The Topeka state journal. [volume], January 16, 1909, LAST EDITION, Image 1

About The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1980

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LAST EDITION.
DEAD 71.
.
.' ininml so. Thirty of Them
Probably Fatally.
Two Trains In Collision on the
Denver & Rio Grande.
ALL DEAD BUT ONE.
Out of 69 Passengers Occupy
ing the Day Coach.
All of the Sleepers Remained on
the Track.
THEIK HEADS CUT OFF
Several Persons Decapitated as
by a Guillotine.
Engineer Misread the Time by
His Watch.
Denver, Colo., Jan. 16. Seventy-one
dead, 50 injured and at least 30 of
whom will probably die is the record
of the wreck of Denver & Rio Grande
passenger train No. 5, near Dotsero
2 5 miles from Glen wood Springs, ac
cording to a long distance telephone
message from Glenwood Springs this
morning.
Dead :
GUS OLSEN, engineer on the pas
eeneer train. Salida.
Seventy passengers, names unknown.
Known Injured: ,
John Rosso, laborer, Cleveland, O.
Thomas Elliott, Pendleton, la.
W. Adair, Ravenna. O.
T. B. Miller, Denver.
Mrs. G. Blanke, Wapolin.
Charles P. Mance.
Mrs. Charles P. Mance.
V. M. Barber, Anthony, Kan.
J. B. Hayden and child, Buffalo,
Okla.
Fred Jensen, Iowa Falls, la.
Mrs. Nellie J. Morton, Standish, Cal.
Mrs. A. M. McCauley and child.
W. G. Moxey, Los Angeles.
J. B. Thompson, Bookens, S. D.
F. Chandler, Denver.
Clyde E. McCown, Pullman con
ductor. Clarence Vassau, Middleburg, Vt.
I. E. Cannon, Twin Falls, Idaho.
Among those who were on the train
and escaped are:
Dr. Charlotte Hall. St. Paul.
Emma Strafford, Cleveland, O.
Mary E. Spear. Cleveland, O.
Mortie Spear, Cleveland, O.
E. L. Ron", Winside, Neb.
Hugg Gregg and family, Harris
burg. 111.
All of the sleeping cars remained
on the track and no one in them was
Injured.
The passenger train crashed into
the head engine of the freight train
going across a switch at Dotsero,
which is a blind siding. The chair car
was telescoped and the first passenger
coach was wrecked. It was from the
chair car that the dead were taken.
Twenty bodies have been recovered. It
Is said that not a single person in the
day coach escaped.
Meagre details have been received
there. The relief train will probably
reach here with the dead sometime
this morning.
It was impossible to carry the
wounded around the wreck. This de
layed the relief to the passengers for
more than an hour.
Cioing Too Fast to Stop.
The passenger train is said to have
been going at a good rate of speed
when it reached the siding at Dotsero.
It is supposed that the engineer of the
passenger thought that the freight
had passed to the siding and was go
ing too rapidly to stop his train when
he saw the danger.
The great locomotive attached to
the passenger train was demolished
and the chair car and passenger coach
were turned on their sides and shat
tered. With the arrival of the relief train
from Glenwood it was possible to start
the work of taking out the bodies.
The injured were pinned under the
wreckage and the heroic work of the
passengers of the rear cars saved
jnany lives'. Some of the injured are
terribly mangled and the death list it
is reared will be greatly increased.
Train No. 5, which was wrecked
left Denver yesterday morning and
was due here at 10:20. The train was
well filled with passengers many of
whom were to get off at this point.
Dotsero is a blind siding with no
station and no telegraph office
When the relief train reached the
scene it was found that the long string
of freight cars on the freight train
were in the way and the only way
they could be disposed of was to back
them to Shoshone, eight miles from
the wreck.
The physicians and nurses however,
left the relief train as soon as they
reached there and ministered as best
they could to the dead and dying.
