The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-05 00:00:00

SMOKE PREVENTED AND FUEL

SAVED.

So many plans have appeared at various times for the ac-
cemplishment of these most desirable ends, that one feels
quite astonished at the reluctance which engineers and
others seem to evince towards their adoption. 'Whether this
may proceed from the supposition that none of the methods
hitherto proposed can have the desired effect, we cannot
pretend to say ; but the fact that the smoke issues, from the
chimnies in as dense and disagreeable clouds as ever, is too
evident to all who live in the vicinity of steam-engines.
We feel great pleasure, therefore, in publishing the follow-
ing plan, by Mr. Ivison, of Edinburgh, which having been
put to the test at various places, and found successful, will,
we doubt not, be speedily and generally adopted :
" The process consists'merely of the admission into the
furnace of steam in small quantities, through a tube taken
from the boiler, and discharged over the fuel at any expe-
dient place. The best and easiest mode appears to us to
be by the introduction of the pipe conveying the steam im-
mediately above the door of the furnace, with a fan-shaped
termination reaching beyond the dumb-plate, and perfo-
rated with minute apertures, so as to throw the steam in
small jets down upon and over the fire. One effect pro-
duced is the absolute prevention of smoke ; another, the
operation of the fire is fully doubled, and 'the steam em-
ployed itself consumed.
" We observe by the papers:this week that the above plan
has been adopted in nine of the manufactories in Leeds, and
found completely successful. The Royal Adelaide, Leith
and London steam-vessel, has also, we are informed by the
Scotsman, been furnished with Mr. Ivison's apparatus ; and
although the furnaces were not fitted up in the manner di-
rected, yet the volume of smoke was considerably dimi-
nished. The alteration in the construction of the furnaces
is very trifling. The bridge of the furnace should be raised
rather higher than usual, and a little behind the bridge
another, in the form of an inverted arch, should be placed,
so that in meeting the current of the flame it may direct•it
downwards, by Which a large portion of the ashes and refuse
of the fire is precipitated. The employment of steam, we
need hardly observe, greatly increases the draft of the
chimney.
" The rationale of the process by-which the smoke is ren-
dered combustible may not be very clear to some of our
readers, we therefore submit the following explanation. On
coming in contact with the fire the steam (which consists of
oxygen and hydrogen gas) is decomposed : Its hydro-
gen (says the Leeds Mercury) probably unites with the su-
perfluous carbon of the coal (which would otherwise fly up
the chimney), forming carburetted hydrogen gas, and the
carbon in this compound more readily combines nith oxygen
than in its original form. Of course carburetted hydrogen
gas, which is the common gas of our gas works, is highly
inflammable, and thus the combustion in the furnace is
much increased, the fire becomes more intensely hot, and
less fuel is required owing to the entire consumption of all
its parts.' "

HIGH WATER AT LONDON 131:IDGE TO MOM' OW.
M0tning........ 47 minutes after 3 j Evening ....... 5 minutes atter 4

THE