The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

HOW TO SUBDUE SMOKE.

We need not linger in completing our observa.
tions upcn the more simple and serviceable class
of smoke-preventing furnaces. Preceding the
patents under which the already described system
of Lee Stevens is worked, came Robertson's
patented invention, but with smaller claims to
public support. Still, if secondary in that
respect, it has led the way to many imitations or
modifications of the original idea, neither of
which c ►n be justly placed on the same level with
it. Roberston, availing himself of the spilt
bridge introduced by Parkes about thirty years
since, has turned it to better account, by in-
creasing the temperature of the air that ascends
through it to the top of the furnace. He forms
the face of his split bridge with what is commonly
known as "pigeon-holed" brick-work, or bricks
pierced with holes, by which means the gases
flowing off from the fire are better and more
rapidly mixed with the oxygen passing up the
aperture behind the face so constructed, and
at times the effect is satisfactory. But, as will
occur to the attentive reader, a greater or lesser
supply of fuel—or its deeper or shallower thick-
ness on the fire-bars—must make an amazing
difference in the operations; because, in proportion
with the increased quantity of coal thrown upon
the bars, will be the decreased ratio of admixture
of the combustible gases, inasmuch as the higher
the coals are heaped up, the larger the number of
orifices that will be thereby closed ; and, on the
other hand, there must be a level below which
if the fire be allowed to subside, the spaces left
open for the admission or admixture of the air,
must be relatively in excess of what would be
required. Thus the action of this particular
arrangement will necessarily vary with the
supply of fuel, and the higher or lower degree of
temperature attained by the air. Hence, although
in many cases the smoke may be satisfactorily
subdued, in most of them extra fuel may
be required, and in none of them can such eco-
nomy be obtained as would warrant the assump-
tion of their producing a saving on the general
average. At the same time it should be remem-
bered that the diversion of the flame through the
apertures described cannot fail of depriving some
portion of the boiler of the heat it would other-
wise derive ; and that the fusion, fracture by
splitting, or burning away of percolated brick-
work, must be more rapid from an intense fire
than if thesurface were a solid and unbroken plane,
and by comparison impervious. These objections
apply with still greater force to the attempted
evasions of R bbertson's patent claims. Some, as
iu the case of his most formidable competitors,
consist in the addition of clumsy moveable parts,
either to regulate (we should with more propriety
say attempt to regulate) the supply of the atmo-
spheric fluid, by valves, or to restrict the natural
action of the furnace by dampers. And the prin-
c:pal exception to these moveable-addition com-
petitors, Jerrard, wh• adopts a regular series of
cell-work in his vastly extended " pigeon-holed"
erection, requires for his more complex, although
fixed, construction, so great an addition of space
and material as must dissipate so much more heat,
and in time destroy so much more brickwork,
whilst the common allocation of furnace-room for
the purpose, will, with few exceptions, inconve-
niently cramp his arrangements where they can
be effected at all, and " in the multitude by com-
parison" preclude the possibility of their applica-
tion. It will be soon enough for us to inquire
into the merits or demerits of the air-pipe, hollow-
fire-bar, side-flue, steam-jet, argand, inverted-
bridge, or other resuscitated plans, when a dozen
of either of them can be submitted to our inspec-
tion, in unquestionably successful operation,
within the bills of mortality.

As we have not space conveniently to convey
to our readers, in this article, all we desire
to place before them respecting river steamers, we
will occupy what remains to us with a few sen-
tences about that undervalued and usually over-
worked class of men known as stokers. It is
said that fuel may be saved, and smoke very much
abated, "if the fireman or stoker would only
coke his coals on the dead-plate, just inside the
common furnace door, and E'en push them on to
the fire-bars at the back." The economy of fuel
under such a method is asserted without any
proof ; and, until practically convinced to the
contrary, we must be permitted to doubt its
correctness. That, so worked, a furnace will yield
less smoke, althcragh certainly not to anything
like the extent assumed or expected, may be ad-
mitted by way of argument. But to stoke a fire
on a large scale in the easiest manner, which is
the best too, in connection with the invention to
which we have assigned our preference, and which
is nothing more than to scatter the coals fairly
over the fire-place, is in itself as exhausting an em-
ployment as a strong and healthy man can well
endure ; and if to that were superadded the necessity
of pushing forward a heavy mass of blazing fuel,
every ten or fifteen minutes, two men, at least,
would be required to do what the superficial ex-
aminer of the matter supposes to be attainable by
one. Add to this, want of space to work in and
the still greater absence of ventilation, in hun-
dreds, if not thousands, of the stoking-holes in
London, and the astonishment should be how
these poor fellows perform their work so well,
even, as they do. Sweltering is the labour,
hardly earned are the wages of a stoker, kept
steadily at the furnace, if for only ten hours out of
the twenty-four, in the most spacious and airy
furnace room ; but some steam-boiler places .hat
we have entered, in which the fireman actually
pants for breath, and earns his bread almost
weight fur weight by the sweat of his brow, are
absolute abominations.

NUISANCES.—It is a "great fact" that, in the pro-
vinces, where no board of health is established, abomin-
able nuisances exist under the eyes of commissioners,
under local acts, union committees, medical officers, arid
relieving officers, one arid all—with few exceptions—not
having the moral courage to encounter the task and duty
laid down for them. The Poor Law Board, therefore,
has acted most wisely and laudably in issuing their or-
ders to boards of guardians (which has just been done),
that existing nuisances, of whatever description, should
be swept away. If country officials will not do their
duty, then the Government will act both wisely and
laudably in establishing boards of health, and the provi-
sions carried out I,y officers appointed by them ; the do-
nothings in the provinces will then have their own good
selves to blame for it, however the cost may tell upon
their pockets. They have now efficient powers in their
own hands to remedy the crying evil, and•it reflects dis-
grace upon them that they do not exercise it.
BUILDING UP OPEN SPACES IN THREADNEEDLE-STREET.
—Operations are going on in Threadneedle-street, at the
back of the Royal Exchange, which will quite change its
appearance. Mr. Hardwick is putting up a building for
the Australasian Bank (at the corner of Finch-lane) ;
next to this, westward, is a stone-fronted house for Mr.
Banister, for whom Mr. Henry Currey is the architect ;
and further westward still, a large house of irregular
shape, which makes it look like two, is being erected for
Mr. Lemann, under direction of Mr,. John Shaw. The
latter is of brick, with a dash of colour. The linoOf
frontage is set hack very considerably, so that Thread-
needle-street will have a wide. mouth.' It is to he hoped
that some consideration will be given to the necessity of
preserving. air- way at the backs of. the housos,a4 well a 3.
111 the front,—The Builden

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