The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-15

SPEED ON HOTEL
Contractor Promises Quick
Work at Ninth.
Detailed Plans Worked Out for
Construction.
OUT OF HOLE BY OCTOBER
Then Steel Work VIII Begin on
Big Hosiery.
Excavation Complete by End of
This Week.

Speed will be the front name of
construction activities on the new
100000 Hotel Sansan, according TO
E. H. Leo Thompson of the Pratt
Thompson Construction company.
general contractors Thompson re-
turned Thursday night to Kansas City
after two days in Topeka and has al
ready worked out detailed plans for
handling work on the big new hotel
project at Ninth street and Kansas
avenue.
When Thompson left Topeka Thurs
day night, he gave out a little mes
sage of assurance to Topeka In sub
stance it is to the effect that the con-
tractors are Just as anxiousl to finish
the hotel as Topekans and that the
date for final opening will be deter
mined only by work conditions, ma
terial supplies and ability to provide
men for the work. In short there
won't be an hour lost between now
and the time when Mosby & Mosby.
lessees. give instructions to their chief
chef to begin preparing the opening
night dinner.
General excavation work will be
completed this week. 1t is likely that
the sinking of piers for planting the
big concrete and steel footings to bed
rock will begin Monday morning. In
the meantime, material yards are 10
be equipped and the machinery for
use in running of concreSe Will be set
Arrangements have been made for the
big derricks and hosting cranes and
no delays are anicINated in prompt
handling Of the work.
Build Temporary Office
The entire hotel site enclosure has
been cleared. TO the curb line on both
Kansas avenue and Ninth street Tenn
porary offices are now being con-
structed on the Ninth street corner
and arrangements will he made at
once for necessary enclosures on the
material Yards at Ninth and Quincy
streets.
THE big concern in Topeka" Mr..
Thompson was told, is in genuine
demonstration that the men behind
the Hotel Kansan mean business and
expect to finish the project as soon as
possible"
Wei you can just say that we are
going to give a pretty good demon
strat.on of the faith behind the hotel, -
was the contractors reply. We are
just as much interested in rushing
this work as anyone. We have other
Jobs besides this one and the sooner
We can complete the Hotel Kansan,
the sooner we can turn more men
Loose on other work
The speed which can be made here
will be determined only by the ia
oilit.es available for handling the
work I am not fully familiar with
all construction activities here but 1
Will venture to say that we will make
Just as fast time as has been made on
any major building constructed in To-
peka-"
Steel Here Next Month
Earl Jennings construction engineer
for the Pratt-Thompson company, is
spending his entire time in Topeka di-
recting organization plans II is the
belief of both Thompson and Jennings
that workmen will be out of the big
hoe at Ninth and Kansas early in Oc-
tOber. The contractors Will then be
safeguarded against early freezes and
bad weather conditions which tend to
interfere with handling of concrete
Steel for the superstructure will be-
gin arriving in Topeka early next
month.
Sometime within the next three or
four weeks a gang OF rfveters will be-
making life a burden and a night
mare in the Y. NJ c. A. district. Be
fore the first of the year Topekans
and Kansans will see the completion
of the big steel frame Of the states
largest and finest hotel.