A special train with Amos C. Ridge
way, general manager of the Denver
& Rio Grande and other Denver offi
cials of the road on board left Denver
at midnight last night for the scene of
the wreck. The special will be given
right of way over the Colorado Mid
land and the Denver & Rio Grande
and will make a record run to Dot
sero. Relief Train Tied Up.
To add to the horror of the wreck,
the second relief train, on its way to
Glenwood- loaded with injured, has
been tied up by the derailment of some
freight cars. The first relief train
bearing a number of the more slightly
injured reached Glenwood this morn
ing, bringing reports of the wreck,
which appears to have been one of the
worst in the history of railroading
No further identifications of the dead
have been made, according to reports
reaching Glenwood. The dead are in
many instances so horribly mutilated
that identification will be very diffi
cult.. Cause of the Wreck.
According to information received
the wreck was caused by the failure
of Engineer Gus Olsen of the passenger
train to correctly read the time indi
cated by his watch. When nearing
Dotsero, Olsen looked at his watch and
read the time to be 9:45 p. m. it was
SATURDAY EVENING.
then 9-50. Thinking he had plenty of
time to make the next siding below
Dotsero, he pulled the throttle of his
engine wide open and was roaiung 45
miles an hour on a down .grade when
he collided with the freight which was
laboriously climbing up the hill under
a full head of steam of two big en-
BIIWhen the passenger did not stop at
Dotsero, Conductor Edward McCurdy
jumped to the bell cord and signalled
to Engineer Olsen to stop the train,
but it was then too late to avert the
disaster and the two trains crashed
together- with an awful roar and ter
rible impact. .
The three big engines telescoped and
when they came to a standstill re
sembled one huge piece of twisted
steel and iron rods and mechanism. -Heads
Cut Off.
The combination baggage and ex
press car, the smoker and the day
coach, which followed the engine,
telescoped, while the, three heavy
Pullman sleepers and diner crushed
the entire' mass against the engines.
The light coaches were smashed as
though they had " been egg shells
rvorv nerson except one in the chair
car was killed. Eight of the passen
gers were decapitatea as inougii uj
Guillotine, their heads rolling far from
their bodies. The bodies of the dead
for the most part are so mutilated
that identification may take many
hours. .
The only person wno escap utra.m
in the chair car was Alice Williams,
red 4 years, from some point in
Iowa, She was found under her dead
mother's body, slightly bruised but
covered from head to foot with blood.
The child was taken to Glenwood
Springs on the second relief train.
The only member of the three en
gine crews who was injured is John
Anderson of Glenwood Springs. In
jumping from the cab he sustained a
EngineX Gus Olsen of the 'passenger
is a brother of Engineer Sig Olsen,
who was in charge of the head engine
on the freight train. Harry Jeffries
was the engineer on the second en
gine. Both Sig Olsen and Jeffries live
at Glenwood Springs.
The wreckage caught Are im
mediately after the collision and a
holocaust was averted by those pas
sengers who were not lulled or ser
iously injured and the members of
the train crews, who secured shovels i
and boards ana put out. uw o.
.nr which Is piled in huge banks
alongside the tracks.
It was at nrsi supputseu m&i.
two mail clerks, Hammond and Fraze,
on train No. 5. were killed, but it later
developed it is the custom to cut the
mail car at Pueblo and send it on by
. .,,,. anA Tmlf later, so
as not to delay the through train by
stopping to ioaa mt ".
they generally pick up at Pueblo.
SHE WANTS TOVOTL
Sirs. Clarence Mackay Appeals for
Right of Suffrage.
vo -vnrTr- Tan 16. Mrs. Clarence
H. Mackay, whose fame heretofore
fctori n Tirvri Vifr achievements as
o caiii lonior- has eathered fresh
laurels for herself in the role of po-
.... . . . . .. . ; mihlln maolrpr
ULlCai expuilCill auu ' " " - - -
t . c ii ' r . t"i f mnrio. 11 n of SOP.letV
J L li i e an awun-in-v .......
women and woman suffroge advocates,
mr -. . i 1. Vine ill.- Vl 1 . 1. 1 ajant.
ivirs. xvxiicitay, M ii" nan juoi -
ed president of the Equal Franchise
league, strongly advocated granting of
the right to vote to women, on the
theory tnat it. is impuiuie iui
half to express the whole."
