The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-05-11
No More Smoke.
From the Pittsburg Commercial. I

f ~ -
The test took place in the afternoon in the
presence ola number Of citizens, among whom
we noticed about dozen members of coun-
ellis. The invention certainly demonstrated
to those presentythat coal for slack, which
was the article. used, can be used as fuel
without permitting the escape of a single
particle of smoke or SCOT A small furnace
about two and half feet high and thirty
inches square, was erected In front of an or
binary locomotive boiler, and so arranged
that the fuel was wholly consumed in the
furnace, and the heat and fame only con-
Quoted under the boiler by means of a COM
municating fue. The furnace is provided
with an ordinary bed Of fire-grate bars, but
the front is all closed up except small aper-
ture two inches wide by eight inches long for
the admission of air. The slack is supplied
through a hopper, immediately over the fire
bed, and combustion is started by the air
which is admitted through the small opening
already described The gases in the coal are
here set free, and start of with the draft to-
ward the boiler. An opening is left 10 the
top Of the furnace, about midway between
the hopper and boiler, through which a
strong current of cold air is admitted. In the
rough model which we are now describing,
this opening is about eight inches square. The
air, striking the fame aud mixing with the
gases, produces what the inventor calls ''per-
feet combustion" A brilliant white fame is
the result, SO intense that no smoke or SCOT
escapes unconsumed. The quantity of air
admitted at this point was regulated by plac-.
ing friedrich over the aperture, but in a
properly constructed furnace the draught is
regulated by hampers. The fame is of such
dazzling brightness that it pains the eye, and
compares with The sun itself in brilliancy
The heat is SO intense that it cannot safely be
applied under the boilers directly, but it can
be SO regulated that with its use the boilers
will sustain much less injury than by the or
binary method Of generating steam. The
boiler used in this test was fifteen horse
power, and pressure of sixty pounds was
maintained, the feed used being at the rate
of three bushels Of slack in ten hours The
furnace, however, can be so regulated as to
produce as much or as little heat as may be
required. By throwing open the furnace
door of the boiler, and thus admitting an ex-
cess of cold air, smoke will issue in about five
seconds from the top OF the stack, and cease
in about the same time, after the door is clos
ed. This experiment was tried number of
times, to show how perfectly the apparatus
worked. All present were greatly interested
in the results, and seemed convinced that the
invention could be applied satisfactorily in all
our manufactures. 1t is to be hoped that
Mr.. Mckenzie will have an opportunity to
apply his furnace at once in some of our larg-
er establishments, so that its practical work
ings may be more fully demonstrated.
There was also trial Of DR.. Connolly 8 ap-
paratus for conveying the smoke and fame
from coke ovens, and covering them into gas
for fuel or for Illuminating purposes. This
test was also quite satisfactory. The fact has
been demonstrated that the gas can be secur-
ed and handled, but it remains to be seen
whether any practical application can be made
of the invention.