Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-11
SMOKE Is CONSUMED.
A Pittsburg Lady's Investigations In Chi
cago-Down-Draft Furnaces = Success
The Wabash Engines Fitted With . De-


cago-Down-Draft Furnaces . Success
The Wabash Engines Fitted With a De-
vice That Works Successfully.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
A few days ago The DISPATCH alluded edi.
torially to the success OF the down-draft
furnace as a smoke preventer. To the best
OF my knowledge there is no such furnace MS
yet in operation in Pitts burg: therefore de-
cided to devote a part of my brief stay in
Chicago to seeing for myself upon how firm
a foundation the reports of its success are
based. Thanks to the courtesy of the Sec.
retary of the Society for the Prevention of
smoke, was enabled to see this furnace in
operation in one of the large pork packing
establishments in Chicago. Theepgineer in
charge told me that he had experimented
for b years with as many different devices.
SO that his emphatic recommendation OF the
down-draft furnace cannot be attributed to
a lack ofexperience. - 49,.
1t is, of course, impossible for me to re-
peat his technical description of the merits
of the furnace, or to rehearse the facts
that have convinced him that almost
perfect combustion is the result Of its use,
but certainly can bear witness to the testi-
mony Of my own eyes. Through all the tests
to which the engineer was kind enough to
subject the furnace for my instruction, the
chimney was practically smokeless. With
intelligent handling it need not smoke at all
except when the CRATES are raked, which is
done about once in seven hours.
This furnace also possesses one great
advantage in the fact that it can be crowded
without at all increasing its smoke. At the
establishment refer to. the furnaces are
constructed for boilers of $50 horse power.
On the testimony of the engineer, they have
been pushed to 400 without any increase in
the amount Of smoke. This furnace costs
about $500 boiler, takes up no more room
than the average furnace. md would seem
to be we'll adapted to all kinds of stationary
boilers.
THE Society for the Prevention of Smoke
feel hopeful over the outlook in Chicago.
The city is still smoky, very smoky, but
there is much encouragement in the fact
that the amount of smoke has not in
creased in the last ten years. There has
been an enormous addition to the city's pop
ulation in this time, but the smoke nuisance
has not kept pace with it. The smoke pre-
venting devices In operation increase in the
same ratio with the smoke producers.
A city OF 1,000,00) Inhabitants using soft
coal in their households, must be. more or
less, n smoky city, independent of manu-
featuring plants, though for myself, have
so firm Il faith in the inventive genius of
will not finger long after IL has been
abolished in the manufactures. Whether
It be fuel gas or electricity that the invent
ors will supply TO use, shall not undertake
to foretell: my prophetic soul has simply a
vision of the twentieth century dawning
upon smokeless cities.
THE Citizens Association, which initi-
ated the fight against smoke. met their most
determined opposition from the railway
These appealed from court to
court In the suits brought against them un-
der the smoke ordinance. and it is interest
ing for Pfttsburgers to note that in every
case the courts sustained the legality Of the
ordinance. The companies are now begin
ming to weaken, and the Society for the Pre-
vention of Smoke anticipate little resistance
from them. The Wabash road has shown
itself more alive to tine popular feeling than
any other railway entering Chicago. Every
engine on this road, whether it be express,
freight, or simply ward engine. is now
equipped with a highly successful smoke
preventer. Under tho guidance. of a men,
Der of the society, and of the Master Me-
to study the actual working of this device.
We rode first in the cab of On express en-
gine attached to a heavy train of passenger
coacles. We stopped frequently in getting
up its train without making more
than gray thread otsm0ke, scarcely more
than the smoke of coke. The
"a sy 10 manipulate and entirely noiseless.
The engineer told me that It is pure nonsense
to say that smoke preventers cannotbe used
successfully on express trains, he had run
with the smoke preventer turned on fulI.
and with no more srnoke issuing from the
stack than could see at the time lie was
speaking. ,.t " .."-
AFTER, q fair trial on the express engine,
we were transferred to q freight, and worked
DUR way slowly back into the city. In all
the swftchings and backings to which the
freight engines treated us our experience
was still the same--there was at no time an
amount of smoke. I should esti-
mate that the amount of smoke prevented
BY this device is rather more than 80 per
lighted withit eve are no ronder of smoke
md cinders than any one else is.'' one of
them remarked to me with emphasis.
- MT; M brant, & the master mechanic. l told me
how to stoke, and IL an engine emits more
smoke than itshould, its fireman is promptly
This much l can testify, that
.fter riding for three hours in an engine cab.
found absolutely no cinders on my clothes.
Now, if the Wabash road can abate so
arge per cent of smoke, why cannot the
,ther rosds2 Why not the Pennsylvania
and the Baltimore and Ohio,
light here in Pittsburgh 1t is astonishing
hat these wellmanaged and progressive
'oads do not realize what tremendous ad-
lition they could make to the comfort OF
heir passengers by abating 90 per cent of |
heir smoke and cinders. The travelling /
public would joyfully spare SIS worth Of |
blush and mirrors from the coaches to see |
hat amount expended in equipping engines |
With such q device as that on the Wabash |
Dad. |
What rush of travel will re ward that |
ailway company that shall first introduce |
n its list of special attracriens, mo smoke. |
No cinuers"
The master mechanic of the Wabash gave |
ne permission to say that he will be glad to |
nswer any inquiries about this particular
moke-preventer; and should anyone
thief Bigelow, for example-wish to learn |
low easily and inexpensively railway smoke |
an be abated, he will be happy to extend |
o such seeker after truth all the courtesies |
n his power.
His address is Mr. Nv. Brant, Master
Iechanic Of the Wabash road, Chicago. ILL.,
MRS. JOHN NJ. OAKLEY.
Judg, Boarman Found Guilty.
WASHINGTON, May 10-The special COM
1ittee of the House Judiciary Committee, to
'hich was committed the investigation of