The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-03
Collins Smoke Consumer at the
Butte and Boston.
A LARGE SAVING IN FUEL
A Practical Test Made at the Concen-
trator-No Doubt of Its Efficiency
and Utility So Far as Carbon
Smoke Is Concerned.

Inns to see how the smoke consumers
were working. The smoke consumers
are used al the power room of the con-
centrator and are not used at the power
room of the smelter. Two stacks rise
from each power room and il was not
difficult 10 see at a glance that while
the smoke rising from the concentration
stacks is scarcely perceptlble. dense
black volumes of smoke rise from the
stacks over the smeltef. There was fully
much fire at the concentrator power
room as at that of the smelter, If not
more and the difference in the smoke
rising from the respective plants was
Terry marked. The smoke is not COM
pletely absent. but is scarcely perceptl-
BILE.
1t should be understood that the
smoke consumers are not being tried on
anything but carbon smoke. They have
not been tried on sulphur smoke and 1t
is not claimed that they Will burn the
sulphur smoke. 1t is argued. however,
that il the black or carbon smoke from
all the power plants in Butte Is done
away with the smoke nuisance will be
greatly reduced.
The reporter was given a view of the
frebox back Of the bridge wall in the
power room of the concentration, where
the smoke is burned There was hot
roaring fire in there which is like blast
furnace. This fire Is in addition to the
regular furnace fire and the combustion
is produced by bringing together super
heated steam and hot air. The smoke
is introduced into the box and there
consumed.
II believe the consumers are a SPLEEN
did thing" said Daniel Riley, the fore
man in charge of the room. 'Of course
YOU are more interested in getting rid
Of the smoke. while we are interested
mostly in the question of fuel. ! am en-
trely satisfied that we burn much less
fuel here than is burned in the power
room of the smelter for the same
amount of work. The difference in
cleanliness is very marked. Our tlues
are not stopped up with SCOT and don't
have to he cleaned very often. As to
the smoke. sometimes more of the smoke
is consumed than at other times. but
when we keep a smooth fire all through
the furnace there is scarcely any smoke
leaves the stacks.
The nues were shown and scarcely
Vestige OF smoke was TO be seen, and
the nues were clean. The power room
of the smelter, which is only few feet
distant, was then visited and the flues
shown in which a cloud Of smoke APP
peared.
James Heimback. assistant master
mechanic. said 10 the reporter.
You can see for yourself the relative
! amount of smoke leaving the stacks. As
to the consumption of fuel. a test was
made some time ago and it showed Il
percentage in favor of the consumers,
although | don't remember just how
much. There is no doubt that the con-
sumers are beneficial SO far as cleaning
is concerned. Much less cleaning is re-
qured where the smoke consumers are
at work ana the tlues do not corrode 50
fast"
both power rooms said to the reporter:
There is far less cleaning required in
the power room of the concentration
where the smoke consumers are used. |
have 10 blow out al the smelter power
room every morning and only blow out
at the Concentrator power room about
twice a week Then at the smelter we
have 10 scrape out once month, While
at the concennator we don't scrape out
ut all any more.
Mr.. Corbett an expert of Boston, was
IN Butte few weeks ago. having been
sent out by the Butte & Boston company
10 make tests to ascertain the cheapest
way Of running power plants Tests
were made in Great rails and Butte MIR.
! Carbett spending several weens mere.
I The smoke consumers were first tlled tt
/ that time and have been continued N
use at the csncentrator c|cr since. al
though il IS rot yet known whether The
company proposes to put them in all
/ its power plants or not. Mr. Corbett has
| now returned To Boston. The gentle
man who assisted Mr.. Corbast in making
4 the tests is George Heimback, who was
/ seen by a reporter yesterday.
Mr.. Corbett took The figures awasE
+ with him." said Mr.. Heimback. AMI |
! have no copy. The tests were made
/ with great care and | did the weighing.
/ know that the figures showed decid-
/ ed advantage in favor OF the smoke
/ consumers. My recollection of the fig
/ ures is that with the use of smoke con-
/ sumers one pound of coal eNaporated
| seven and four-tenths pounds OF water
( in one test and eight and three-tenths
/ in the second test Without the smoke
I consumers one pound of coal eNaporateu
/ five and five-tenths pounds of water III
4 one test and five and seSen-tenths in
/ the other"
The question Of fuel saving is of
course question which mainly CON
Germs the officials of the companies using
! power plants and If il is demonstrated 10
] them that smoke consumers will save
fuel there is no doubt that they will he
4 generally used. With the general pub
I lie of Butte. however. the main question
i is Of reducing the smoke nuisance as
much as possible. There seems no doubt
/ that the consumers reduce the escaping
smoke 10 a minimum. acting, il should
! he remembered, on the carbon smoke
! only, and not on sulphur smoke Those
who find Ii inconrenient to so out 10 the
/ Butte x Boston plant 10 see the opera
+ ton Of the consumers can take glance
! at the Colusa-Pauot stacks which are
| nearer 10 town. There are four of the
! stacks and The one under which the
/ smoke consumer is in use is the ole
/ farthest west Yesterday there was u
/ marked difference in the amount uf
/ smoke issuing from the stack at the
west end and the amount from the other
/ three stacks. This consumer was put IN
+ is an experiment ON this agreement
/ This * To certify thar AteSsrS Fleming
/ x Walsh hereby agree To tit and equip
one boiler al The Culusa- Parrot mine
with their patent smoke consuming and
fuel saving apparatus. All work done,
all supplies needed Ia be done at then
expense. If we ale satisfied that the
same VIII save Us fuel We agree to puF-
chase il from them Tor the sum of sS5t,
but should it not give satisfaction NE
have the privilege Of ordering the same
! removed AT their expense