Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-26
The Commissioners Agree Upon a
System.
THREE CREMATORlES TO Be ERECTED
The Smith Furnace Finally APP
proved by the Officials. 49,
THE ROCESS DESCRIBED

Within two months Washington will be
equipped with three garbage crematori,s.
1t was stated today at the Commissioners
office that the authorities had decided upon
a system of cremation for the city, and
that the Smith furnace was the one Sc
lected. Commissioner Truesdell was the
only Commissioner present today, and he
stated that the Commissioners had agreed
upon system When asked by reporter
of The Star what system had been selected,
he said it would not be fair to the con-
tractor to state that just now. But it is
understood that the Smith furnace has
been chosen, and the contractor will do his
utmc st to have the crematories ready by
the last of October.
There will be three furnaces. One will be
located on the site Of the old reduction
plant, at the foot of South Capitol street;
another will be erected somewhere on Rock
creek, and a third will be erected on
Boundary somewhere between LIST and 9th
streets.
1t has been a little over two>months since
bids for removing and disposing OF the
garbage for a period of five years were
opened Since that time the health officer
has visited a number of cities and has In
spected almost every plant that has been
in successful operation. 1t remained for
the Commissioners themselves however. to
determine the best system. Commissioners
Truesdell aid Powell paid a visit to Phil
adelphia. Camden. Wilmington and Attain
tic City some time ago, and inspected the
garbage plants in operation there. They
became convinced. after carefully investi-
eating them all. that the Smith system was
the best for Washington.
The Process.
The furnace which Is otherwise known as
1.-The artificial gas regenerative incineratfng
furnace" is in practical operation at Mum
Gle, Ind: Atlantic City: Wheeling, WA;
Philadelphia, Pa, and Wilmington, Del. 1t
cor ists of a gas producer. two regenera-
tive chambers and two chambers for the
reception Of garbage The gas which is
produced in the gas producer passes by
way of f1ue to flue connecting the first
generator with the first garbage chamber.
The air for combustion enters the bottom
Of one of the resenerative chambers, and
thence passes up through a pile of bricks
stacked, with spaces, to the top OF the
Iected with a second f1ue which. commune
Gates directly with the gas producer into
the first garbage chamber.
The combustion takes place at the point
of entrance, and the heat of the combuS-
ton in the first garbage chamber drives off
the water and reduces the garbage to a
charred mass. The heat then passes
through the second garbage chamber, in
WHICH the garbage ~ Suuucleully dcleu upon
to drive off the water, and thence through
a flue into the top of the second regenera-
tive chamber down through the bricks and
out of flue at the bottom to the stack.
At the second burning of garbage the
direction of the current Of the gas producer
is reversed through the regenerative and
garbage chambers. The advantages claimed
for the Regeneration is that the not gases.
Or the products of combustion. while pass
ing through the loosely laid brick work,
lose their heat which is absorbed by the
brick. thus saving the heat, which would
otherwise pass out of the chimney and be
wasted. 1t is claimed, further. that there
are no odors from the process, and that the
intense heat generated kills whatever germs
there might be in the garbage.
Health officer Woodward spoke very ia
vorably of the furnace to a reporter of The
Star today. He said he had investigated it
thoroughly and was convinced that it was
a good system, and could be used with
great advantage in Washington.