"I am convinced that the country
needs the woman's vote," said Mrs.
v r . tin. I. . .. .nnn.. V. . . nrhinh man
iiacK.a.y. iue i'i . -v-o. uj ,
have gradually allowed morality, de
cency and altruism to share in the
government has been slow and re
luctant. We women demand that the
real step be taken, that morality itself,
the moral, the ethical half of the hu
man race, may be admitted to govern
ment on equal terms."
CORPORATIONS UNEASY.
Fear Government Interference faiul
Business "Slows Cp." .
New York. Jan. 16. The spotty and Ir
regular stock market of the week has of
fered a fair reflection of the unsettled
state of speculative sentiment. Doubts
have arisen over the rate at which indus
trial revival may be expected owing to
slowing up of the moving of freight
traffic over the railroads, the moderate
demand for finished steel products, espe
cially from the railroads and the ac
cumulating stocks of copper. The heavy
reflux of funds from circulation con
firms the impression of a halt in business
activity against corporations. The issue
of the Russian loan in Paris is waited to
resolve the question of the policy of the
Bank of France in the further accumula
tion of gold.
VIOLATE 28 HOUR LAW.
The Katy and Santa Fc Keep Cattle
In Cars Too Lon;.
Kansas City. Kan., Jan. 16. The
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad
company was convicted of violating
the 28-hour cattle law in the United
States district court yesterday on four
out of five counts against it. The
Santa Fe Railway, company was con
victed on nine counts Thursday. The
Kansas City, Mexico & Orient must
stand trial on two counts. The pun
ishment is a fine of from $100 to $500
on each count. The St. Louis & San
Francisco railway pleaded guilty to
two counts. The companies are
charged with keeping cattle in the
cars longer than twenty-eight hours
without unloading for feed and water.
A case brought by the Interstate
Commerce commission against the
Santa Fe railway charging it with not
providing proper safety appliances
went to trial in the United States dis
trict court yesterday. It is alleged in
this case that a car, which was
equipped with a defective coupling,
was placed in a train. The case will
go to the jury, composed of eleven
men today. There were only eleven
Jurors in court when the case was
called and by agreement they are to
try it.
TEETH AS SOUVENIRS.
Italian Condemned to Die Sends Re
membrances to Friends.
Trenton. N. J., Jan. 16.- Sabano
Mallilo. who is condemned to die in
"he electric chair next week, has made
rrangements to have two gold teeth
extracted from his jaw after death and
"orwarded to friends in Ita'.v. The
r-ondemned man feared to undergo the
rdeal in the dentist's- chair before
death.
DINES ONPOSSUM
Taft Makes Great Hit With
Georgians at Banquet.
Disregards All Warning Re
garding Southern Dish.
TEDDY BEAK IS OUT.
To Be Replaced by "Bill Possum'
Hereafter.
He Surrenders to the South in
a Speech.
Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 16. The brain of
the new south was gathered in the At
lanta auditorium last night, when
President-elect Taft, the guest of hon
or at the Chamber of Commerce ban
quet electrified his hearers and en
thused them with his message to the
south, which contained declarations
far more welcome to this section than
some of those present had anticipated.
From the tumultuous cheering that
greeted his words, it is safe to say
that no act of any president, no de
claration of any president or of any
president-elect, has ever met with
such hearty approval of the people of
the south, as Mr. Taft's announcement
touching the policy which he proposes
to pursue in making appointments of
federal officers in that section.
