New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-05
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
A CURE FOR SMOKE IN FiRE-PLACE5.

A CURE FOR SMOKE IN FiRE-PLACES.
The glowing obscurity which dIstin guishes
the winter atmosphere OF London has h"eh
traced to the partial consumption OF coal unHer
the present system of domestic hres. whether
these fOgS are unavOldlbiy connected WIN
the Use of coal in great centres or population II
a question now attracting general lltrntlol ~
London. In an article IN Nd'ure. Dr: T. " Ill
lam Siemens says he Is deudcdly ~ opni"u
that the evil Is one which not Only ADMITS Ok
remedy, but that its cure would result rom
closer attention to the principles of economy IN
Ito u.s. or fuel The ordinary gas-grdtes are
objectionable on account IF the expense IN
Cured and the smell and dry htht Whiru
attend their use. " The h1St connlttoh 10 Ut
realized in an efficient gas-grate. Dr Slemen
saws. consists in suppressIng all gas Crlices
except Immediately behind the bottom LOni
bar and In substi utlng for the CRATE sOud
dead plate, instead Of using inert matter shch
As pumice-st0ne. | consider IL Tar more
economical and eflicaciOus 10 transfer the heat
of CAS- flames 70 gas coke or anthracite, which
when once heated, helps the gas to Increase
and maintain a sufficient temperature I0r raIlh-
ton through Its own SLOW combustion. Inc
gas should not be mixed with atmospheric al
To DrOduce n BuuSeu flame, because ~ using
unmixed Gas "A rich fame Is set up between the
pipcPs of coke near the front OF the CRATE
and the hot carbonaceOus matter through
which it percOlates insuTeS lis entire cOmDus-
ton before reaching The chimney.
l)T. t-IGllGuH mas fOub' itACtGu Il t,tAo -
which may be described Us follows: Al the
bottom Of The crate, on a line with the TOP or
the bottom front bar, there is IN IRON dead
ulate riveted 70 a stout copper plate facing tbo
back OF the fire CRATE. lie dead plate stops
short about an Iuch behind the bottom bar OF
the g1ate to make room iOf mai inch gas-
pine which Is perforated WIN hoics, ABOUT
one twentieth Of an men IN ulauelel, pla''d
yir-zag nc distances Ct three-Quarters OF al men
along It's upper surface. The copper plate eX-
hos OH lef
plate Tire gas-plpe rests upon plate on line
with thc bottom OF the lower front bar and
about one inch below the dead plaio MS
plate is bent SO as TO leave vertical ana hotl-
zOntat channel of about one men IN D'e.uh
between il and the dead plate. trap door
under the GAS pipe permits the di-chaIg e OF
ashes falling into this channel. Inc Nei tlcal
norton of the channel II provided WIN q sheeC
OF copper, about iOuI inches deep bent III anu
on. ike a ladV'S tTll, amt flYetrd 10 The copper
bacl, niece The back piece transfers the heat
from the back of the glate to the trili, anu
the ar current created by tins heat IN passing
along the horizontal channel, Impngts On Jne
line of gas flames and greatly increases thclr
btilliancy. 80 great Is the heat produced by
this simple arrangement thu z piece or Tea i
weighing Oue-half OF a pound which was IN
trOduced through the uap door was mr.tcd
III tive minutes. proving the existence OF
ttmpeIatuTe exceeding O4J 10 dpatIdctlOh
Of tine heat from the back OF the ErdJc lWhlIe
not esspnraD has the advantage OK retardug
the combustion of the coke there, while pro-
noting il at the front. In nine hours TINS
crate consumes slXty-twO cubic feet OF Gas and
twenty two pounds OF coke. Al London prices
-abont s. cents per thousand for gas and
81 80 per ION for coke-the cost OF the fuel tor
nine hours j. less than 10 cents. As coal
crate the fireplace generally consumed forty
seven pounds of coal a day. at cost OF nearly
II cents Besides being cheaper. the coke Ike
has tie advantage of being warmer than rhe
coal fire, smOieless and easily lighted and ex-
tDguished
DIT. ~lemens thn6s the time will come when
all tuel will be separated INTO It's Two con-
stituents before reaching the domestic hoaItns,
and chat such measure would furnish q com
plete solution of the smoke question and Dc OF
grca, value ia thc saving Of money.