The morning times., 1897-02-15
SMOKE PROBLEM SOLVED
A New Method of Heating Cities
and Furnishing Power.
WHAT NATURAL GAS SHOWS
The Manufactured Article Can Be
Made and Delivered as Cheap as
Natural Gas Can BE Piped-Coa1
Is About Half Wasted in Hurtfu1
Smoke.

Hon. Edward Daniel, OF Gunton Hall,
Va, talked TO a Times reporter last night
regarding the effort OF the Commissioners
to abolish the smoke nuisance in Wash
ington. He has novel propostioneupon
the subject. He said
I'm several cities ordinances have
been passed forbidding the production
of smoke. The next thing after the law
has been passed is to appoint smoke in
spcctor, whose business it is TO enforce
it. Instantly there appears a multitude
OF devices to prevent or TO consume smoke.
Their makers beset manufacturers and
all large consumers of soft coal to buy.
They are all humbugs. In cities like Pitts
burg and Cleveland they have been tried
one after another without success Manu-
facturers have been put TO great expense
in the trial of these different alleged in
vcItions while attempting to get rid OF
smoke and so obey the law. Many fine
properties ON Euclid avenue in Cleveland
have been ruined by smoke, ana both there
and in Chicago associations of citizens
TO fight the evil have been able to make
very little practical headway.
IF Congress should pass the bill sent
up by the Commissioners, Washington
would begin just where these other cities
left Off. This would hardly be creditable
to the Capital of the nation. 1t would
seem more in keeping with the high po-
sition taken by Washington to avail it
self of the experience of other cities and
ofthe findings of experienced and practical
men in this direction.
Smoke is caused by imperfect com
bustion OF soft coal. Imperfect combustion
results from the present crude method
of using this cheap and abundant fuel.
Soft coal consists mainly OF hydrogen
and carbon. Some accidental substances,
as sulphur, iron, arsenic, etc, ire always
present.
Hydrogen and carbon are the valuable
elements. These chemically combined with
the oxygen of the air produce heat They
differ widely in their behavior when
placed upon the fire. The hydrogen is
nimble- footed, and flies up the chimney
at the rate of thirty feet a second, drag
ging along With IL part of the carbon
in fine powder. This powdered carbon
forms the smut of black smoke. Some of
il is deposited in the chimney, forming
SCOT Most of it is deposited from the
air on all exposed surfaces. Thus hydrogen
is the most, valuable portion Of the fuel
and is wholly lost in our present rude
processes. we hear of expensive luXuries
| but smoke s an expensive nuisance.
''Sir william Armstrong, the distin'
guished English engineer, estimates that
two-thirds OF the fuel used in our furnaces
| passe s into the air in gases with the heat
ing power undeveloped. Mr.. Prideaux, 3
noted French chemist, says that the amount
| In, IL
| adequate to produce twelve times as much
| heat He mourns the ignorance Of mer
| deemed practical, who cling To the old
methods For hundred years there has
been no substantial progress in the methods
Of generating heat from cold.
| Can anybody give any good reason WHY
| cities should not be warmed as they arr
| lighted, by the use OF fuel gas distributed tC
| each house," In regions where natura
| gas is found this is done. The absurd ant
| expensive fires kept burning in each room
| OF the house are far behind the age. They
will certainly be superseded by fuel gas a:
| public intelligence increases, as the tallov
| candle and lamp have been in all pro
| gressive cities.
| The saving to manufacturers will b,
| immense, in direct consumption of Goa
| at least not less than 40 per cent. Unde
| boilers used to generate steam for motive
| power a great saving will be made. Th
| burning of coal in direct contact with boil
| ers rapidly destroys the iron plates. Tn
| minute particles of sulphur and carbon
| rapidly carrode and wear a way the metal
| The boilers are thus weakened and Otter
| burst. In any case the life of the boiler
| isshortened at least one-half. TheinCrease'
| losses of life and destruction of property
! by explosions which are prevenuble shoul
| be a sufficient motive for thorough stud!
| OF the whole matter.
Another saving is in the tall Gimme
| stacks now erected at great expense I,
secure draught. They are supposed to b
| a necessary adjunct of every large furnace
! ormanufactory TheydO notprevent smoke
| but only spread dirt andvarious gasses Owe
| wider space With gas fuel the product
| of a perfect combustion should be col
veyed safely to the sewer, where they be
long. These products consist of water
| carbonic acid, nitrogen. and few acci
| dental gasses. In the burning of ton @
| soft coal we have half a ton of water.
THE carbon ecomes Carbonic acid, which
| is readily absorbed by water if confined
u ~,