Frankly admitting that in many in
stances federal administrations have
acted toward the south as to an alien
country or dependent territory, Mr.
Taft declared, with emphasis, that
the keynote of his policy would be to
treat the south as an Integral part of
the country and to extend to it equal
and exact justice in all matters.
When the president-elect declared
that he proposed to select for federal
officers in the south, as well as in other
sections of the country, "those whose
character and reputation and standing
in the community commend them to
their fellow citizens as persons quali
fied and able to discharge their duties
well, and whose presence in important
positions will remove. If any such thing
exists, the sense of alienism in the gov
ernment which they represent," the
banqueters, composed of leading citi
zens from every state south of Mason
and Dixon's line. Jumped to their feet
and for several minutes it was impossi
ble for Mr. Taft to proceed.
"Possum and Taters."
Mr. Taft was not only introduced to
'possum and 'taters, a dish far famed
in the south since the days "Befo" de
wah," but the banquet marked the
birth of a new American toy which
bids fair to displace the far famed
Teddy Bear" "Billy 'Possum," first
suggested by Cartoonist Gregg of the
Atlanta Constitution. The first of the 1
successor to the little bear which the
children of America have been wont
to play with since the advent of Presi
dent Roosevelt, was presented to the
president-elect and when the Taft
smile met the 'possum grin, the apex
of the most brilliant and at the same
time most unique banquet perhaps
ever given a national figure was '
reached.
When the time for the serving of the
course of 'possum and 'taters and 'Sim
mon beer was reached the orchestra.
screened by ferns and potted plants, in
the gallery, struck up the stirring
strains of Sousa's "Georgia Camp Meet
ing, while down the center aisle and
headed directly for Judge Taft, there
came a waiter who fairly staggered un
der the weight of the choicest 'possum
of the very choice one hundred, dressed
whole and properly garnished with rich 1
WILLIAM H. TAFT, CHIEF GUEST AT THE BIGGEST POSSUM SUPPER EVES HELD IN GEORGIA.
When a delegation of prominent business men of Atlanta called on William H. Taft recently and invited him to
visit their city they asked him if he had any suggestions to offer relative to the preparations for a banquet they in
tended to give In bis honor. "Just one," smilingly replied Mr. Taft. "I have had a lifetime longing to taste 'possum
and taters." My visit to the south will be Incomplete unless this with be realized." And his wish was gratified, for
the Atlantans prepared a feast of 100 of the fattest possums to be found In all the Georgia persimmon belt to spread
"ore the president eleO
TOPEKA, KANSAS, JANUARY
golden Georgia yams, and followed by
another waiter with a flagon of persim
mon beer.
Up the speaker's table marched the
grinning darkeys, .amid an uproar of
laughter, in which' the president-elect
Joined until his face was flooded with
color. .
Presented With Toy Possum. -
It was at this juncture that President
Candler, of the chamber of commerce
presented the toy 'possum, with appro
priate verse appended.
Mr. Taft, in referring to a letter
he had received only yesterday from
Chicago warning him "not only for
your own sake ana tne country s sake,
but for God's sake." not to eat any
'possum and referring him to a
chapter in the Bible, Mr. Taft said:
"I guess I will have to say with
Lowell In the Bigelow papers when
Governor Seay, who was a candidate
for that office in Massachusetts, was
importuned not to do a certain thing,
and was referred to a certain chapter
in the Bible read It and replied:
'Well, they don't know everything in
Jude,' (Ju'dea). I enjoyed that course,
especially."
Preceding Mr. Taft's speech prominent
ministers and jurists lent their talent to
the entertainment of the guest of honor.
There were songs and "sermons" that
were relics of ante-bellum days, all of
which appealed to the president-elect and
caused hia sides to shake with laughter.
When the band struck up "America," the
audience arose as one man, and with
Judge Taft's bass voice leading, there
went swelling through the banquet room
the rising notes of the national air.
