, 1881-03-06
SMOKE PREVENTION.

The Views of an English EXpcrt-Prc-
venting Smoke Without Special APP
paratus-Carcful Stocking Needed to
Abate the Nuisance.
Cincinnati Gazette, March t.
The ladies who have formed the Society for
the Promotion of Cleanliness have received nn-
other letter from Mr., II. n. Lane, mechanical
engineer formerly OF THIS city, but now living
in England. This communication, which Is dated
Feb IL, is US follows:
Yesterday called on 3fr. L. F. Fletcher, Chief
Eugincer OF the Manchester Stcan- Users Asso-
cintIon The object Of the Association IS to pre-
vent boilers explosions, and attain economy in
the use Of steam. alr. Fletcher, being its scicn-
t1ic head, is its most important officer. In the
museum attached tu tho Offices are exhibited ex-
ampes Of nearly every defect, dankerous or
otherwise, which their system Of examination
bus brought to light. This is not an INSURANCE.
company, bur an association which employs the
ton OF their boilers ut tho yard to see THAT they
arc properly set, and are provided with the nec-
essary minor fixtures for safety. convenience,
a:ld economy. The boilers are Inspected peri
odiculiy. The engines are indicated, and tests
made to ascertain tho amount of wtter eyap-
orated per pound Of soa!, and the l horsepower
model boiler set up in their museum, SO that
when members doubt the correctness OF
@ may $50 how it Should be, and have it ruily
explaind. With the ordinary form of boiler
setting, as exhibited BY them, they have
water at 100 deg. per pound of conl. The average
of Cincinnati boilers would range between ttvo
and eight Of eoa
omy in both engine and boller. A5 well us safety,
would be Of Ere:1ter benefit. than the insurance
companies which consider the sufety Of the boil
CT alone: The special object Of my visit WAS to
obtain Mr. FctGhers views OF the many devices
for the prevention .of su!oke. be having con-
Quoted a series Of experiments extending over
period Of TWO years, one Of the objects in view
being to ascertain whether or not special applf-
hninU nrr Ecatfn
the experiments, select the following extracts,
hoping they may yproyeintcresting to some: ..Ine
tho coui weighed while the smoke was observed
and registered throughout every minute of each
experiment" 1T is to he hoped that III future
less ~ minute observations will be m;lae.)
.'Threo modes Of firing was adopted No. I.
Nd sterna1s sns SIDE De- r,ne e0kRG f
firing is that usually adopted, and which
makes SO much smoke. In this system tho coti
ming ut the bridge and working forward to the.
fire door. IN coking firing tho coal IS heaped on
the doad plate ut the front Of the furnace, and
utter lying there until coked through tho crest
Is pushed back toward th8 tire bridge and fresh
Charge Of raw coal placed il. ihs trout Of the
nrc gradually evolved instead Of being W set free
almost inslnntaneousiy In q cloud rs in tho
spreading system while bright fire is main
Which the gases pass. alternate side firing
was introduced by tho lute G. Wye Williams:
VI Luis plan lne coal. instead OF pe1DK SpFeilQ
across the whole width Of the furnace, is cnst
into one side only, SO that while one side Of the
fire Is black the other Is bright. As often as the
back tire burns bright the oppost one is re-
penished, and SO on.
1T WIS found on the whole that with round
coal the highest duty was obtained by the
cooking sytesn of firing, end ut the same time
the least amount Of smoke was produced.
though the adoption Of side firing appeared ut
advantage with Stuck Probably both systems
might be had recourse to, and with success. ac-
cordtny to circumstances. y
Fires. also, Of rarious thicknesses were tried
viz: six inches, nine inches md twelve inches,
when it was found that the thickness Of nine
inches gave Il better result thun six inches, and
twelve inches thAn nine inches, SO that tho
thickness would have been increased still
further had the size Of the tuTnace permitted 1t.
Added to this fire CRATES or various lengths
were tried, when 1t was found that one of four
feet gave more economical result thin ONE OF
six feet. though it hardly generated SO much
steam.
:" 1t has been very voxed question which is
the best part IF the furnace for the admission
Of mir above the DarS to complete tho combustion
Of the guses.-some advocating its admission ut
the door. others at the bridge. Both these plans
werc, therefore,, submitted to test, and it was
found that there WAS little or no practical diff
ference between the tWu plans. and that slight |