Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-16
FOR CLEARER SKIES.
Nany Interested Citizens Attend the
Engineers Society to
DISCUSS TIE SMOKE PROBLEM.
Strong Pleas Made Against the Blackening
of the City.
THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE ADVANCED

One of the most interesting and largely
attended meetings of the Engineers
Society since its organization was held
last night, the occasion being tht
regular meeting of the society, ane
the topic of discussion: Smoke
Its Effects and Prevention" The
officers of the society realized when they
found their little hall in the Thaw building
crowded beyond the doors that if they in
tend to continue the interesting meetings
that have filed it recently they must secure
more commodious quarters for the comfort
of their guests.
Notwithstanding the crowded condition
of the rooms last night, however, those who
were fortunate enough to be present will
ingly submitted to the Inconvenience in
consideration of the mental benefit received
The discussion of the smoke subject
was unusually interesting and instructive
and embraced all phases, from lts effect or
the carpets, paints, lace curtains and works
of art in the home to the damage it caused
to the clothing, compilations and respiratory
organs Of the ladies.
The Various Devices Discussed.
The mechanical devices known as smoke
consumers, automatic stokers and smoke
preventers, that are in, practical use in a
number of establishments about the city,
came in for good share of the discussion,
and it was developed that each invention
had an ardent champion who would not let
go the opportunity to extol its virtues.
One speaker maintained that smoke pre-
venters were too costly for practical use,
and until the inventive genius of our people
is stirred into animation by its parent,
necessity, Pittsburg will continue to bewail
the loss of the liquid fuel and grope in
Crime and SCOT. He was positive in his be-
lief that the only way to accomplish the
banishment of smoke was the perfection Of
low-cost system to convert coal into
gas before it is burned.
Another speaker aired his experiences
with a mechanical stoker to show that it
was not only possible but practical to burn
coal and produce heat without smoke, but
he was followed by another who emphatical-
ly declared that while it was possible to
make a regular pressure of steam with the
automatic stoker, the device was unavail-
able to the majority of manufactures be-
cause their requirements were for heavier
pressure at one time than another, and
when the extra pressure was needed it
could not be produced by any but the old
system Of shoveling.
A Question OF Steam Supply.
Another speaker held that with any
device now in the market it required double
as much boiler surface to get the same
amount of steam. A battery of two boilers
that, with hand firing, would produce suf-
fcient steam to run a sawmill, would not
supply half the pressure required if
1xuyifh ohv iooI he
had ever investigated.
The principal interest of the evening
centered around the paper read by DR.. w.
H. DAILY at request of the Ladies' Health
Protective Association, on the effects of
coal smoke and SCOT upon the throat and
lungs William Metcalf opened the discus
sion scientifically, reafirming his position
that iron or steel cannot be made without coal
fire nor with any substitute except gas. He
admitted, however, that applied to steam
boilers and domestic use it would be pos
sible to use coal without smoke, though he
held that there was nothing particularly
unhealthy about smoke.
Dr.. DAILY, in his reply, took up Mr.. Met
calt's last statement, saying: 'Of course,
the deleterious effects of smoke on the
quantity of the smoke inhaled. Its evil
effects will also be largely determined
by the ability of the individual to
reject the carbonaceous deposit
made within the air passages
The atmosphere of Pittsburg in the years
when smoke was all prevalent was Justly
feared BY strangers unused to its irritating
effects upon their throats and respiratory
organs, and the "Pittsburg Grippe" was by
no means a myth to those who came to use
their voices for our entertainment.
Tho Eject on tho Lungs.
'Tts evils upon the air passages of the
weak are much more serious proportion
ately than upon the strong. the repellant
vigor being less and the deposit on the mu-
cous membrane of the lungs works its way
into the lung tissues Post mortem exam
nations of Pittsburgers have frequently
portrayed in the darkly mottled lung tissue,
filled with carbonaceous foreign matter, the
effects of coal smoke. 1t is as likely to pro-
duce consumption as the dust inhaled in
many manufacturing occupations"
While admitting that Pittsburg is health
cities, the doctor said it must be remembered
she is advantageously situated. Yet, not
withstanding this claim, he held
that Pittsburg's death rate was larger
in 1890 than that of ST. Louis, Chi
cago. Buffalo and Louisville, none of
which are as eligibly situated. He held
that during the eight years comprising her
natural gas period Pittsburg's death
was 1.62 less per 1000 Inhabitants
than in the eight previous years,
and had it not been for the grip
epidemic Of the past two years the differ
ence would have been greater.
Success in England.
To show that it was possible to burn
bituminous coal without smoke he related
his experience on one occasion visiting an
iron mill in England, and seeing no smoke
rising from the stacks he thought the mill
was idle until told that the law forbade the
making of smoke, and that it was prevented
by skillful firemen. The doctor urged that
some step be taken to save Pittsburg from
her former unhealthy and improbable
condition. There was no doubt that
smoke was unhealthy and Pittsburg's
record of growth during eight years
of natural gas proved beyond doubt that
smoke was also improbable. The histor-
ical beauty of her women was point that
Pittsburg must lose unless the smoke nui-
sance can be abated, for beautiful face and
figure and black mottled lungs cannot long
remain together. The former must sue
cumb.
DR.. Townsend followed and coincided
with DR. Daly's remarks, but gave most of
his attention to showing the practicability
Of automatic stokers C. F. jain made
some remarks in the same line. Joseph
Eichbaum was convinced of the smoke
qualifications of mechanical
stokers, but thought them expensive in
fuel. Mr.. Barnes argued that econ
omic flame meant economy in fuel
and that was obtainable with stoker NJ.
]. Becker presented the subject from rail-
road engine standpoint and argued that
smoke abatement must come from careful