Judge Taft's programme for today in
cludes an automobile ride about the city,
an address to the studer.ts of the Georgia
school of technology, an address to the
negroes at Big Bethel church, departure
at noon for Athens on board a special
train, where he will address the students
of the University of Georgia, returning to
Atlanta tonight as the guest of the Cap
ital City club.
ATE 'POSSUM WITH TAFT.
Father Gnnn Given a Special Dispen
sation by the Bishop.
Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 16. Father Gunn
of the Sacred Heart church was one
of the distinguished guests last night
at the Taft banquet. Being Friday,
like all good Catholics, meat was
tabooed for him. But he wired Bishop
B. J. Keiley at Savannah and from
him obtained a dispensation to eat
'possum, the piece de resistance at the
banquet, and with the more than 500
others enjoyed the dish immensely.
LOSS OF 46,576.
Current of Foreign Population Flows
Backward.
' Washington, Jan. 16. For the year end
ed October 31, last, the number of aliens
arriving in this country was 655,263, while
the departing aliens in the same period
numbered 701,839, a net loss to the country
of 46.576. according to a statement made
by Secretary Strauss upon leaving the cab
inet meeting today.
Another interesting fact to Secretary
Strauss, who spoke to the president re
garding it, was that in the month of Oc
tober, 19rtS, the emigration to this country
was larger from Great Britain than from
any other country of the world, amounting-to
8,334. From British North America
there came the second largest number.
6,501. ,
A SALOONKEEPER ROBBED.
Negro Porter . "Taps the .Till" in Open
Daylight for $l,60O.
Chicago, Jan. 16. C. P. Bertsche, a sa
loonkeeper, was robbed yesterday of $1,
6S0 by a negro porter. The money was in
a drawer behind the cigar case, and it is
said that a half dozen detectives were in
the saloon when the negro took the cash.
Telling the manager that he was going
out to get a "pork chop sandwich," the
porter disappeared. A few minutes later
the. theft was discovered by Bertsche.
"Where's the porter?" he asked.
"He stepped out to get a pork chop
sandwich," was the manager's reply.
"I hope it chokes him." was Bertsche's
observation. "He's tapped the damper
for all there was in it."
16,1909.
BONDS ARE SOLD.
City Light Securities Bring Big
Premium.
Issue Forty Thousand Dollars
at Four and Half Per Cent.
CHICAGO FIRM WINS.
Will Pay Over Two Thousand
Dollars Premium.
Fifteen Bidders and All Offered
Premiums.
To use a rather crude but expressive
nernacular "The city officials are tick
led to death this morning." Last night
at the special meeting of the city coun
cil the bids for the $40,000 electric light
bonds were opened and the highest bid
was accepted. But the city counc'l
never dreamed of such a surprise as
was met last night on the official open
ing of the sealed bids. The highest
bidder was A. B. Leach & Company of
Chicago who promised a premium of
$2,260 with accrued interest. They have
been wired of the acceptance and the
deal will be closed at once.
The $40,000 electric light bonds of the
city of Topeka, bear interest at the
rate of 4V4 per cent per annum, pay
able semiannually, both principal and
interest to be payable in the city of
Topeka bonds to be of the denomina
tion of' $500 each, dated January 1.
1909, without option of prior payment.
As an evidence of their good faith the
Leach firm sent a check of $4,230 to the
city to be returned if the bid was not
accepted.
The complete list of the bidders is as
follows:
Amt. Premium.
A. B Leach & Company, Chicago,
Harris" Trust" & "Savings Ban '
Chicago
Farson. Son & Co.. Chicago 26.0U
Hnltz Sr. Comoanv. Chicago l,J2b.w
E. H. Rollins & Sons, Chicago 700.0U
Thos. J. Bolger Co., Chicago 800.00
Tho A mtir-iii n Trust Savings
Bank, Chicago ?SS?
