Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-16

smoke may be theoretically complete. But
to feed slowly means that a boiler must not
be crowded. Hence the use of a mechanical
mean an increase OF the number of bollers
to do the work formerly done under hand
stocking with the generation of smoke.
Mechanical stokers are especially adapted
for large plants where they can be so ar
ranged as to displace manual stocking.
Their cost will prevent their adoption IN
many small plants, although here and else
where numbers have been applied to single
boilers. Where either vertical OF horizontal
space is restricted, 1t is sometimes impossi-
Bile to apply mechanical stokers. Like all
plans OF successful firing, they require IN
telligent manipulation or they will smoke
and give trouble. PittsDurg coal. in the
form OF nut or slack, is well adapted for au-
tomato stokers. One of their advantages is
that an inferior fuel can be successfully
burned by them.
There are in use number of devices by
wh1ch jets OF steam are arranged to force
currents of air above or below the fire. They
are simply in construction, inexpensive In
first cost and repairs, require very little
space and can be readily applied to existing
furnaces. The best OF them even when SLACK
is used can reduce to an almost invisible
vapor, in less than half minute, dense
black smoke from a boiler.
The Use of Steam Jets.
One of the most varied and successful ap-
plications of steam jets may be seen at a
well-known mill in this city. After several
years of use of natural gas, the owners were
forced to return to coal. They found, how
ever, that with coal their boilers would not
supply a sufficient steam. Accordingly they
concluded to try steam jets to increase COM
bustion, and evaporation. After some ex-
perimenting they finally adopted q jet some
what of the Bunsen burner type, which is
now in successful OF" ration on two batteries
OF hue boilers-the jets being placed above
the fire doors and Immediately below the
boilers. The fuel is slack, and yet almost
no smoke Is visible, even during heavy
firing. The same firm have also applied to
Is pudding and heating furnaces steam
jets OF different design. In these
the ashpit is made tight and the steam ana
air enter below the CRATES These iurnaces
are OF the usual type, except that special
openings are made for air above the fire and
through the bridge wall. When the fre
doors are closed no black smoke is visible
while the steam jets are in operation. The
smoke appears above the stack whenever
the fire door is opened, but disappears inn
mediaiely on closing the door. Each pud-
ding furnace has two jets OF steam and each
heating furnace five jets, all about one
tenth Of an inch in diameter, Nut coal can
now be used i'll the heating furnaces anu
slack in the pudding furnaces, whereas
lump was used formerly in both. The jets
have been in use tor nearly a year, and the
mill owners state that they have not I'M ured
the boilers nor the furnaces, nor the iron,
but have saved money by reducing the duan-
tity and quality the Iuel required. I'm
fortunately the steam jet makes a great
noise. This is not very Objectionable in a
rolling mill or machine shop, but will prob
ably prevent its introduction into office
buildings, where otherwise it might be use
Iul.
Objections to Lima Oil.
Lima Oil is at present used in various
kinds of furnaces, being fed into the conf
bustion chambers by means of air under
considerable pressure. 1t makes an easily
regulated, smokeless fire, but has not re-
ceived much application in Pittsburg owing
to its cost being equal to or greater than
coal. Its dfsaSreeaDle odor Is also an OBJ
jectiona BILE feature. Electricity is propo-ed
for heating purposes, but at present it finds
little or no application here.
Every city has its peculiar needs and
activities which must be recognized in at
tempting to apply to it general results appli.
cable elsewhere. or no city is this more true
than of PfttsburS, with its varied industries,
its natural resources and enormous produc-
ton. Hitherto smoke has been the Dlu ok en-
sign of the ceaseless warfare carried on here
with the forces and maj ierials of nature.
1t Is estimated that before the introduc-
tion of natural gas Pittsburg consumed
u bout TO- 900 tons of coal daily ana that the
present consumption is about 1000 tons. In
and Allegheny about %, 900 houses
are still supplied W Ith natural gas, amount
ing to several hundreds OF millions of cubic
leet daily, and probably representing moro
than half the present coal consumption.
If, therefore, our skies are darkened now,
what may we expect when the present
almost smokeless natural gas fires become
smoke producers? Our finest residence dis
trict, the East End, will especially suffer by
the change. Already, owing to the peculiar
OF Pittsburg and i'll spite of the
special smoke ordinance recently passed,
the East End is often covered by clouds of
smoke mostly produced in the lower parts
Of the city. OF the 600 houses probably
the district, 1t is estimated that
our-fifths use natural gas at present.
Black Prospect for the Future.
Were the latter to return to coal and the
to their former smoke ennis
,ion, we can readily imagine the increased
Dlackness of the skies. Allegheny would
likewise suffer, though possibly to less ex-
tent. We must confess that up to the pres
ent time, outside of coke or a gaseous fuel
there has appeared no practical solution OF
the smoke problem in dwellings,, although
with a return to soft coal they will increase
The quantity OF smoke rs the city grows.
Steam boilers are proba bly, the principal
cause of smoke in the city. But there ap-
pears to be no reason why they should not
be rendered almost smokeless except Tor a
few minutes daily. As many are put in
buildings erected in the heart of the city,
where their fires emit dense volumes OF
smoke, because no adequate provision has
oeen made by the architects OF builders for
proper stoking apparatus, furnaces or flues,
we believe that building inspectors should
II the future be instructed to see that the
needs of smokeless combustion have been
attended to, at least in SO ar as sufficient
lue and furnace space are concerned.
Locomotives and steamboats, are i'm
,ortant smoke producers here. The latter
lave furnaces which can be treated like |
hose OF ordinary stationary boilers. Hence
heir smoke can be abated readily.
What Can Be Done.
We cannot hope to Tree our city from oil |
he smoke now poured from stacks and |
himneys. But it is within the range of |
present possibilities to abate the greater |
,art of the nuisance. To this end we would |
ecommend that the Women's Health Pro- |
ective Association or some similar organ |
zation continue their efforts toward smoke |
prevention by educating the community in |
is principles and advocating the use of |
fuels in dwellings, and the best |
tokers other devices in manufactures |
nd steam plants; that our City Councils |
hould pass an ordinance for the abatement |
# the smoke nuisance, insisting on the ab-
ence of dense smoke from stationary,
teamboat and locomotive boilers, except |
hen fires are started, but recognizing the |
necessities of pudding and other furnaces
rhich require a small excess of carbon for |
roper working: that one of the duties of |
uilding inspectors or of persons appointed |
or the purpose should be to see that newly |
rected buildings have properly designed |
ues and furnaces with particular reference
o economical combustion and the non-enis-
ion of smoke.