Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-29
NO NEED FOR CLOUDS.
An Expert Now Giving Lessons on
Smoke Consuming in Pittsburg.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF THE NUISANCE.
Devices for Private Residences Are Not
Yet Perfected.
EXPERIMENTS ON THE JUNCTION ROAD

siegfried V. Nagle, of Chicago, an expert in
smoke consumption matters, Is at the
Monongahela House. In conversation with
DISPATCH reporter yesterday, he said:
ain Cincinnati, Cleveland and other cities,
the problem has been solved. There the
law provides that the cities must be kept
clean, and the health of the communities
preserved. Ways and means were found to
meet all requirements. am now superin-
tending the construction of a smoke con-
sumner in the Washington street power house
of the Pittsburg Traction road, which will
be in operation next week. A smoke pre-
venter is also being placed on one of the en-
gines of the Junction Railroad, the first of
the kind ever tried on this section, but is ex-
tensiyely in use in the West.
This question, so far as Pittsburg is con-
cerned, is an interesting one. You will
change from natural gas to bituminous coal
as means to fire your boilers. The ques-
tion is how can the smoke be abated. There
are two methods to do it: One to prevent
smoke, the other to consume it. Smoke can
be prevented in two ways-either by burn
ing high-priced hard coal, or by q smoke
preventing apparatus, or in other words it
can be consumed either by the lungs of the
people of this great city, or by smoke con-
suming device. To burn hard coal to pre-
vent smoke is too expensive.
A RECIPE FOR CLoUDLEss SKIES.
"There are two devices which have proved
successful; one in preventing, the other in
consuming smoke; one calculated for smaller
furnaces, the other for large batteries Of
boilers. The smoke nuisance can also be
abated without placing heavy burdens on
those producing smoke. To prevent smoke
from an ordinary furnace will not cost more
n 1frarf
naces, can be equipped in large numbers for
not more than $50 per furnace.
"The smoke consuming device have in
mind, and which experts all over the coun-
try have pronounced the most successful
in operation, can be applied at a cost of not
more than 5000 per boiler furnace. the fuel
this apparatus saves to the owner is more
than so per cent over gas, and enables him
to burn the cheapest grade of coal, worth
about 90c ton in this market without MAX
ing particle of smoke. But if you will
wait until all the mill owners railroad men,
boat and building owners are ready to en-
ploy smoke preventing or smoke consum-
ing devices of their own accord you will
wait until the smoke will annoy you no
longer in this land is matter Of fact
that several men Of high standing and integ
rity in this city were approached and their
attention called to their stacks which
emitted smoke blacker than ink and thick
enough to be cut with knife. at great
length it was explained to them how for 500
they could stop the whole nuisance. Being
intelligent men thew saw in a minute that
the apparatus would do the work. but they
did not care to apply it. Enact law for the
abatement of the nuisance, appoint officers
and pay them for the enforcement of the
law, and let the citizens aid in the enforce
ment of the law. The public asks it. and it
demands only that which can be accom-
plished."
"Are there consumers in use for private
houses?" was asked.
NOTHING FOR PRIVATE HOUSES.
mo- sir, and there are not likely to be-
This is question that 1 am frequently
asked, and especially in communities where
little is known of smoke-consuming devices.
In the first place, power is required to oper-
ate smoke preventer: and. in the second
place, smoke from dwellings can hardly be
called a nuisance. 1t annoys no one, and
when you stop the dense volumes of smoke
from the manufacturing plants and where
boilers are used, it will scarcely be no
ticed.
"The objection to smoke consumers and
proposed ordinance pending in Councils, 1
am told, comes from manufacturers, who
claim that law on the subject would entail
enormous expense and hardship. That is
mistake. might say right here that this
matter is partly the cause of my coming to
Pittsburg. An enterprising firm desired to
know what the cost of stopping the smoke
from 100 pudding furnaces would amount to-
They were under the impression that
stokers or high-priced consumers were re-