Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-19
A VERY NOVEL CASE.
DR.. Langley, Of the Smithsonian In
stitution, Testifies
IN ASALT WORKS INJUNCTION SUIT
The Poisonous Fumes of an Attached Smelt.
ing Mill DO Deadly Work.
TREES AND AN ISLAND EVEN GIVE WAY

There was hearing yesterday on the bill
in equity fled by the Arnold Coal Company
and William Metcalf VS. the Pennsylvania
Salt Manufacturing Company at Natrona.
This establishment is the greatest of its kind
in the United States. The company does
not make what is commonly known as table
salt, chloride of sodium, but chemical salts
of many kinds. 1t also has smelling de-
partment, in which various kinds of ore are
reduced.
Of late years plaintiffs claim that the
fumes from the works are literally destroy
ing the country roundabout. Some months
ago they fled bill in equity to have the
company restrained from allowing noxious
vapors to escape into the air so as to be
destructive to health or vegetation.
The Court made N. s. Williams. ESQ.,.
master. Considerable Of the plaintiffs tes-
timony has been heard. The testimony was
substantially of the same piece. Squire
Drury, John Painter, Thomas Harrison,
George Graf. GeSge W. Beale, William
Ross, Edward Harrison, Mrs. Lury, Will
lam Metcalf, DR.. s. P. Langley and Mr..
Clapp, of the Pittsburg Testing Labora-
tory Company. testified.
ITS MARVELLOUS EFFECTS.
The bulk of it was regarding the
effects observed of the fumes on
vegetation in the vicinity. While
these were not so terrible as the
shifting of the waters with Aaron's rod, or
the stretching forth thereof which brought
frogs, turned rivers into blood and did other
dire things, yet were equivalent from the
fact being, as alleged, that they took
away the props of life, and de-
vastated the section to an extent
almost equal to the pouring out of the seven
vials of wrath witnessed by the Seer of
Patmos. They deposed that the fumes from
the stacks foated like cloud in the atmos-
phere and were as destructive to vegetation
as was the sulphury siroc that slew the
Assyrian hosts under Senacharib. Trees
died as though smitten by the wrath of
Omnipotence, as was the barren fig tree.
Vegetation of all kinds, not even excepting
the superb and repellsnt Canadian thistle,
soon wilted, and the plague was worse than
that Of locusts, destroying even roots.
Grapes were ruined, it was alleged, even
after they had escaped contagion to the
stage of full growth.
Famous DR.. Langley testified to an analy-
sis of fresh fallen snow and to finding it
impregnated with copper. He had also
hung a towel covered with pure glycerine
against the side of barn, two miles distant
from the works, and thus found the amount
and character Of precipitation at that dis
tance. He had put the fumes into an at
mospheric condenser and found large guam
titles of copper.
TRANSPLANTING AN ISLAND.
Some plaintiffs allege that the island near
Natrona is liable to be deposited in the Gulf
of Mexico, as the trees and other vegetation,
whose roots protect its banks are being de-
stroyed. They object to having real estate
alienated in this way.
The interests involved are of immense
magnitude, and the fight will be very stub
born. It would be rather expensive for the
company to buy the 20 square miles of ter
ritory alleged to be affected, though this
might insure tranquility.
In Glasgow, Scotland, stacks 10 carry
away poisonous fumes from chemical works
are built about 500 feet in height, and it
might have been cheaper for the Pennsylva-
mia Salt Company to have built such stacks
rather than litigate. At that far height, it
is presumable. the vapors would be so vide
ly disseminated as to have their evil effect
large eliminated.