John Nuveen & Company, Chicago, 136.00
A. C. Edwards & Sons, bi. iouis,
at. l,21o.00
Kountze Bros., New York 2,172.00
Lamprecht Bros. & company, iew
Ynrlr 1,24. 30
Lee Monroe. Topeka, Kansas
Prudential Trust Co., Topeka Kan- 400.00
Spitzer & Co., Toledo 850.00
R. W. Morrison & Co., Kansas City 706.00
There were fifteen bidders In all and
all ot them were outside of the city
with the exception of tne pruaentiai
company and Lee Monroe of this city.
The bids vary all the way from $126
to the Leach bid of $2,260. The high
hiri riven.bv the A. B. Leach & Co.
of Chicago is undoubtedly the highest
bid ever given the city of Topeka on
bonds bearing a low rate of Interest.
Most of the bids on former bonds
have averaged one and two per cent
and when a bid of three per cent was
reached it was thought to DO marvel
ous. But the Leach bid is the best
nronosition ever given the city of To-
neka. The city met with almost as
good a proposition as ii iney nau is
sued them at par ana per cent
as far as the money is concerned. If
the bonds had been issued at par ana
four per cent there would have been a
gain of $87.00 over the present sys
tem but then mere wouia nave oeen
the risk of losing them and the trou
ble to sell, the latter trouble being a
task of unknown measure.
At first it is hard to see how the
Leach company can make money on
such bonds at such a premium. But
SATURDAY EVENING.
they are making a good investment
with the Topeka electric light bonds
in spite of the fact that one firm only
bid $126.00. They receive from the
city $1,6 8 7.00 a year or a little better
than 4 per cent interest. This is as
good an investment as can be made
with such a risk. The city officials
are puzzled over the bids of some of
the people who tightly asked that they
be given the bonds at $126.00, $400.00,
$600.00 and the like. This is less than
one per cent m some cases and a firm
that will not risk any more than that
on the finances of the city of Topeka
has very little confidence. Another un
usual fact in the figures was the num
ber of bond companies who scram
bled for the bonds. Thirteen out of
town companies would have been glad
to handle bonds for the city of To
peka. A. B. Leach & Co. have never
dealt with the city before.
CHENEYS ARE FOUND.
American Sailors Quickly Recovered
the Bodies.
Washington. Jan. 16. The bodies
of the American consul, Arthur S.
Cheney and Mrs. Cheney were found
in the ruins of the American consul
ate at Messina yesterday afternoon by
tne sailors of the American battleship
Illinois, which arrived at Messina
yesterday from Suez.
Captain Bowyer of the Illinois, had
been instructed by Admiral Sperry,
while enroute from Suez to Malta, to
proceed to Messina, and endeavor to
recover the bodies. When Captain
Bowyer reached Messina yesterday he
sent a number of sailors ashore for
the purpose of excavating the ruins.
They were successful in finding the
bodies during the afternoon. The
bodies were prepared for shipment
and taken aboard the American sup
ply ship Culgoa, which will carry them
to Naples. Arrangements are being
made for the shipment of the bodies
to the United States. Having accom
plished her mission at Messina, the Il
linois has returned to Malta.
Ieal Estimated at OO.OOO.
Messina, Jan. 16. An estimate of
the dead in Messina as a result of the
catastrophe of December 28, made by
Stuart K. Lupton, the American vice
consul, on behalf of the American em
bassy at Rome, places the number at
90,000. Mr. Lupton estimates also
that there are today still 10,000 peo
ple in the city. The work of getting
information concerning individuals
who were in Messina at the time of
the earthquake Is extremely difficult,
as there are undoubtedly still tens of
thousands under the ruins and other
tens of thousands have scattered
themselves throughout Sicily and the
peninsula. The people still in Messina
are camping out in the outskirts and
it has been Impossible to take any cen
sus of them. Major Landis, military
attache to the American embassy at
Rome, who is quartered on board the
United States battleship Illinois, re
organized the work of searching the
ruins of the American consulate for
the bodies of Consul and Mrs. Cheney.
