right time-far he it from him to turn
n corner before or after arriving at the
corner. Once he took the ditch. 1t
was when he met a large wagon loaded
with large sewer pipe. He is thought
f'i- of others. and knew the wagon
driver might not like it il the auto ran
over him.
Yes. Mater by Feet.
As Mr. Newland explains it, the water
department discovered that 1t could
pump more water than was needed for
drinking ard DISTINGUISHING purposes with
little additional expense. An extra mil
lion feet of water could be delivered to
the mains and thence to the service
pipes. It was his scheme to divide this
extra million feet of water with the To-
peka bluegrass. (Yes, 1T is perfectly safe
and proper to speak of water by the
foot. although, should one go into a
grocery store and demand a yard OF
molasses. the ding-dong wagon would
be there before he could get out.) Mr.
Newlands system is lucid enough when
he explains it. but confusing to the
householder who gets 1t second hand
Must Have q Permit.
1t is probable that a number of peo-
pie are watering their lawns under the
impression that they will have slice
pared off their water bills ut the end of
the month, but are Que to suffer disap-
p"intment when the time comes because
they did not go to the water office for a
''sprinkling permit This sprinkling
permit entities the holder to a division
of the water bill over and above his av-
erage bill for summer months. 1t makes
a profit for the water department. and
at the same time a saving for the lawn
cwncr VINO would water the grass any
way.
Mir. Newland knows all about the
now double barrelled, breech-lOading
pump. He even knows about the
vacuum in the other end of the cylin-
ders. Vacuum. as the visitor under
stood it. is the only thing that has not
been affected in price by the Euro
pean war. Vacuum doesn't cost much,
but it is valuable as filler for one
end of the secondary cylinder in the
compound engine.
The visitors also inspected the loca-
ton of the points through which wa
ter is taken from the earth. About
half hundred of these tips are con-
nected with the "underflow," far be-
low the river bed. According to Mr.
Newland. two rivers run down the
kaw valley. One dries up at times,
but the other stays on the job. One
runs over sand: the other runs under
the sand. A rise in the river proper
may threaten the pump house Of the
Topeka water plant, but does not af-
feet the supply or quality of water that
upper Republican or Blue rivers, does
affect the water supply. Somewhere
near Junction City there is a weak
spot between the sand bed of the
upper river and the clay bound "un,
derflow' 80 or 40 feet below the sand
at Topeka. And through that weak
spot water reaches the neither stream
and increases the pumping supply.
Below the river at Topeka is 20 feet
Of sand, then the clay crust. A COM
plete explanation of the whole thing is
as long as a CRATES front leg but
briefly: Topeka's water supply is gath
cred through IL inch tubes cut full OF
very small slots. These tubes are sunk
through the sand in castings. and then
with a few swift. heavy swats. driven
through the blue clay crust into the
"'underflow." Connected to a battery
Of pipes leading to the pumps and re-
serve wells. these points, furnish water
that is not river water. for every mod
ern residence In the city. f..
Here's the Answer.
At times floods and ice packs have
broken some of these feed pipes away
from the tips, but others were sunk
keeping apr -oximately the same num-
Der in commission. q,
A big fire or other disturbance call.
Ing for extra pressure, stirs up the set
things in the reserve wells, and pour:
4, mud into the kitchen sink, but an houl
later the steady drag from the sub
clay points has cleared the mains.
Returning to the good ship Waite
Wagon. the passen ers stopped to TAX
another look at Tentville. In tn
grounds owned by the water depart
ment are about a dozen tents, occu
pied by Topeka people who can't at
ford a trip to the mountains or can
SPARE the time from business. 1t
an ideal spot, full Of kids and oQm
fort. No campery In the world offer
more for less. as everything Is free
In the pumping plant IL hot and col,
water to be had for the taking-(batl
1ust over q thin line OF sandburs an,
Willows-the old reliable Kaw river
and just as free.) *
AS the party mounted the Waite
Wagon and were about to pull in tn
gangplank. Tom Sawyer and Huckle
berry Finn hove in sight. Tom had
rag over one eye, q Ratchet in hi
belt and miniature frying pan hang
ln9 nj hia hin. Huck carrfSd q allnfa