New-York tribune., 1901-12-26
SvOKELESS CITIES.

Not the least interesting feature OF the 81.
ro,,is Exposition of 1908 will be the attempt 10
show the country how easily smoke lha! NC
dispensed with when soft coal is USED. he
managers intend that in the generatloh Vi lne
twenty thousand or twenty-five thousahu holse-
power which they will require coal shaH pe 50
burned as to emit no visible fumeS' I'll 'heI
more they will urge all railway companies Iun-
nino trains to the grounds to attix smoke sup
nressinr devices TO their locomotives. IhiS
nolicy has been adopted at the instigatlon OF
local nuisance abating society, ana thefe -
much reason for faith in its feaslplhty' III
fact both on railways and in statohdi! power
plants it has of late been repeatedly uelhoh-
strated that the evil in question can oe over
come by careful stoking, and without the use
of special appliances to promote colhpuStioh'
Nevertheless, conservatism is insrained In the
human mind. The majority Of the consumers
Of soft coal are incredulous. And 1t Will take
+ir,a and trouble TO convince them. Hence THE
American Machinist' remarks that II the 81
Louis plan can be carried out strictly, a ser
vice will be rendered to the country greater
than such exhibitions are usually credlted
with" And the lesson is particularly needed
in the West, which is unable to obtain anthra-
cite except at prohibitive prices.
But there is another way TO free large COM
munity from smoke All the power required
for factories and the operation OF street rail-
vays might be developed at q central station
outside the city limits and be transmitted 10
consumers in the form of electricity. one OF
the great movements Of the age IS toward the
ep,nIovment Of electric motors to drive maChin-
ery of all kinds in order to get rid of belts and
shaftine and thus TO save both space and power.
Another advantage of the system is that the
mower NAV be conveniently brought from dis
tant places where circumstances favor It's cheap
development, like Niagara or the slopes OF the
Sierra Some of the electricity which San
Francisco now uses is generated in the yuma
Valley more than two hundred miles away.
But all the streams in this country together are
not sufficient to generate tenth of the power
actually needed Hence fuel is an absolute
necessity. 1t is not essential. though. that 1t
should be burned at the precise spot Where It's
output of energy is utilized.
When small consumers of power obtain II, IKE
gas. water or current for lighting and driving
electric fans from big producer, it should be
much less expensive than when developed on
the Dremises Power costs less when generated
on \ large scale than on a small one. The coal
consumption for the most economical marine en-
gines Is scarcely more than one pound horse
mower hour 4 twenty horsepower engine In a
hack street machine shop would want anywhere
from FIVE to eight. And. inasmuch as real estate
is cheaper in the suburbs than in town, the com
pany which operated 2 great power plant would
doubtless find 1t desirable to select site five or
ten miles from the heart of the city to which 1t
ministered And if it did not go there volun-
tariIv and there was any doubt on the score or
smoke then exclusion should he effected by pro-
hihitive local ordinances.