The times., 1901-03-30

! Some one signing himself a Sufferer
has sent a communication to the Com
missioners relative to the smoke nui-
! sance in connection with the powerhouse
/ OF the Metropolitan Railway Company on
| Z Street near Rock Creek. He desiSnates
the present conditions as intolerable and
protests against its further continuance.
He hopes the Commissioners will not give
ear to any further excuses presented by
the corporation for not conforming with
the law in the management of their
plant.
a law in force writes the sufferer,
"at least by enactment, prohibits abso-
lutely the use of soft coal, when such
use begets consequent nuisance by rea-
son of the volumes of dense black smoke
composed of visible and distinct parti-
cles OF carbon. that not only permeate
: the residences, stores, and Offices OF the
! citizens. and changes the atmosphere Of
/ this fair city from that of clearness and
| beauty 10 one befouled by this filth. so
/ dense at times as to render objects but
/ a short distance away almost indistin-
! guishabIs Not only does the smoke from
these chimneys do this, bat it befouls the
! faces and hands, as well as the linen, of
the citizens coming within its influence.
The law above referred to went into
active operation, at least was so ordered,
July l. 1888 vet today nearly two years
after that date, not only are the Chin
neys continuing this intolerable nuisance
and violation Of the law, but 40 appar-
ent efforts are made TO enforce the law,
which. it seems to me- has been violated
/ sufficiently to subject the violators 10
something more radical tha2 respectfully
listening TO their complaints.
Tpfis-r reN-f of
consume this smoke, these ViolatorS of
the iHw have been permitted TO continue
their annoyance Of the citizens, and have
in these two wears time done nothing
whatever toward obeying the law. This
period. II would seem. is amply sufficient
to enable a decision as to the probabili-
L. OF. or otherwise. obtaining the de-
sired system to be reached.
Sufferer discusses the subject at con-
siderable length, asserting that the ar
cIiments made use Of by the railway com
pany tor delay are not sound and at
tempting to show that the problem has
been practically solved in other cities
The attitude of Commissioner Macfar-
land, VINO mas supervision over the
Health Department. under which the con-
Sderatiou Of the smoke nuisance comes
is well known 10y frequent public state
ments he holds to the point that the
Commissioners have done all they could
10 force compliance with the law.
There have been arrests: there have
been many plants fitted out with appli-
ances TO prevent smoke, and some of
them are working well. Others have
adopted the use of hard coal. which Mr.
Macfarlaud has intimated is the only
practical remedy for the trouble now in
sight
bir Nacfarland has frequently spoken
with reference 10 the difficulties in the
WAY OF fitting Qua the larger plants with
the smoke consuming devices. Finally the
matter of which Sufferer speaks is at
the present time under special consider
alton and the decision Of the Commits
sim IN sa-fn F9fass hill fRl
radical action with reference to this
company is waiting the return of Com
missioner Poss TO this city. when the
question viii be Immediately taken up.