A number of objects that belonged
to the Cheneys were found before the
recovery of the bodies in the ruins of
the consulate today.
Mr. Lupton left today for Catania to
establish an American consulate there
THEIR HOPES DASHED.
Territories Must Wait Until After Oen.
sus for Statehood.
Washington, Jan. 16. Numerous
delegations from New Mexico and Ari
zona, which come here to press the
claims of those territories for state
hood, have learned that the senate
leaders do not intend to permit the
statehood bill to pass at the present
session. This decision has been
reached at an informal conference of
the senate leaders.
It was said that there is not time
enough remaining of this congress to
enact the necessary legislation. State
hood measures invariably provoke
prolonged discussion.
An additional reason aavancea. by
senate leaders against the proposition
is the fact that members who have
discussed the qualifications of these
territories differ widely as to the
character of the population and its
ability to carry the responsibilities of
statehood. It is said that there are a
number of questions to be settled
which will be answered by the coming
decennial census, and many members
of congress therefore urge that state
hood be delayed until after it had
been taken.
Manv members including- Senator
Foraker, who has been an advocate of
eparate statehood for tnem for a
number of years, have pointed out
with some force that the platforms of
both of the great political parties de
clare for statehood for both terri
tories. However there are only 40
legislative days remaining, and prac
tically all of the big supply bills are
yet to be passed.
FROM EGYPTIAN- DARKNESS.
Jewish Rabbi Would Have His People
Become More Modern.
Chicago. Jan. 16. Rabbi Jacob
Klein, formerly of Sumter. S. C, has
succeeded Rabbi Tobias Schanfarber
in his charge here. The latter in a
parting address pointed out the diffi
culties in the way of the modern Jew
ish minister.
"Judaism," he declared, " is passing
through a transition period, and the
leader of the congregation must be
careful lest he lean his people too pre
cipitously out of the olden thought Into
the newer conception or things and
thus blind them altogether. Still it is
my bounden duty to take his people
gradually out of the Egyptian dark
ness of the past and put tnem in toucn
with the brighter light of this twen
tieth century civilization."
Weather Cloudy and Pleasant.
Fair weather is promised for tomor
row, the first real fair wea l.er in two
weeks. There will be but little change
in temperature. The snow will melt
rapidly and it will be soft and muddy
under foot. There is a light wind of
three miles an hour from the south
east today. The sky is cloudy. The
following are the temperatures:
7 o clock 25111 o'clock 28
8 o'clock 25jl2 o'clock 29
9 o'clock 25) 1 o'clock SO
10 o'clock 261 2 o'clock 29
Weather Indications.
Chicago, Jan. 16. Forecast for
Kansas: - Fair tonight and Sunday.
FIVE CENTS.
GREEN HAS A WAY
Mayor Would Put New Water
Main on Kansas Avenue.
Connect It Directly With Har
rison Street Station.
USE FOK FIRES ONLY,
This Is the Plan Now Followed
in New York.
Would Solve the Question of
Fire Insurance.
Mayor William Green of thls city
has millions of excellent ideas stored
away in the archives of his well
formed cranium but he waits for them
to force themselves out before he will
allow anyone to follow up the clues
that gradually slip after a conversa
tion or cross questioning of from three
to four hours. This morning the
State Journal reporter "what does
city hall" discussed the Copeland hotel
fire with his honor for two hours bs
fore he could make him express an
opinion as to the improvement of the
fire pressure and service in the busi
ness districts of this city. But whe
the mayor did finally allow one of
those million ideas to leap forth with
out a warning and before he could
stop it the efforts of the poor scrib
bler were repaid. Mayor Green has
an idea that will or should be taken
up by the city council and given due
consideration before it loses Its
ginger. The plan is to give Topeka,
a new and additional fire service on
Kansas avenue and along the business
streets of the city from First street
to Tenth avenue.
