Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-18


fire pits. Through this pipe heavy vol
ume of steam is constantly being poured
into the fire and as it strikes the combusti
bles it drives them down and they pass of
in what call water gas.
''The only time there is any smoke il
when the door of the furnace is opened ant
the cold air is allowed to strike the flames.
As soon as the door is closed again the
steam gets in its work and the smoke dis
! appears"
Big Percentage Consumed.
The Marshall-Kennedy FIGURING Com
pany was visited and its system was seen.
The company is high in its praise, and say
it does away with at least three-fourths Of
| the smoke
Their system is different from the one
used at Lloyd's. 1t is an automatic stoker
arrangement. The coal is put in through a
magazine and by means of an automatic
arrangement the fuel is kept slowly
moving down to what is known
as the coking bar, where it
is coked before it reaches the furnace. To
| prevent smoke while the coking process is in
progress, a current of hot air is kept pour
to ignite the gases and the only time any of
| it escapes is. when the door is thrown open
and the cold air rushes in.
This same system is being used by the
Oliver-Roberts Wire Company, and it is
giving satisfaction. The company say it
costs little more in the way of fuel, but
the good result far exceeds the cost.
The Spang Steel and Iron Company have
another system which is giving good salts
faction. 1t consumes about 80 per cent of
the gases
At the West Penn Hospital and at the
/ Duquesne Theater apparatus similar to that
at Danziger's is in use and giving perfect
satisfaction not only in saving fuel but re-
in each case was 5000 for a battery of two
boilers.
A More General Expression Desired.
A member of the Engineers Society last
evening sent the following communication
to The DISPATCH:
Considering the Importance of the smoke
question to the city of Pittsburg, and from
the evident interest felt by tine community
in this question, as shown by the large at
tendance at the meeting of the Engineers
Society of Western Pennsylvania on Tues
mission, to obtain n fuller expression of
opinion from our members than we were
able to obtain at that meeting, owing to the
short time for discussion after the paper was
read, and from the fact that the greater part
OF that short time was occupied by a gentle
man from Chicago in demonstrating the
citizens, to the title of the "Windy City"
Nh. Metcalf, though rather ridiculing
the objection to smoke, still thought
1T could and should be greatly reduced,
showing at the same time in Il well balanced
paper where it is impossible to entirely
avoid smoke and, as every engineer and
capable mill manager knows, such cases
occur upon adding fresh fuel to a boiler
furnace the
finishing process of pudding, and in the
operation or a heating furnace. In all these
cases at least, some smoke will be formed,
as the flame must, of necessity, in the two
latter cases be reducing flame, that is to
say, it must have an excess of carbon over
oxygen, in order to prevent oxidation, or
burning of the iron, or steel. To say that
heating on pudding furnaces must not emit
smoke would be equivalent to saying they
must cease to exist which no one in Pitts
burg is likely to advocate. But as under
stand it, the advocates of reform IN this
matter neither ask nor expect anything of
the kind, but what they do ask is that
Preventable Smoke Be Prevented.
Amongst 'preventable" cases might be
classed the whole of the steam boilers
used for heating and elevator service in our
business blocks after the fires are well un-
der way in the morning. In addition to
these the manufacturing concerns in the
city, who use fuel for no other purpose,
than the generation of steam,
such as machine shops, sawmills, etc., and
where the work is nearly constant. Many
plants, too could be operated with the pro-
duction of much less smoke where the work
is intermittent, if the furnaces were proper
ly fitted to consume the smoke.
1t is a matter of practical demonstration
that in such cases as these mechanical
stokers and improved methods of construct
ing boiler furnaces will not only reduce
the production of smoke to a minimum, but
will pay for themselves in a short time,
owing to the. saving OF fuel effected by their
use. Mr.. Koch's remarks as to the absence of
smoke in Birmingham, England, would lead
one to suppose that the above industry had
been killed by the laws for the prevention
of smoke. OF course, Mr.. Koch didn't mean
to imply this, though the uninitiatcd might
easily be led to infer SO from his remarks.
AS a matter of fact, Birmingham never was
an iron manufacturing town; always draw
ing its supplies of iron from the neighboring
iron districts of South Staffordshire and
East Worcestershire. Birmingham has al |
ways been q city of factories for the manu-
facture of finished products in all kinds of |
metal, and to-day finds employment for |
more men, and turns out a larger quantity |
Of manufactured articles than ever before, |
While at the same time it remains q healthy |
md desirable residential town. |