The Washington times., 1901-09-08
THE TALLEsT OF CHIMNEYS.
Over Four Hundred Feet High and
Located in Saxony.

Over Four Hundred Feet High and
| Located in Snxony.
| Experience has shown that the height
| of factory chimneys is not alone depend
| ent on how much smoke or other special
poisonous gases have to be removed pS
! it. On the contrary. 1t is essential that
a chimney. especially when 1t has to re-
| move poisonous and other detrtus pro-
ducts of combustion containing danger
| ous and unhealthy poison. not alone Tor
| human beings, but for plants as well, Is
to be constructed to such height that
the escaping gases produce no harm, es-
pecially at chemical factories and gas
works. where, in most cases. the poison
Gus and dangerous products OF combus-
ton escape before they enter the Hue,
thus demanding frequently the costly con-
struction, which is often found impossi-
BILE to carry out.
After the experience of today, an out
let height of about 800 feet above the
level. is considered sufficient to prevent
harmful action to the plant life. as well
as the interference with the health of
people living in the vicinity of the Chin
ney. Should this territory be surrounded
with wooded heights. it is well to in
crease in the same ratio the height of the
chimney In rolling or hilly country, the
height of the chimney must be placed at
least 500 feet above the highest point OF
the surrounding hills; chimney in the
valley would, in consequence of this great
height cost so much that it is cheaper
to build the iiue OF the chimney on this
highest point, and erect the chimney
proper on the already existing higher
plane supplied by nature.
on account of this aforesaid condition
the Royal Saxon smelling works at Halls
brucke, in Freiburg, were compelled to
build high chimney. which can safely be
considered to be the highest and most
prominent chimney of this century. This
chimney has height above the surround
ing plane of 459 feet. The height of the
chimney itself is 429 feet and inches, and
the square base is 20 feet and inches, and,
therefore at the time OF its completion, IN
1889, was the highest chimney in the world.
The top internal diameter is over feet.
This enormous height did not suffice to
supply sufficient security for the surround
ing neighborhood against the outgoing
gases, and, therefore. this chimney was
erected on one of the adjoining highest
hills, which is 1877 feet higher than the
smelling works situated in the valley. in
consequence of this position, the chimney
obtains an additional height, and increas-
ed efficiency equivalent to a height of
over 656 feet.
AS this chimney could not be placed next
to the factory, but was built, before
mentioned, upon the highest hill, a fiue OF
over ], $40 feet was constructed, which runs
parts Of the distance over a bridge, spec
tally built to hold the construction over
- II.
tory from the hill upon which the chimney
is built, thereby reducing to a rational
amount the ccst Of the construction, the
outlet of the said chimney being 200 feet
above the adjoining plane.
Notwithstanding this great saving by
the construction of the fine, and utilizing
nature for the additional height. the
chimney alone cost over s3l. coo; the con-
struction of the 1,640 feet of flue $4,000.
hence the total cost is about $4,000, in
Guiding excavations. foundations, and the
necessary iron rings; the two latter Items
cost $40. But even this tremendous cost
has been a good investment SO far, as the
company has not been compelled to pay
any damages TO the surrounding property
holders since the erection of this big
chimney; whereas before divers claims
had to be satisfied to the extent of 30 per
cent according to Government decisions.
The chimney was erected according to
the design of Master Mechanic o. Hupp-
ner, in Freiiburg. Saxony, by the largest
and most prominent firm Of German
chimney builders, II. r. Heinecke. and
was begun upon September %, 1883. The
system employed was the perforated radi-
al brick, in the same method as.was pur-
sued in the erection of the two chimneys
at the works of Adam Weber Sons at
Weber, y. j., on the Raritan River, which
system this firm is now introducing in
America Judging by results, and the
general demands in this line, it will not
be long before America will surpass this
big construction with still taller Chin
ney.
The following data will be of interest,
showing the immensely Of this construc-
ton; the base of the chimney lies thirty
feet under the level, and is nineteen
feet three inches square covering an area
of 1,55O square feet The following guam
tity of material was used, namely: 49,
$50 cubic feet for foundation work; H.,
736 cubic feet for pedestal 63,665 cubic
feet for the column, giving a total Of 95.-
2s5 cubic feet of mason work. The ma
son work had a special weight of 12i.S
per cubic foot, the entire
lot then to be carried was 5,SOs2s gross
tons; and the weight to be sustained by
the foundations, at a dead calm, was 3.45
tons per square foot. In consideration Of
the normal wind pressure OF 25.62 pounds
per square foot. which is officially accept
ed in Germany as a statistical calm for
chimneys. the weight to be sustained by
the foundations is increased to four and
three-fourths tons per square foot.
There is no doubt that this chimney
with all of its details and peculiarities, is
one of the greatest works ever erected in
this particular line, and is accepted today
by the official organs of Germany
standard Of chimney construction