It will be remembered that To
peka has a pumping station at the
foot of Harrison street which is there
for emergency sake only and when a
very bad fire occurs or something hap
pens out at the headquarters of the
water department this little station
down near the river on Harrison Is
started up and used as a "supply."
The plant Is in good order, the pumps
are good, the boilers are as solid as
any In the city and the engines are
peerless. The plan of the mayor Is to
utilize this plant for other purposes
use it as a direct pressure and a high
pressure plant on the plan of the
new system In New York city where
fire steamers are useless when the
high pressure plant Is connected.
With very little comparative cost
Topeka could construct from the
Harrison street station to First street
thence up Kansas avenue to Tenth
avenue a new city main. It would be
of the very best water main pipe
wlnA ..-.'11 .... n OAl . J
1 1"-' uiah win BLanu a, u ii puunu JjrCS"
sure as easily as a politician stands
pat. This single main could be
built up Kansas avenue at a cost equal
to the loss of one big fire. Now since
the new water main is supposedly con
structed take notice of the old water
station. The plan of Mayor Green Is
to sink the "draw" of this station Into
the river, and then connect the big
high pressure water main directly
with the little plant and with nothing
else. This main is to be used for fire
purposes only and the station would
act as a fire steamer have the
proper appliances to get up steam In
very short time and work the pumps.
If this would not be advisable it
would be an easy task to keep a fire
"banked" in the furnaces all the time
and keep a reasonable amount of
steam until an alarm was turned in
and then start the pumps. This sta
tion could get up a pressure of 200
pounds in very short time and It
would throw a stream capable of
reaching to the roof and floating over
any building in Topeka. It would
have the pressure of a regular fire en
gine and would be quicker, handier,
cheaper, more effective, and more re
liable. Mayor Green has not consulted any
of the city officials. He has not hinted
it to a city councilman in fact he did
not say a word about It until "tapped"
by the reporter who Is well aware of
the fact that the mayor has a vast
amount of available ammunition bid
den away for future emergences.
When the State Journal reporter
spread the news of the mayor's new
plan all of the city officials who could
be Interviewed were radically and en
thusiastically In favor of it.
Mayor Green Is not a man who will
boost his own plan but he ned not fear
as there are any number of city offi
cials and councilmen who will fight over
the chance to take up the matter. The
next meeting of the city council for mis
cellaneous business occurs on Monday
right and several of the councilmen are
considering the presentation of the mat
ter before the august body. Whatever
happens Topeka is going to Improve her
fire protection in the business districts.
tub people over me city win not
have a chance to kick on the new
plan as suggested by the mayor be
cause the business men on Kansas
avenue and the territory in the bene
fit district are the ones who will
stand the price of the construction.
City Milk Inspector Dr. D. M. Camp
bell has an Interesting tuberculosis ex- '
hibit in his office at the city hall. He
had five samples of lungs from a hog
given to him by the Wolff Packing
company. These five samples show the
different stages of the tuberculosis ef
fect upon an animal first the lungs
are spotted witn tne tubercuil. tnen
harden gradually after which the pus
forms and the lungs are worthless
and pressed up against the bones.
There is a continual stream of visitors
to the office all day long looking at the
samples and the exact process of the
disease ct?n be traced with much more
accuracy than . by books and pam
phlets. Street Commissioner Frank Snyder
is one of the those men who does not
consider the head of a department as
an office roller top desk and swinging
chair Job. From the looks of the
gentleman this morning his theories
are well exhibited. Emring the Cope
land hotel fire he was the first man to
crawl down among the ruins and in
spect the sewer connections to see if
the immense amount of water In the
cellar would be drained quickly and
spoil the chances of a softening of the
foundations, thus weaking the walls
and making them dangerous. After
he had been the target for the firemen
for a few hours he went up and down
Kansas avenue overseeing the work
(Continued on Page Six