Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-20
SIN OKE NUISANCE
Probable Prosecutions for Violations
of the Law.
INSTRUCTIONS TO HEALTH OFFICER
Report of Superintendent of U
Street Pumping Station.
THE PRACTICAL RESULTS

| 1t is probable that within the next few
| days the Police Court will be called upon
| to pass upon one or more cases instituted
| under the provisions of the act for the pre-
| vention of smoke in the District This act
was approved February 3 1899 and pro-
vides That on and after six months from
| the passage of this act the emission of
| dense or thick black gray smoke or Gin
| ders from any smokestack or chimney used,
| in connection with any stationary engine,
steam boiler or furnace of any description
| within the District of Columbia shall be
deemed, and is hereby declared, to be a
| public nuisance: Provided. that nothing in
this act shall be construed applied to
chimneys of buildings used exclusively for
| private residences"
| The act in question, therefore, became
operative the I'd of last August, and the
| District Commissioners, as YVES stated in
| The Star at the time, directed the health
| officer, DR.. VIM. c. Woodward. to proceed
with its enforcement DIR. Woodward placed
| the matter in the hands of one of his in
spectors 1r. Lynch, and in due time pro-
ceedings We're instituted against an alleged
vioator of the law. The defendant it is
| understood, demanded jury trial. the pen
atty provided, a fine of not less than SO
nor more than 500, emitting him to such
procedure. 1t not being customary to hold
jury trials in the Police Court during the
summer months, the case was continued,
and has not yet been brought up.
Meantime, it is alleged, the law is being
violated. II is understood such violations
are being noted and as the law makes
each days violation thereof a separate Of
Tense, it is not improbable that those so
offending will be required to face more
than one Indictment. Some of the Offend
erS. it is understood. take the position that
it is impossible for them to secure a de-
vice which will enable them to provide
against the nuisance complained of, but
reading of the law holds out to such par
ties no escape from a compliance with its
provisions, would appear from section
of the act, which reads as follows:
THAT the owner. agent, lessee, or occu-
pant of any building of any description,
from the smokestack or chimney of which
there shall issue or be emitted thick or
dense black or gray smoke or cinders with
in the District of Columbia on or after the
day above named, shall be deemed and
held guilty of creating a public nuisance
and of violating the provisions OF this act:
The only reference made by the law in
question to any device method for pre-
venting the nuisance is contained in section
) of the act, which reads as follows:
THAT no discrimination shall be made
against any method or device which may
be used for the prevention Of smoke and
which accomplishes the purpose of this
act"
therefore, II IS UNDERSTOOD, Illt NoiililiS-
sioners take the position that, as the law
expressly provides that the emission of
dense or thick black or gray smoke or Gin
derS shall be deemed and declared an Of
fense there is nothing to do but to prose-
cute those violating the law, and that they
have nothing to do with the alleged inabili-
ty Of parties interested to secure a device
which will prevent the nuisance.
In this connection the following report of
the superintendent of the District water
department of comparative results obtained
in coal consumption at the street pump
ing station with hand firing, and with a
certain make of down-draft furnaces re-
Gently installed therein, will be found in
tereSting, the smoke from this pumping
station having been formerly made the
subject of frequent complaint:
During July the old furnaces We're used
exclusively, and during September the
down draft.
July. September
Total mean daily coal
consumption ........ II, 400 lbs. $3.50 lbs.
Mean daily effective
horse power devel-
oped by pumps..... 140 139
Mean coal per effect
hour. ............... 337 lbs. 245 lbs
Mean temperature of
outer air............ 16 IS
Saving, about p per cent, or with coal
at 1928 per ton of 2,240 pounds, $500 per
day and S1,113 per year, at present rate of
pumping. Total cost of installing down
draft furnaces was ~, 600
There is now no trouble whatever from
smoke when the coal burned is of reason
ably good quality. With some received re-
Gently, however, there is large amount of
cltnker formed. When this is removed from
the fire 1t frequently leaves the upper CRATE
exposed in places When this occurs smoke
9 tod frIr Stn .ly