The Indianapolis journal., 1897-01-04
MONUMENT-PLHCE SMOKE.


There are times when a dense volume of
stack of a theater on the north side of
Monument place envelopes and almost COM
pletely conceals the figure of Indiana" on
her perch at the top of the monument. At
other times the smoke from a chimney to
the southeast almost as effectually hides
the flowing draperies and heroic lines "a lents
of the figure. AS general thing the smoke
from the theater is the worse. Some times
the black cloud strikes the shaft midway
aud Indiana can be seen above it apparent
ly suspended from the heavens. Again, the
great black cloud rises higher and the
figure can hardly be seen for hours. Every
day that this continues the streaks and
stains that are rapidly covering up the
stone of the shaft, it is claimed, grow deep
er and deeper much to the regret of the
artistically inclined who have no objections
to the deep tones time lays upon works of
art, but who deplore the vandalism OF
smoke.
On foggy days. when the atmosphere is
humid, the monument seems to act as a
sort of breakwater and the smoke dashes
against it and falls in great patches toward
the ground, flying in the faces of people
and almost binding them with cinders and
sitting them with noxious odors. Office
rooms in the tail buildings are at times
deluged with the permeating vapor if win
dows are unwfttingly left open TO aid venti-
latiOn.
Indianapolis has become noted afar on
account of the pretty private residences.
The fact is generally recognized that half
the life and beauty of Indianapolis homes
is result of the light abi delicate color
ing people nave chosen in exterior orna-
mentatiOn. Before natural gas came TO be
generally used the tendency was toward
the dark and sOmber coiors effected i'm
large cities where coal SCOT and smoke soon
ruined softer tintS. AS soon as il was gen
orally recognized that the fuel of Indianap-
oils was 10 be natural gas people gladly
welcomed the opportunity 10 use light
colOrs.
Complaints against the increasing smoke
nuisance are not, therefore. confined to the
precincts of Monument place, but come
from parts of town where people have their
homes adjacent TO big factories. The muir
murS now heard are rather faint, but in
them many people hear the first rumblings
of protests that will grow stronger and
deeper when this city reaches the dirty
and soot-begrimed condition of Pittsburg
before the discovery of natural gas. for in
stance, and other Eastern cities that have
never enjoyed that gift of nature.
n movement for a law to abate the smoke
nuisance was started in Council a few
weeks ago. but it seems to have died be-
cause of objections raised to ii in COM
mittee. One of the city fathers said he had
investigated the subject thoroughly and
from such a law in Chicago were consider
ably exaggerated. He said the only way
10 avoid smoke was by the use of hard coal
which, figured out in dollars and cents
costs considerably more ton than the soft
so-called bituminouS Out smoky) coal
burned in some furnaces. For this reason
he argued, manufacturers would be be-
tween two dilemmas under anti-smoke
law; they must either increase prices and
lose in competition with manufacturers un-
der no such restrictions or move to some
other place where they would be free tC
raise as much smoke as they might please
Arguing along this same commercial line
another said it would be impossible fol
railroads to continue to operate if they
were compelled to keep down smoke within
the city limits, as even the best of en-
gineers would have to fire up two three
times in getting TO Brghtwood or Nortf
Indianapolis. He suggested it might bt
well to have the ordinance cover all terri
tory between West and Noble and Merrill
and North streets. This. he said. would
shut down the smoke in the heart of town
1t was admitted that such an ordinance
might not be construed as general ord
nance and might therefore fall through
At the same time it would afford no ree
TO thousands of small property owners who
are much Interested in maintaining the
cheerful appearance of their homes as tn,
monument regents and artistic persons ar,
in preserving the beauty of the great shat
| in Monument place.