The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26
Letters to Inspector Bartel Enumer-
ate Difficulties, but Express SYM
pathy with the Ordinance.
MANY DEVICES BEING TRIED
HOW SOME PLANTS ARE SOLVING
THE SMOKE PROBLEM.
Mayor and Inspector Discuss Situa-
tion from the Standpoint of
Personal investigation.

Replies received by Building Inspector
Bartel to his circular calling attention to
the ordinance against the emission of smoke
from furnace chimneys. show that the
whole city is interested in the question of
smoke prevention and that merchants and
manufacturers are active In trying to d.
minish the quantity of smoke, If not to
wholly eliminate ii. These replies indicate
the difficulties that beset all, and while
few show that success has been achieved,
they indicate that public spirit is in SYM
pathy with the ordinance and the effort of
the administration to enforce il.
Building Inspector Bartel says the aoate-
ment of the smoke nuisance will gradually
be completed. He says it is the policy to
require strict observance of the ordinance
but that prosecutions have not been insti-
tuted where offenders were making serious
and prompt efforts to obey. Some of the
replies received by the inspector asked
him to recommend a consumer. Mr.. Bar
tel says he cannot do this largely because
he does not know of one that has stood
the test to the point of official Endorsement
There are number of Devices" he said,
"any- one of which goes a long way in pre-
venting smoke. Some of them are being
ly. There are individual differences in fur
naces and boilers which when attached to
these devices produce more or less satisfac-
tory results. but find that the producers
of smoke are energetically seeking the best
method of relief to fit their individual cases,
and the amount of money that has been
spent in experiments would make a small
fortune
Mechanical stocking is not available for
low-power plants. In the large plants ii
is a satisfactory method of firing, and a
number of big furnaces produce compara-
lively no smoke. In the small plants such
success has not been had to any extent
The conditions this winter will be different
from former periods because, | imagine.
there will be little or no hard coal for such
uses and soft coal will be used almost ex-
clusiyely.
THE MAYORS STATEMENT.
Mayor Bookwalter says the administra-
tion will require obedience to the ordinance.
81 recognize said the mayor, that In
dianapolis citizens are spending large sums
in trying to get practical devices. There
are many things that make practical work.
ing difficult that do not appear to the cas-
ual observer. A feature that is not always
regarded is the downtown conditions
where buildings are so constructed that
they will not admit of the changes neces-
sary for the most practical devices. Too
many of the plants are small and stokers
other than hand are not available. An ex-
cellent illustration of hand and machine
stocking may be observed al the power sta
tion of the Indianapolis Street-railway
Company. One set of boilers four in num-
ber. is provided with the Murphy stoker
Another battery of eight boilers is not so
equipped. The two smokestacks are side
by side. From one there pours dense
cloud of smoke: from the other steam-like
vapor that disappears not far from the top
of the stack. The hominy mills Is another
evidence of the success of mechanical stok-
ing.
IL am going TO ask a number OF mer-
chants who are now finding difficulty I'm
reconciling themselves TO devices that are
offered for small plants to inspect the de-
vice used at the sewage pumping station OF
Chicago at Englewood / visited IL recently
for the sole purpose of witnessing its work
The device has been I'm use for seventeen
months and has given complete satisfac-
tion. There is perceptible saving In fuel.