Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-06
SM0THERED IN SCOT.
Ben Venue Residents Kick Against
Belching SmOkestacks.
THEY THREATEN TO GOINTO COURT.
Superintendent George Rice Again Promises
to Remedy the Evil.
ALL VEGETATION MAY BE DESTROYED


This stack conducts the smoke from the Du-
quesne Traction Company's power house
into the outer air, and distributes it accord
ing TO the direction of the wind and with
perfect impartiality in and around the frame
dwellings of the residents of Bloomfield on
one side, the more pretentious dwellings of
the Winebiddie avenue people on the other,
and, on the opposite hill, sends dense clouds
of black smoke sailing over the neatly kept
lawns and invading the handsomely fur
nished villas of the residents of Ben Venue.
This stack is so high as to be on a level
with the windows of the houses on the hill,
and just as the wind blows are the people of
this district disinterestedly treated 10 a
deluge of smut and vapor, which is de-
scribed as being outrageous.
May Apply for an Injunction.
The residents of Ben Venue have con-
cluded not to put up with the nuisance any
longer. They say that unless the smoke is
abated they will apply for an injunction to
compel its cessation. When a DISPATCH
reporter visited the locality yesterday, the
smoke was pouring forth in dense volumes,
but was blowing down the valley instead of
into the houses, as chance would have it.
Chief Engineer Smith. who has charge of
the plant, was asked if something could not
be done to abate the nuisance.
THE company" he said, ''have been In
treaty with the Standard Oil Company of
Pittsburg, to use their system of
oil fuel under the boilers in place
of the coal We expect their
men out here anv dav during the week, but
they have not turned up. The idea is to use
oil on trial for 80 days, and if that is not
found successful automatic stokers may be
used. l understand that there is some hitch
between the company and the Standard Oil
people regarding the matter. Coke could
be burned under the boilers, but it would
cost too much money"
On the hill above the power house, and
within 800 yards of the stack, are the resi-
dences of John P. Knable, John NJ. Oakley,
Prof Parker, Alexander Bradley, w. w.
Wattles, William McConway, \. @. Speer,
and others.
Will Use Oil Instead of Coal.
Some two weeks ago protest against the
nuisance, signed by these and other resi-
dents, was sent to Superintendent George
use oil in place of coal. After an interval
another letter of protest was sent in, and
a courteous reply was received TO the effect
that the matter would have attention. Up |
TO yesterday nothing had been done and |
some Of the residents seen in the afternoon |
declared they will go into court if the nui- |
sance is not abated Immediately. John NJ. |
Oakley described the nuisance as outrageous. |
''It would he all very WELL" he said, IF |
we had erected our houses after the power |
house had been built; but here is case |
ba pI |
have to submit to be deluged with smoke |
from the stack OF a corporation of only yes
terday is simply monstrous. The residents |
did not invest money in their properties |
under any such contemplation as the subse- |
Quent erection of a smokestack right under |
their windows, and they do not now propose
TO remain inactive and witness the gradual
destruction of their household effects, to
saw nothing of the inconvenience attached
to the impoSsibility of remaining even on
ones porch when the wind is blowing in our
direction. If the company does not soon
take steps to do away with the smoke, we |
propose to see if we cannot obtain some re-
dress under the law"
Baczers of Any Improvement.
Captain Scull said he would subscribe to
anv fund which might be raised to have the
smoke got rid of, if the company would not
abate the nuisance.
Prof Parker was in sympathy with any
movement his neighbors should take in
this direction. 1t is an intolerable nuis-
ance that they should have to submit to
CRIME and SCOT from the power house. The
were determined it should not con-
tinue and he would support any action
taken with this view.
Last evening Superintendent George Rice,
of the Duquesne Traction Company, said:
''We have made arrangements to burn oil,
but the people who are to put the process in
have disappointed us time and again. Only
to-day l notified them again and think the
oil process will be in use in a few days. The
plan is TO be tried for so days and if it does
not prove successful we will put in some .
kind of smoke consumers. We have no
desire TO make the power house a nuisance
and will stop the smoke by some method"
Smoke Consumption a Fact.
J. F. Cummings, now with the banking
firm of Thomas Mellon & Sons but former
" of Kansas City and Chicago, laughed at
the idea that smoke consumers would not
work He said:
"In most Western cities where have
been the consumption of smoke is an ac-
fact. Take Kansas City as an
instance. lived there and in that vicinity
for several years before coming to Pitts
y 1
he only fuel in use there, the CITY is as
ree from the smoke nuisance as if nothing
vas used but natural gas The stacks of the
four or five power houses which operate the
cable and electric lines discharge no smoke
so far as | remember. 1t would
be TOO costly practice to allow the smoke
to escape, as the police attend to this more
than any other duty assigned TO
hem. The fine under the city ordinance is
s25 for every day the nuisance is continued, |
md prosecutions are frequent. The prose-
buttons are mostly against private parties
or dwellings and business houses. The I
arge consumers have their furnaces con-
'tructed specially to fill the requirement,
md claim that consuming the smoke adds
argely to the heating power of the fuel.
The only furnace stacks belchinr forth great
columns Of smoke are those across the city
inc and beyond her jurisdiction. They be-
Ong, believe, to the Armour Packing
Company. The stacks of most of the power I
houses within the city limits form quite a !
contrast TO stacks of the kind here The !
tack OF the new power house of the Du- j
ueSne Traction Company, for instance, is
ending forth dense column of smoke sufi- I /
lent to destroy all vegetation and shrubbery {
n Oakland and adjacent portions of Schen-
ey Park.
Destructive to All Vegetation.
'Its effect may not be visible during the
resent season, except SO far as to begrime =
caves and branches, but undoubtedly in !
mother year or two, if continued, it will /
cave all that region as barren of leaf and I
over as may be seen in the locality of S
tr1ng OF coke ovens. The usual direction !
t the wind carries the smoke from this G
over house directly toward the mark, on | S