The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

THE SMOKE NUISANCE.—Messrs. Thomas Rider Bald-
win, and Peter Bell, extensive sugar-refiners, and proprie-
tors of a large sugar house, were charged with using
furnaces so constructed as not to burn or consume their
own smoke. A gentleman from the firm attended to answer
the summons, taken out by Mr. Howse, the superintendent
of the K division, by order of the Home Secretary. With
a few exceptions all the large sugar-refineries and manufac-
tories in the important district assigned to this court have
smoke-consuming apparatuses in operation on their pre-
mises and attached to their furnaces, and the improvement
in the public health, and the increased comfort of the in-
habitants is universally acknowledged. It is to be
hoped the foreign and coasting steamers, which
belch forth dense columns of black smoke while
lying at the wharves, and in their progress up and
down the river, will be provided with means for con-
suming the smoke from their ships. If that is done a
great nuisance will be put down. The exemption in favour
of steamers proceeding beyond the Nore light, while steam
tugs and passenger steamers navigating on the river only
are compelled to consume their smoke is simply ridiculous.
In the case of Messrs. Baldwin and Bell, it was proved
by Robert Smith, No. 253 K, that he watched the chimney
shaft of the defendant's factory on the 24th of August last,
and saw great quantities of black smoke issue from it. He
stood opposite the clock of the parish church of St. G}eorge-
in• the-East in Cannon-street, Ratcliff-highway, and saw
great volumes of black smoke issue from the defehdant's
chimney shaft from 30 minutes past 11 to 35 minutes past
11, and also as follows :-11 40 to 11 46, 11 51 to 11 53,
11 55 to 11 59, from 12 6 to 12 10, 12 18 to 12 30.
Mr. Partridge—Twelve minutes' continuous smoking ?
Smith—Yes, sir. From 12 40 to 12 44, 12 46 to 12 49,
12 51 to 12 53, 12 55 to 12 57, 1 5 to 1 7, 1 13 to 1 19, 1 33
to 1 41, 1 50 to 1 55, from 2 to 4 minutes past 2, and there
I finished. On the 27th I stood opposite the church again,
and the chimney was sending forth smoke in a similar
manner. The smoke was very black. There was not suffi-
cient room for it to come out.
Mr. William Sandison, engineer, made an inspection of
the defendant's furnaces on the 2d of December last. There
was a 15 horse-power steam engine and two single tube
boilers. The furnaces were not so constructed as to con-
sume or burn their own smoke, Black smoke issued from
the chimney for three minutes. He had frequently seen the
chimney smoking since that time.

In cross-examination by Mr. Hope, the manager of the
defendants' sugar refinery, the witness said he mentioned
at the time of his visits, where a large number of appara-
tuses for the consumption of smoke were in use, but he was
forbidden by the Government from recommending any par-
ticular invention.

Mr. Hope called Mr. William Rendall Hodge, engineer,
who said he waspalled upon in the beginning of last month
to put up an apparatus for the consumption of smoke to the
defendants' furnaces, and he believed they were quite effec-
tual ; one apparatus was fixed last Saturday week or fort-
night, the other on the previous week.

Mr. Partridge—The evidence of Mr. Hodge is conclu-
sive. There was no apparatus at all until Mr. Hodge was
called in. The remedy should have been applied earlier.
This is not a case for the full penalty. I fine the defendants
40s. only.